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Single crew suspected of committing about 20 armed robberies a day across Chicago: source

By Kade Heather, Tom Schuba and Emmanuel Camarillo
Published  December 13, 2022 8:47pm CST
Chicago
Sun-Times Media Wire

Chicago police issue warning after 7 people robbed within an hour

Police are investigating after seven people were robbed at gunpoint within an hour across Chicago.

CHICAGO - A single crew has been committing about 20 armed robberies a day across the city, a law enforcement source told the Sun-Times Tuesday after police released a lengthy list of recent hold-ups.

Chicago police have been tracking "a certain pattern" in the string of attacks this month, the source said. On Monday, the department issued a community alert reporting 50 armed robberies between last Wednesday and Saturday that were clustered in Humboldt Park, Ukrainian Village, West Town, Lakeview, Edgewater and West Ridge.

The robbers typically use a Kia or a Hyundai — cars that can easily be stolen using a basic USB cable, the source said. They’re always masked.

Though a handful of suspects have been taken into custody, the source said new crew members have simply been brought in to replace them. The source likened the operation to a "multiple-headed monster."

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And while the crew members generally hail from the same part of the city, the source said their alliance "transcends gang affiliations."

The source connected the crew to a shooting in Austin earlier this month when a concealed carry license holder shot three robbers — an 18-year-old man and two boys, 15 and 16.

50 ARMED ROBBERIES REPORTED OVER FOUR DAYS ON CHICAGO'S NORTH AND WEST SIDES

Robberies have increased by 15% across the city from last year, according to police data. Thefts are up 59%

Of the areas hit last week, the 25th Police District on the Northwest Side has seen the largest increase in robberies this year, 34%, from 282 last year at this time to 373 this year.

  • On Saturday, 18 robberies were reported between midnight and 4 a.m., mainly in Humboldt Park, Ukrainian Village and West Town. Others occurred Saturday morning from the Near North Side to Lakeview, Edgewater and West Ridge.
  • Friday saw just one reported robbery — about 11:20 p.m. in the 1400 block of North Sandburg Terrace on the Near North Side, according to police.
  • On Dec. 8, a group of gunmen pulled off 16 robberies between 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., all on the West Side, most of them in Humboldt Park. Six of the attacks happened between 5:15 a.m. and 5:38 a.m., according to police.
  • Another 15 robberies were reported Dec. 7, primarily on the West Side. Twelve of them occurred between 4:15 a.m. and 6:40 a.m., police said.
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