Chicago police talking to person of interest in machete robberies
CHICAGO - Chicago police are speaking to a person of interest in a series of robberies committed by a man with a machete on the Northwest Side since late May.
Police did not release any further details of the investigation or the person they were speaking to.
The latest attack happened Sunday night in Irving Park.
A man wearing all black swung a machete at a man walking on a sidewalk in the 3700 block of North Troy Street around 9 p.m., police said.
SUBSCRIBE TO FOX 32 CHICAGO ON YOUTUBE
The victim, 52, fell to the ground and avoided the blade, then threw his wallet on the ground and ran away, police said. The suspect entered the driver’s side of a gray vehicle and sped off.
That attack happened a day after detectives issued a community alert warning of five other similar robberies on:
- 8 p.m. May 27 in the 3000 block of North Christiana in Logan Square
- 11:45 p.m. May 30 in the 3200 block of North Monticello in Avondale
- 12 a.m. May 30 in the 4100 block of West Fletcher in Belmont Gardens
- 9 p.m. June 3 in the 3300 block of North Monticello in Avondale
- 9 p.m. June 3 in the 4000 block of West Eddy Street in Irving Park
The suspect was working with a getaway driver in a silver four-door sedan, police said in the alert. He was described as a Hispanic man, around 5-foot-5 and 150 pounds with curly hair, police said.
During a Monday news conference, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said the robberies "likely are related" because a machete is the "common weapon." He said more police resources are being added to the area where the attacks have happened, including during the overnight hours.
"We’re expending all of our resources to capture this person as soon as possible," Brown told reporters at police headquarters. "Obviously we’re concerned, as every resident is, that this violent person is using a weapon like a machete. But we, at this point, don’t have an offender in custody."
Police asked anyone with information to call Area Five detectives at (312) 746-7394.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.