Chicago police are on the lookout for suspects in five recent night and early morning robberies in Lakeview.
According to a Sept. 30 community alert, two robberies took place on the 900 block of W. Belmont Ave.; the first was Sept. 11 at 3:30 a.m. and the second was Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Incidents also occurred on the 3500 block of N. Sheffield Ave. on Sept. 28 at 4:10 a.m.; on the 1200 block of W. Cornelia on Sept. 30 at 12:20 a.m.; and the 600 block of W. Belmont on Sept. 30 at 12:50 p.m.
In the incidents, the assailants asked to use the victim's cell phone, snatched their purse or wallet, and/or used hands or feet to strike the victim. Pepper spray was used in two of the robberies.
Information suggests that the suspects could be gender-variant. Police described the suspects as male and female African Americans (or "men dressed as women") ranging in age from their late teens to their early 30s.
In the first robbery in the 900 block of W. Belmont Ave., the offender is described as a male African American wearing a blonde long-haired wig and a dress. In the robbery that occurred on the 1200 block of W. Cornelia Ave., the offender is described as a female African American, 20-25 years of age, 5'08" to 5'10", wearing an orange hooded sweatshirt with white lettering. In the purse snatching that occurred on the 600 block of W. Belmont Ave., a male African American, 25-29 years of age, exited the back seat of a dark older model vehicle ( possibly a Nissan Altima ) that contained 3-4 male African Americans dressed as females.
Anyone with information is urged to call Area North Bureau of Detectives at ( 312 ) 744-8263.