Dec. 11--Police are alerting residents in the South Austin neighborhood on the West Side of several robberies that happened over the weekend.
Three robberies involving a red minivan occurred between Saturday and Sunday within less than a mile of each other, according to a statement from the Chicago Police Department's Office of News Affairs.
In each incident a man armed with a handgun came up to the victim and demanded property. After robbing the victim, the man fled in a red Dodge or Chrysler minivan, the statement said.
In one incident an offender hijacked a victim's car and fled while being followed by the red minivan, according to the statement.
The two or three suspects are African-American, between 18 and 25 years old, 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-1 and weigh 140 to 170 pounds, authorities said.
The latest robbery occurred around 7:20 p.m. Sunday in the 1000 block of North Leamington Avenue.
One of the robberies happened around 4:20 a.m. in the 5300 block of West Race Avenue, and the first incident occurred around 2:45 a.m. in the 5300 block of West Chicago Avenue, according to police.
Residents are urged to report suspicious activity immediately and alert neighbors in the area about the crimes. If residents are approached by a robbery witness, they should ask for contact information.
Anyone with information should contact Area North detectives at 312-744-8263.
