Chicago Police are warning people in the city's Loop of a string of armed robberies over the last month, in which suspects approach victims with fliers and act as though they are fundraising before ultimately attacking the victim and stealing belongings.
The most recent incident occurred on June 24 in the 100 block of N Wabash Ave around 12:45 p.m., according to police. In that case, two young men approached a woman standing near the door at Peach and Green restaurant, employees said. According to police, they presented themselves as distributors of fundraising fliers before pulling so violently on her purse, witnesses said, she fell to the ground.
A similar incident occurred at another restaurant just two blocks away in the 0-100 block of S Wabash Ave on May 25 at approximately the same time of day, authorities said.
Police say two more people were robbed in a similar manner, but as they sat in their cars. The first robbery occurred in the 0-100 block of E Lower Wacker Dr at around 4:30 p.m. on June 22. The second occurred in the 200 block of N Michigan Ave the following day, at 4:05 p.m. on June 23. Police said in both cases, the suspects again approached drivers who were parked or stopped in traffic, distracted them with fundraising fliers, then opened the car door and hit the victims, stealing cell phones.
The crimes have plenty of people in the Loop on edge.
"It is pretty frightening to be downtown, trying to have fun, and then something crazy like that happens to you," Melanie Sneed-Morton told NBC 5 Thursday afternoon.
"In this area, it is a little surprising. Millennium Park is right down the street," said Alex Vera. "To be right in the middle of that is pretty audacious."
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These crimes happened just blocks from where police continue to investigate a robbery outside Trump Tower, where a woman was filming an engagement video when two men approached, one violently shoving her to the ground and stealing her camera, police said.
"You wouldn't think it would happen, or it would be real, real late, but it's happening everywhere," said Audrey Sneed-Morton, asking "Where can you get away from it?"
In all four incidents, the suspects are described as black males between the ages of 16 and 24, according to police.
