Midlothian Turns Up The Heat To Catch Serial Mugger
(CBS) -- Four recent attacks on women in south suburban Midlothian have residents taking extra steps to be cautious.
A community policing is scheduled for Tuesday night.
The latest attack happened around midnight Saturday into Sunday, at 145th and Trumbull. The victim was walking home from the Metra station after calling for a cab that didn't show up.
"I just felt somebody pull on the back of my purse, then it pulled me down onto the ground. And then he hit me in the face with something, then grabbed the purse of my neck and took off running," the latest victim tells CBS 2's Brad Edwards.
Catching the mugger who has now struck four times in just three weeks is the village's top priority. Midlothian police say they've increased patrols and approved overtime to cover the area; six detectives have been assigned to the case full time.
Police Chief Harold Kaufman says all the attacks happened between midnight and 1 a.m. a 10-block radius east of the train station.
Vicki Valente was at the Metra Midlothian station on Monday and tells WBBM the attacks "make you feel uneasy" and she's being extra cautious.
Carl Ivan has lived in Midlothian for decades and has three daughters he's worried about.
Ivan is one of those planning to attend Tuesday night's community policing event.
Many residents say people can protect themselves by doing things like putting away their iPods and paying more attention to their surroundings.