Chicago police are warning Northwest and North Side residents to be cautious after eight armed robberies in the West Ridge, Jefferson Park, Portage Park and Albany Park neighborhoods within two hours early Sunday.
The alert comes after a string of armed robberies across the city. NBC News reported the Chicago Police Department is investigating at least 62 incidents in Chicago since June.
According to police, in each of the robberies a group of three to six men in a stolen vehicle would approach the victims, and get out of their car with firearms, including rifles. They would then rob the victims of their personal belongings, forcing some of them to provide the passwords to their cellphones.
The suspects, who police said were between the ages of 17 and 25, were wearing dark-colored clothing and black ski masks. The robberies took place between 4:19 a.m. and 6:05 a.m. Sunday.
The first happened in the 700 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, followed by a robbery in the 2100 block of West Farwell Avenue. Some 10 minutes later, another robbery rook place in the 7000 block of North Ridge Boulevard.
Another robbery occurred at the same time in the 5000 block of North Northwest Highway. Shortly after 5:30 a.m., another robbery occurred in the 3500 block of West Lawrence Avenue.
Three more robberies happened in the span of 15 minutes in the 5100 block of North Elston Avenue, the 5100 block of West Foster Avenue and the 4100 block of North Cicero Avenue.