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Man Pretends He Has Gun During Lakeview Robbery Attempt, Prosecutors Say

By  Erica Demarest and Ariel Cheung | August 7, 2015 8:51am | Updated on August 10, 2015 8:25am

 Kendrick L. Sandifer (left) and Lawrence Wolaridge (right) were arrested early Thursday after an attempted robbery in the 1600 block of West Addison Street.
Kendrick L. Sandifer (left) and Lawrence Wolaridge (right) were arrested early Thursday after an attempted robbery in the 1600 block of West Addison Street.
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Provided/Chicago Police Department

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Two men were arrested early Thursday after police said they tried to snatch a woman's purse in Lakeview.

The victim, a 33-year-old woman, was walking eastbound in the 1600 block of West Addison Street with a 27-year-old man just after midnight Thursday, according to police and prosecutors.

The man realized the pair was being followed moments before Lawrence Wolaridge, 21, tried to grab the woman's purse, Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said during a bond hearing Friday.

The woman held on tight, Scaduto said, and was "violently" slammed to the ground. The male companion tried to help, but a second alleged attacker, Kendrick Sandifer, 19, held out his arm under a towel indicating he had a gun, Scaduto said.

Sandifer then pulled out a belt and tried to whip the male companion with it, according to prosecutors.

Wolaridge and Sandifer were unable to steal the purse and ran off, court records show. After witnesses gave descriptions of the attackers, police arrested the pair in the 1700 block of West Henderson Street about 12:45 a.m. Thursday, following a brief foot chase.

The Austin residents were charged with attempted robbery. According to their public defender, Sandifer, of the 5300 block of West Hirsch Street, and Wolaridge, of the 1200 block of North Lockwood Avenue, both work as bussers.

Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. on Friday said each man could be released on his own recognizance if the Cook County Sheriff's Office agrees to provide electronic monitoring.

The arrests come amid a rash of violent thefts in Lakeview, with the number of robberies and burglaries doubling in Lakeview from June to July. The uptick prompted Chicago police to bring "increased resources" to the area, said Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), but his office declined to explain what that entails.

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