String of recent carjackings prompts community alert

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - Police are warning residents about a series of recent carjackings in the Bucktown, University Village, West Town and Near West Side neighborhoods.

In each incident, suspects rear-ended a vehicle, then got into it and drove away after the person whose car was hit got out to assess the damage, according to an alert from Chicago Police.

One of the carjackings involved the girlfriend of Chicago Bears’ receiver Kevin White Thursday evening in the West Town neighborhood, police said. Two people stole the Maserati she was driving after rear-ending it about 6:30 p.m. in the 400 block of North May.

The other carjackings happened:

• at 5:24 p.m. April 7 in the 1100 block of South Racine;
• about 7:30 p.m. April 10 in the 400 block of North Damen;
• about 3:50 p.m. April 23 in the 500 block of North Ashland;
• about 9:25 p.m. April 24 in the 700 block of West Roosevelt;
• about 9:45 p.m. April 24 in the 1000 block of West 15th;
• at 4:19 p.m. April 24 in the 200 block of North Ada;
• about 5:35 p.m. Wednesday in the 500 block of South Wood;
• at 10:07 p.m. Thursday in the 2200 block of North Ashland.

Police are searching for two to three offenders. One suspect is described as a black man with a dark complexion, thought to be between 18 and 25 years old, standing between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-6, weighing between 140 and 160 pounds with a possible scar on his face and cross tattoo on his forehead, police said.

Another suspect is described as a black male with dreadlocks, according to police. There was no description of a possible third suspect.

Anyone with information should call Area Central detectives at (312) 747-8382.

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