Woman Robbed at Gunpoint While Walking Dog in Lincoln Park

A family is speaking out after a woman, visiting from Wisconsin, was robbed at gunpoint in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood while walking her dog Wednesday morning.

The woman, whom family said had moved away from Chicago to escape crime last year, came face-to-face with the armed robber in an encounter that was captured on surveillance footage just after 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Area resident Mike, who says the woman is his mother-in-law, says that the incident occurred while she was visiting from Wisconsin and was walking near the intersection of Wayne and Webster.

"My mother-in-law was coming over to go Christmas shopping with my wife," he said. "She was walking her dog before coming in our house. Before she got here, two men jumped out of the car, put a gun in her face, said 'give me your purse or I'll kill you and your dog.'"

Mike says that his mother-in-law gave up her purse, and the thief promptly stole her car keys and then drove away in her vehicle.

"She's one of the toughest ladies I've ever met, and she burst into tears and is still in shock hours later," he said.

Mike says that he and his wife are among those who no longer feel safe in the city of Chicago.

“I’d like to beg any city official to do whatever they can to make our city safe," he said. "We are taxpayers, thinking about leaving, (because) we feel like our city is falling apart.”

Another neighbor, who sent surveillance footage of the theft to NBC 5, says that leaders are not doing enough to stop the rise in crime.

“The judges don’t want to do their jobs, and politicians are benefitting from no one doing their jobs," David Hussar said.

Ald. Brian Hopkins, who represents Chicago's 2nd ward, says that increased police patrols are needed, but also said that the criminal justice system needs to adequately pursue those who responsible for the thefts.

"We need to increase patrols. We have to do a better job of arresting and prosecuting the people who are doing this," he said.