50 armed robberies reported in 4 days on North and West Sides

Two to four people are responsible for 50 armed robberies within four days last week on the North and West Sides, according to Chicago police.

In each case, the suspects wore dark clothing with hoods and ski masks, pulled up in a vehicle and got out to approach people on streets and sidewalks. They displayed firearms and stole the victims’ belongings and fled the area, police said.

Some robberies were minutes or even seconds apart, according to police.

On Saturday, 18 robberies were reported within four hours between midnight and 4 a.m., mainly in Humboldt Park, Ukrainian Village and West Town.

Others Saturday morning occurred from the Near North Side to Lakeview, Edgewater and West Ridge.

Friday saw just one 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, the group of gunmen pulled off 16 robberies between about 12:30 and 5:30 a.m. – all on the West Side, the majority in Humboldt Park. That string ended with six thefts between 5:15 and 5:38 a.m., according to police, with three of them reported at 5:30 a.m.

Another string Dec. 7 led to 15 reports of robberies, also primarily on the West Side. Twelve of them occurred between 4:15 and 6:40 a.m., police said.

Police describe the suspects as Black males between 15 and 30 years old.

Robberies have increased by about 15% citywide compared to this time last year, according to police data. 

Of the areas hit by the 50 robberies last week, the 25th Police District on the Northwest Side has seen the largest increase in the past year, at 34% — from 271 robberies by this point last year to 362 reported as of Dec. 4 this year.