Armed Robbers In Wicker Park Are Targeting Texting Pedestrians

By Mae Rice in News on Apr 5, 2016 5:24PM

1484 N Milwaukee Ave., the scene of an armed robbery at 1:30 a.m. last Tuesday (photo via Google Streetview)

Two men have conducted a recent rash of armed robberies in Wicker Park, targeting pedestrians who were "maybe distracted by texting," the Chicago Police Department said in a community alert issued Tuesday.

The three robberies—one on March 29, and two this past Saturday—all took place after midnight, and followed the same pattern. The two robbers approached their victim, announced a robbery, and showed a handgun. They then went through the victim's pockets, took "property" and fled on foot, police said.

The March 29 robbery took place at 1:30 a.m. (which makes it the earliest of the three robberies) at 1484 N. Milwaukee Ave., on the same Wicker Park block as Umami Burger and Native Foods.

A second robbery took place at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday at 1501 N. Paulina St., a residential area of Wicker Park; the third took place at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday at 1397 N. Wood St., just across the road from beloved defunct dive Beachwood Inn (and steps from unfortunately-named hair salon G Spot Hair Design).

The two offenders are black men in their 20s, police said.