Jan. 22--Police are warning residents about a series of armed robberies and carjackings that occurred in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side during the past week.
Three robberies took place within less than a mile between Jan. 14 and Tuesday in the morning and evening hours, and two carjackings occured Tuesday evening, according to Chicago police alerts.
In all three robberies, offenders came up to the victims from behind, displayed a handgun and demanded their property. They stole purses, wallets and cell phones.
The first incident happened around 8:45 p.m. in the 3800 block of West Grenshaw Street, according to the alert.
The two other robberies occurred Tuesday. One at 8:10 a.m. in the 1100 block of South Independence Boulevard, and another at 6:10 p.m. in the 3800 block of Flournoy Street.
Police provided three descriptions for possible suspects in the three robberies.
The first suspect is described as a 5-foot-9 black man between 18 and 19 years, who weighs about 170 pounds, the alert said.
The second suspect was a black man about 25 years old, who weighs about 130 pounds.
The third suspect is a black male teenager between 16 and 19 years old. He is between 4 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 3 inches, and weighs between 120 and 130 pounds. The teenager had dreadlocks, according to the alert.
Two carjackings occurred within 30 minutes of each other Tuesday evening, police said in a community alert. The first attack happened at about 5:05 p.m. in the 2400 block of West Taylor Street. The second happened at about 5:30 p.m. in the 2500 block of West Congress Parkway.
In first attack, three male teenagers, between 17 and 18 years old, approached someone inside a vehicle. One person pulled out a handgun and forced the driver out of the car. The three suspects then got into the car and fled the scene.
In the second attack, a person armed with a gun approached the victim and demanded the person's car keys. The victim handed over the keys and the suspect, who was between 17 and 18 years old, got into the victim's vehicle and fled.
Police urge community members to pay attention to their surroundings and warned people in the area about the crimes.
Anyone with information about the incidents, or anyone aware of suspicious activity in the neighborhood should call Area North detectives at 312-744-8263.
