Robbers Hold Up Three Couples In Wicker Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago police were searching for the robbers who held up three couples at gunpoint in Wicker Park over the weekend.
Police said the robbers sneaked up behind the couples, and knocked the women to the ground.
In the first incident, two couples were walking home around 10:45 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of Evergreen and Wicker Park avenues, when two men came up from behind, and pushed the women to the ground, stealing their purses and cell phones.
The men were ordered not to interfere as the robbers pointed guns at them.
About 45 minutes later, in the 1700 block of North Honore Street, a third couple was robbed by two armed men.
Katie Vercellino was asleep in her house at the time, but her husband heard the screams. He just didn't realize until the next morning that what he was hearing was a couple being victimized.
Vercellino said, after hearing about the robberies, "I don't want to go outside of my house anytime past 9 o'clock.
"It's very frustrating, and we don't see police driving around. We know that they're understaffed, and they're trying, but without adequate police in our neighborhood it's very scary to go outside at night," she added.
No one was in custody for the robberies as of late Tuesday morning. Although the hold-ups were very similar, and happened just minutes apart, police were not confirming whether they are believed to be related.
Vercellino said there has been a rash of burglaries in the area lately, including at her neighbor's home on Monday.