Chicago (CBS) – Chicago police are warning North Side residents and passengers about a series of robberies on CTA Red Line trains this month.
The robberies occurred in the Uptown and Edgewater neighborhoods, with the former occurring on Nov. 13 and the latter on Wednesday.
Police said that in each incident, between two and seven people approached the victims in the train cars and forcibly took or attempted to take property from the victims, some of which ended up in the victim’s pockets. They would then leave the scene on foot or by train.
Incident times and locations:
- 1100 block of West Argyle November 13 at 8:45 p.m
- 1100 block of West Granville November 13 at 10:40 p.m
- 1100 block of West Bryn Mawr on November 16 at 9 p.m
- 1100 block of West Thorndale on November 24 at 4:52 am
- 1100 block of West Thorndale on November 24 at 4:35 p.m
- 1100 block of West Thorndale at 1:20 a.m. on Nov. 25
- 1100 block of West Argyle on November 27 at 12:59 am
The suspects were described as African-American men and women between the ages of 14 and 21, some wearing dark clothing. In several cases, they wore a dark hooded sweatshirt with the words “Chicago – The Windy City” on the front, a multi-colored bag with the text “Cookies” on the front, and a black Nike hooded sweatshirt.
Police advise the public:
- Always be aware of your surroundings and remember your location (including train line, train ride#, train car# and direction of travel)
- Report suspicious activity immediately
- If confronted by an attacker, remain calm and never pursue
- Remember and report any distinguishing clothing/accessories and physical characteristics (colors/logos for clothing, bags, masks, glasses and any tattoos, scars, limps, etc.)
- Call 911 immediately, provide a detailed description of the location and the attacker(s), and remain on scene if possible
- Notify the Transit Attendant or press the emergency button
Anyone who contacts transit at 312-745-4447 or submits an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com.
