Chicago police are investigating after a series of armed robberies and a smash-and-grab occurred across the city overnight.
The first armed robbery occurred at 9:44 p.m. in the city's West Loop neighborhood, in the 100 block of South Halsted Avenue. According to police, a man entered a business with a steel hammer and threatened to attack the employee. The man then took proceeds off the shelf of the business and fled the scene.
The next occurred at 10 p.m. in the 4500 block of North Kedzie Avenue in the city's Albany Park neighborhood, when two men entered a business with handguns and demanded proceeds. The men were scene fleeing the scene in a light colored sedan, police said.
Approximately 30 minutes later, in the 3300 block of West Lawrence Avenue, two men entered a business with handguns and demanded money, police said. A security guard working at the business startled the suspects, who then fled the scene in a light colored sedan.
At 12:05 a.m. in the 2200 block of North Clybourn, a 27-year-old man was riding a scooter when a red sedan approached him. Three unknown men exited the car with handguns and demanded the man's personal property. According to police, the victim fell and suffered a minor head injury. The suspects then reentered the vehicle and fled the scene.
Approximately 20 minutes later, a man, 42, was approached by four unknown men while exiting his residence. The suspects entered his apartment, rummaging through items while one of the suspects struck the victim in the face, causing a minor injury, police said. The suspects then fled the residence in an unknown direction, police added.
At 12:48 a.m., in the 4300 block of South Ashland, a man entered a business and asked to purchase an item in attempt to distract the employee, police said ,The man then produces a handgun and demanded proceeds. The victim compiled the man fled the business, police said.
Local
Chicago police also reported a smash-and-grab incident overnight.
At 3:15 a.m., in the 1900 block of E. 95th street, officers responded to a burglary in progress where the say a Jeep had been used to smash the front doors of the business. It wasn't known how many people were involved, or what proceeds were taken. No one was inside the story at the time of the incident, police said.
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At 5:12 a.m. another smash-and-grab occurred in the 9000 block of South Ashland Avenue. According to police, a group of people crashed an SUV into a business, made entry and took merchandise. The suspects then entered a a different SUV, which police say may have been a white Jeep, and fled northbound. The crashed SUV was left on the scene, police added.
According to authorities, no one was in custody, and police were investigating the incidents. It wasn't immediately known if any were connected.
