Aug. 14--Police have released surveillance photos of a man suspected of two armed robberies in the South Loop area this week.
In both incidents, the suspect confronted three females and took their purses at gunpoint.
The most recent attack happened at 8:40 a.m. Aug. 12 in the 1800 block of South Prairie Avenue, while the second happened at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 8 in the 0-100 block of South Cullerton Avenue, according to a community alert issued by police.
The suspect is a black man with black hair, 21 to 25 years old, 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-10 and weighs 135 pounds, the alert said.
He was driving a champagne-colored Chevrolet with in-state handicapped license plates bearing the numbers 275099. The car was reported stolen from Oak Park on Aug. 7. Police said it's possible there was a second suspect who was the driver in another attack.
The photo shows the robbery suspect using a credit card he took from one of the victims and using it at the Econogas station in the 4300 block of South Wentworth Avenue about 15 minutes after one of the robberies, the alert said.
