Chicago police are warning Lakeview residents to beware of two men who have been robbing people walking home late at night in the neighborhood in recent days.
At least four robberies have occurred since Wednesday, the latest being early this morning, said Belmont Area Robbery Sgt. Timothy Kusinski. The robbers have been coming up to people as they walk home or are about to enter their homes, police said.
Belmont Area detectives issued an alert about the robberies today, all of which police believe involve the same two attackers.
The robbers have been coming up to both men and women from behind between about 1 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., spraying them with pepper spray or other disabling chemical, knocking them down, and in some cases beating them up, Kusinski said. They have then stolen items such as cell phones, wallets and purses.
Robberies have taken place in the 700 and 800 blocks of West Aldine Avenue, the 3500 block of North Pine Grove Avenue and the 600 block of West Buckingham Place, Kusinski said. All have taken place within a few blocks of each other, in an area roughly bounded by Belmont Avenue on the south, Addison Street on the north, Pine Grove on the east and Sheffield Avenue on the west.
Probably in part because of the way the robbers have been attacking their victims, including knocking them to the ground and disorienting them by spraying them with disabling chemical, police have gotten some variations in descriptions of the robbers, police said.
The robbers are described as black, between the ages of 18 and 30, between 5-foot-5 and 6-foot-3 in height, and weighing between 150 and 200 pounds, but police said it is likely they are closer to late teens and early 20s, and closer to the shorter and less heavy end of the provided descriptions. Both were wearing jeans and T-shirts at the time of the robberies.
Belmont Area detectives were expected to discuss the robberies in a news conference Friday night at Belmont Area headquarters, 2452 W. Belmont Ave.
Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call Belmont Area detectives at 312-744-8263.
ROBBERY OCCURED IN THE 23rd DISTRICT Beat 2331 (Jan. 1, 2011-May 25, 2011)
Shooting- 0
Homicide- 0
Drug Arrests- 9
Robbery- 16
Gun Arrests-0
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