Another Food Delivery Driver Robbed On Southwest Side
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Police are warning businesses about a pattern of robberies targeting food delivery drivers on the city's Southwest Side.
As WBBM Newsradio's Lisa Fielding reports, police say a robbery just before 6 p.m. this past Sunday in the 6800 block of South Campbell Avenue was the third in recent months within the space of one block.
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The two previous attacks occurred in the same 6800 block of South Campbell at 9 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2011; and about 4 p.m. on Nov. 5 in the 6700 block of South Campbell.
Another robbery at 7:15 p.m. Nov. 15 in the 6700 block of South Talman Avenue is also believed to be connected, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Robbers have been placing fake food orders via cell phone, then robbing the delivery drivers when they arrive.
Detectives have determined the cell phone numbers (773) 412-7771, (773) 556-0419 and (773) 430-0708 have been used to place orders.
Police are warning drivers not to get out of their cars until customers are in sight, and are asking business owners to ask customers to leave their porch or vestibule lights on. If a would-be customer directs a driver to a vacant or abandoned building, the driver should leave at once, police said.
The suspects in the robberies are described as African-American men, between 19 and 25 years old, standing 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall, and weighing 150 to 160 pounds.
In late November, police issued a similar alert for delivery drivers in the Hyde Park neighborhood. George Smith, a driver for the Hyde Park Leona's on 53rd Street, was targeted by the robbers in December.
"They said, 'Give me everything you've got' … I said, 'Here, take it,'" Smith said.
It reached the point where some drivers refused to deliver to customers who placed orders using their cell phones.
Police in December arrested three suspects in connection the Hyde Park attacks, after a restaurant manager received an order for pizzas from a number listed on the alert.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
