An Oak Lawn man arrested after robbing a Burbank bank may be the "Playboy Bandit" that authorities have been hunting. Edward Guajardo, 48, is charged in a robbery Tuesday afternoon. After making off with over $6,000 in cash, Guajardo and two other men fled in a car and a high-speed chase ensued. It ended when Guajardo's car crashed into Chicago police car at 63rd Street and Cicero Avenue. All three men were taken into custody but only Guajardo has been charged.

Though not yet charged with any other holdups, Guajardo appears to be the heavyset man who robbed two other banks, including a Charter One branch in Alsip Sept. 11, the FBI said. more ›

The FBI says that the number of bank robberies in Chicago this year (220 to date) is on pace to surpass 2007 numbers (226), but probably won’t surpass the record number set in 2006 (284). They also reported that the number of robberies has spiked in the last two to three weeks, and the incidents are becoming increasingly dangerous. Apparently, it’s no coincidence that the number of bank robberies is on the rise as the economy is tanking. Crimes like muggings and ATM hold-ups also increase during times of economic strife. The Sun-Times reported Tuesday that police are focusing crime fighting in areas hit hardest by foreclosures. "Abandoned buildings breed crime," police spokeswoman Monique Bond said. Officers in the Troubled Buildings Unit have been identifying abandoned properties, patrolling them to keep gangs, vandals and other criminals out and getting the city involved in dealing with the owners, Bond said. more ›