String of violent robberies reported in Lincoln Park, Loop

CHICAGO - Officers responded to a string of violent robberies Sunday evening over a period of three hours on the North Side.

The first robbery happened about 5:15 p.m. as a woman was walking in the 400 block of North Lower Wabash, Chicago police said. Two males punched her in the face and stole her purse, police said. The 57-year-old woman was taken in good condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for treatment of lacerations.

About 7:15 p.m., a woman was walking in the 1100 block of West Dickens when two males in ski masks grabbed her by the shoulder and demanded her wallet, police said. She ran away screaming for help, and the suspects left without taking anything. The woman, 21, was uninjured.

Minutes later, three males and a female approached a 64-year-old man walking in the 1700 block of North Park at 7:22 p.m. and punched and kicked him to the ground, police said. They left after taking his cellphone. Police said the man refused medical attention.

An hour later, a man and woman were unloading items from their car about 8:15 p.m. in the 1300 block of North Astor when two males walked up to them at gunpoint and stole their tote bag, police said. The suspects pushed the man to the ground, lacerating his knee, police said. A witness noticed the pair entering a Jeep with a driver waiting inside.

Two additional robberies were reported in connection with this string of violence, police said. The first happened in the evening hours Sunday in the 1700 block of North Dayton Street and the second in the evening hours Monday in the 1000 block of West Armitage Avenue.

Police arrested four teenagers at 11:30 p.m. in the 1800 North block of North Freemont matching the descriptions of the suspects, but the victims of the robberies could not confirm they were the suspects. The teens were each charged with a misdemeanor count reckless conduct.