Armed robbers targeting senior citizens on Chicago's South Side
CHICAGO (CBS) — Chicago police are looking for the suspects targeting senior citizens in a string of armed robberies on the city's South Side. At least five robberies have been reported, with the latest happening on Wednesday.
Neighbors in the Armour Square neighborhood said that one of the suspects rides around the area on a Divvy bike. A nearby apartment complex caught the suspect on surveillance video multiple times.
One of the videos shows the suspect inside the back entrance last week, walking in with a Divvy bike, wearing a blue cap with a yellow logo, and appearing to turn his face away from the camera.
In another video on Tuesday, he is seen again in the back parking lot of the same complex, with the same blue cap and yellow logo as he follows a man with a walker. A different angle shows the victim falling down before a brief struggle, and then the suspect goes out of frame.
The Chinatown Elderly Apartment complex has posted pictures on their lobby bulletin board, with the time and place matching a part of the community alert from 9th District Chicago police.
The alert says that two men and a woman are pulling a knife on senior citizens or spraying them with mace before taking their belongings. Those incidents happened at the following times and locations:
- 2200 block of South Princeton Avenue on Nov. 15 at 6:15 p.m.
- 2200 block of South Princeton Avenue on Nov. 17 at 7 a.m.
- 2300 block of South Stewart Ave on Nov. 17 at 9 a.m.
- 300 block of West 23rd Street on Nov. 19 at 5:15 p.m.
- 200 block of West 22nd Place on Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m.
Alderwoman Nicole Lee (11th) said seeing elderly people attacked in her community is "beyond upsetting."
"I'm disgusted by the fact that our seniors are being targeted. Our seniors are some of our most cherished community and very vulnerable," She said.
Ald. Lee said police are paying close attention to this area and conducting frequent patrols as they continue to search for the suspects involved.
"My message to the community really is we have to be vigilant," she said. "We want to make sure that our loved ones, especially the seniors, aren't really walking around by themselves, that we look out for one another."