CHICAGO — A group of armed robbers carried out a fast-moving string of holdups in Boystown, Lakeview, and Lincoln Park late Monday night into early Tuesday, according to Chicago police. The victims included a 20-year-old DePaul University student, and all four robberies occurred in just 35 minutes.
Police say some victims were threatened at gunpoint and forced to hand over their phones — with the attackers even demanding passcode access before fleeing the scene.
Crime Spree Timeline
The first robbery happened around 11:30 p.m. in the 3400 block of North Broadway, where a 47-year-old woman was approached by two armed individuals who forcibly took her belongings before fleeing on foot.
Fifteen minutes later at 11:45 p.m., a 23-year-old woman was robbed in the 2800 block of North Pine Grove. In that case, two males displayed a handgun and escaped in a white SUV after demanding her possessions.
At 11:51 p.m., the crew struck again in Boystown, this time targeting a 21-year-old woman in the 700 block of West Roscoe Street.
Finally, just after midnight, a 20-year-old DePaul student was robbed by two masked individuals who exited a white SUV in the 2300 block of North Sheffield. The student complied and was not injured, police said.
White Honda CR-V Abandoned, Suspects Still at Large
Roughly 30 minutes after the last attack, police located a white Honda CR-V believed to have been used in the robberies. The vehicle was found abandoned in the 4300 block of West Gladys in West Garfield Park.
Sources say the suspects were described as Black males wearing black clothing, possibly tracksuits, and face masks. At least one of the firearms reportedly had a laser pointer attached — a tactic used in previous violent robbery waves in Chicago.
Resembling Past Robbery Crews
These latest robberies mirror the coordinated holdup crew patterns that plagued Chicago from 2021 to 2023, where groups would rob multiple victims within minutes across various neighborhoods before vanishing. While such incidents had decreased — with citywide robberies down 35% this year, according to CPD CompStat Week 22 Report — this latest streak raises concerns of a resurgence.
Police have not confirmed if this crew is tied to any known networks, and no arrests have been made as of Tuesday afternoon. Area Three detectives are leading the investigation.
Do You Feel Safe Walking in Your Neighborhood at Night?
Has the recent drop in robberies made you more comfortable — or do incidents like this still keep you cautious? Drop a comment and tell us how crime trends are impacting your area at ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com.
