At least five 7-Eleven stores targeted by armed robbers on North, West sides, on top of four more Monday
CHICAGO (CBS) -- At least five armed robberies took place at 7-Elevens stores on the North and West sides early Wednesday morning – following four more 7-Eleven robberies on Monday.
As CBS 2's Tara Molina reported, police would not say Wednesday whether they are even connecting the robberies. So we brought the descriptions to a few experts.
The first incident early Wednesday took place at a 7-Eleven in West Loop, at 954 W. Monroe St., just after 1 a.m. when two men with handguns entered the store and announced the robbery. They took two cash registers and the keys to a customer's black Jeep, which they hopped into and used as a getaway car.
The store manager put a sign on the door – a message reading, "Credit or debit only – no cash inside."
During the robbery, the offenders took a customer's car keys to a 2017 black Jeep Cherokee and drove off.
Around 1:45 a.m., a 7-Eleven at 560 W. Grenshaw St. on the Near West Side was robbed by two offenders with handguns. The suspects got cash from two registers, and left in a black Jeep.
At 2:40 a.m., two offenders arrived in a black sport-utility vehicle at the 7-Eleven at 3700 N. Broadway at Waveland Avenue in East Lakeview, and demanded money at gunpoint. They left with an unknown amount of money.
The same style of robbery took place at 2741 W. Touhy Ave. in West Rogers Park around 3:11 a.m. This time, the offenders may have fled on foot.
Around 3:15 a.m., police said two men stole money from the registers at a 7-Eleven at 6801 N. Western Ave., also in West Rogers Park, and fled in a black SUV.
This followed four robberies early on Monday morning on the North, West, and Near Northwest sides.
The first Monday robbery happened at 2:42 a.m. at the 7-Eleven at 6800 W. North Ave. in Galewood. The second was at 3:37 a.m. Monday at 1153 W. Belmont Ave. in Lakeview. The third was at 3:50 a.m. Monday at 2341 W. Belmont Ave. in Roscoe Village. The fourth was at 4 a.m. at 2366 N. Damen Ave. in Bucktown.
Chicago Police have issued an alert to area businesses as they continue to investigate.
So why target all convenience stores - specifically 7-Elevens? We asked Chicago Police, but they were not addressing that question Wednesday – nor the question of whether any of the robberies are being investigated as connected.
On whether the robberies were connected, police said: "We cannot confirm that information. If detectives observe a pattern, they will create a Community Alert, which our office will disseminate at that time."
On why 7-Elevens are being targeted, police said: "The incidents remain under investigation. We do not comment on specifics of open investigations. As is our standard procedure, if detectives have any images to share, those are sent via Community Alert."
So Molina sent the incidents and the police warning to criminologists and crime experts. They said stores like 7-Elevens are often targeted because they are cash businesses with registers typically close to the door - and they're open late at night and early in the morning.
But as to the fact every convenience store targeted this week was a 7-Eleven, there was no good rationale from the experts on that.
All the store operators we talked to Wednesday directed us to 7-Eleven's corporate office.
7-Eleven Inc. released this statement: "The safety of 7-Eleven customers, franchisees and store associates is of the utmost importance. We are gathering information and working closely with local law enforcement."