Car believed tied to at least one armed robbery crashes, catches fire in Lincoln Square; 4 in custody
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A stolen Hyundai burst into flames after slamming into the back of a box truck in Lincoln Square on Monday afternoon, just blocks from the scene of one of five armed robberies that had similar patterns overnight.
Detectives are still trying to determine whether all of the incidents are all connected.
Police said there were five armed robberies within the span of an hour early Monday morning on the North and Northwest sides, each involving robbers driving a gray or silver sedan.
The robberies started in the Lincoln Square neighborhood around 3:15 a.m., as a 20-year-old man was sitting in his parked car in the 2400 block of West Berwyn Avenue. Three men got out of a gray sedan, flashing guns, and opened the victim's car door, before stealing his belongings and fleeing the scene.
The victim of the Berwyn Avenue robbery spoke to CBS 2. He was ambushed by the men as he was warming up his car.
"The guys came out and they tried to stop me, and they just did it - they go out, and then they just pulled a gun at me," said the victim, who did not want his name used. There was three of them."
About five minutes later in the North Center neighborhood, a 42-year-old man was sitting in his car in the 4300 block of North Leavitt Street, when a silver sedan pulled up, and four gunmen got out and demanded his wallet and cell phone. The victim handed over his belongings, and the robbers fled the scene.
About half an hour later, a man was unloading his car in the 3100 block of West Leland Avenue in Albany Park, when three gunmen approached and demanded his wallet. After the victim handed over his wallet, one of the robbers punched him in the face, before all three got into a silver sedan and took off.
Around 3:55 a.m., a 36-year-old woman was walking in the 3100 block of West Grace Street in Irving Park, when three gunmen got out of a silver sedan and demanded her belongings. One of the robbers then hit her in the head before all of them got back into the car and fled the scene.
The victim of that robbery in Irving Park also talked with CBS 2 Monday night. Melissa Oszak said she was walking to her car with her friends when three to four men got out and demanded their purses.
She explained how one robber pistol-whipped her.
"I wasn't walking by myself. I had other people with me, and it still doesn't matter, you know?" Ozsak said. "These guys just still didn't care."
At about 4 a.m., a man and woman were getting into their car in the 2300 block of West Superior Street in West Town, when three gunmen got out of a silver sedan and robbed them before fleeing the scene.
Around 10:45 a.m., a stolen Hyundai was involved in a crash at the corner of Oakley Avenue and Winona Street, a few blocks away from the first robbery. That car collided with a white Department of Streets and Sanitation box truck, and then burst into flames.
Four suspects who were in the car fled the scene. Neighbors who saw it all go down quickly mobilized, called police, and were able to provide information that led officers to a garage where the suspects were hiding out.
Chopper 2 was over the scene as one of those suspects was taken into custody. All four suspects were eventually detained, and three guns were recovered, according to police.
While police said the stolen silver Hyundai is suspected to have been used in an earlier robbery, they did not specify which one, and added it's unclear if the vehicle was used in additional robberies.
Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) appeared to be connecting the dots.
"The hope is that the individuals that were caught are associated with some of the string of robberies and carjackings that have been happening in the area, and that that might be the end of that chapter," he said.
Police said charges were pending against the four people in custody.
