Video shows men being robbed of phones at gunpoint in Humboldt Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A man and his buddy were held up at gunpoint by a robbery crew while walking to their car in Humboldt Park recently.
The victims lost their phones. But they told CBS 2's Jermont Terry it was a frightening ordeal – and they are worried the next victims might not be so lucky.
On Tuesday night, there was a sense of fear on Keeler Avenue near Bloomingdale Avenue in Humboldt Park. Neighbors were looking over their shoulders as they entered their homes following the violent armed robbery – which was caught on camera.
The video shows four robbers jumping out of an SUV and running toward a red Kia. The robbers were armed as they targeted a man named Armando and his friend.
"They pointed the gun to his chest, so he felt the gun to his chest," Armando said. "I could tell they were teenagers."
Armando spoke, but hid his identity – because all of this took place steps from his front door on Keeler Avenue.
"We've very fortunate, because they kept constantly saying: 'Shoot them! Shoot them!'" Armando said, "so we definitely could have been injured or dead."
Armando said the thieves did more than threaten them.
"They tried to cock the gun, but nothing happened," he said.
The video shows the crook rushing to the driver's side of the Kia, where Armando was standing.
He remembers locking eyes one of the four thieves.
"I saw them. They're trembling," Armando said. "They're, you know, kind of almost teared-eyed more than I was in the moment."
While the video shows four men involved in the armed robbery on Keeler Avenue, what is not seen in the video is a second vehicle waiting off in the distance. Neighbors said they believe that vehicle was also connected to the robbery crew - but they don't know how many people were inside.
"Maybe even looking at them, you know, how they were conducting the robbery," Armando said for an idea of what the occupants of that second car might have been doing.
Chicago Police late Tuesday were trying to figure out if the robbery crew is connected to other reported robberies in the area by a group of four or more.
"My incident has also sparked just worry in the community because of other situations similar to mine," Armando said.
Before the robbers rushed back into the SUV, they made sure Armando unlocked his cellphone.
"I gave them my passcode to it, and then they were making sure they could access it," Armando said. "Later on, I figured out that they'd been asking people to send money through Cash App."
Police have not caught the crew, and Armando fears their next victim may not live to talk about it.
"That is my main worry," he said.