Chicago police are investigating after a series of armed robberies and burglaries 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 withdrew the company’s profits and fled the scene.
The next incident occurred at 10 p.m. in the 4500 block of North Kedzie Avenue in the Albany Park neighborhood when two men entered a business with handguns and demanded profits. The men were fleeing the scene in a light-colored sedan, police said.
About 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 surprised the suspects, who then fled 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 got out of the car with handguns and demanded the man’s personal belongings. According to police, the victim fell and suffered minor head injuries. The suspects then got into the vehicle and fled.
Approximately 20 minutes later, a 42-year-old man was approached by four strangers as he was leaving his residence. The suspects entered his apartment, rummaging through items while one of the suspects punched the victim in the face, causing minor injuries, 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 buy an item in an attempt to distract the employee, police said. The man then produced a handgun and demanded money. The victim said the man fled the business, police said.
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, according to reports, a Jeep had been used to smash the front doors of the business. It was unclear how many people were involved or what profits were made. No one was in the building at the time, police said.
At 5:12 a.m., another burglary occurred in the 9000 block of South Ashland Avenue. Police say a group of people crashed into a business with an SUV, entered and took merchandise. The suspects then got into another SUV, which police said may have been a white Jeep, and fled north. The crashed SUV was left at the scene, police added.
Authorities said no one was in custody and police were investigating the incidents. It was not immediately clear whether any were connected.
NBC Chicago
