(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – 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."
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.
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.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2022. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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