Police investigate rash of armed robberies, carjackings on Chicago's North Side

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Police on Wednesday issued a community alert about a rash of carjackings and armed robberies in North Side neighborhoods over a period of only about eight hours Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

The same group of perpetrators also burglarized two cosmetics and fragrance stores, police said. They strategically terrorized people and businesses for eight whole hours.

As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported, the massive crime spree spanned several neighborhoods from Bowmanville to Greektown between 7 p.m. Tuesday and 3 a.m. Wednesday.

The spree included three carjackings that happened within 15 minutes, in which several suspects pulled up in two separate cars and boxed in their victims' vehicles.

One carjacking occurred at 10:50 p.m. near Lincoln and Montrose avenues and Leavitt Street in Lincoln Square. Police said four to six suspects, in two separate cars, got out of the vehicles with handguns and forced the victim out of his car.

The suspects drove off in his car.

One of the offenders' cars was described as a black and silver sedan. 

Police also issued an early report about a carjacking at 11:30 p.m., in which a 29-year-old man was targeted as he drove in the 900 block of West Grace Street. This location is about a block north and just east of Wrigley Field.

Police said two cars pulled up and boxed him in, and the perpetrators got out with guns in hand. The victim got out of his car and ran away to avoid injury, while the three carjackers got into his car and drove off.

No one was injured in these first two carjackings.

At 11:38 p.m., police said there was a third incident in the always-busy 3500 block of North Clark Street, just south of Wrigley Field and about two blocks south of the Grace Street crime scene. In this incident, a 25-year-old woman was parking her car when two vehicles pulled up and boxed her in, police said.

Multiple perpetrators then got out with guns in hand and forced the woman out of her car. They made it north to Irving Park Road, where they fled east, police said.

Another woman who was a passenger in the car was battered by the assailants, who took her personal belongings, police said. She refused medical attention at the scene.

As CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reported, surveillance video shows the driver and her passenger being pinned in by three different cars in the Clark Street incident. The driver tries to get away by driving onto the sidewalk, but one of the men pulls her out of the car.

From another angle, one of the men appears to kick the passenger window or door with his foot to make the passenger get out of the car.

One of the suspects appears to have on an orange Halloween mask.

When the suspects drive away, the video shows the passenger on the ground, with the driver standing next to her. The women then go into a nearby business.

Le Mignot asked security expert and retired Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Eugene Roy what people can do to protect themselves in a box-in carjacking situation.

"At point, it's beyond protecting themselves. The only thing they can do is to comply, and to not aggravate or escalate the situation any. They're not going to win in a fight with armed offenders who have the drop on them. You're not going to win."

Roy said in such a situation, a victim needs to speak in a low and measured tone so as not to cause aggravation to the person who has the gun – because there is really no way out once a gun is being pointed.

Roy said trying to get away is an option only in certain circumstances.

"If they think they can get away - if the offender is distracted - obviously, run," Roy said. "Run as fast as you can."

The three carjackings were listed in a community alert issued by police Wednesday afternoon, along with at least three more carjackings or armed robberies – in the 1800 block of West Belle Plaine Avenue in Ravenswood at 7 p.m., in the 5300 block of North Damen Avenue in Bowmanville at 10:28 p.m., and in the 2200 block of West Irving Park Road at 11:17 p.m. Police did not provide specific details on these incidents, including whether cars were taken in any of them, in the community alert.

Police said the same group was behind two commercial burglaries overnight – both targeting Ulta Beauty stores. The first occurred at the Ulta store at 2754 N. Clybourn Ave. on the edge of Lincoln Park at 2:30 a.m., the second at the Ulta at 16 S. Halsted St. in Greektown at 3:05 a.m.

At the Clybourn Avenue location, the perpetrators smashed the front window class – stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise.

Ulta stores have been the target of organized crime rings before. Ulta Beauty chief executive officer Dave Kimbell previously said in part: "The rise in violence and aggressive behavior during organized retail crime thefts is concerning. The company has experienced higher levels of theft."

The suspects are described as being between 16 and 20 years old, with dark hooded sweat shirts and black ski masks.

Anyone with information is asked to call Area 3 Chicago Police detectives at (312) 744-8263.