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Armed Robberies In Lakeview, North Center Prompt Warning From Police

By Ariel Cheung | October 2, 2015 6:13am
 Police are alerting Lakeview residents to two more armed robberies from the end of September.
Police are alerting Lakeview residents to two more armed robberies from the end of September.
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Flickr/diversey

LAKEVIEW — Police are warning North Side residents of two armed robberies that took place last week after a summer crime wave in Lakeview that shows little signs of slowing.

Around 5:20 a.m. Sept. 23, a man approached a victim in the 1000 block of West Newport Avenue in Lakeview with a handgun, police said Thursday.

The robber was described as a black man, 5-foot, 9-inches tall and 150 pounds and between 22-27 years old, police said. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants and gym shoes with black and blue trim, police said.

The second incident took place in North Center around 2:20 a.m. Saturday in the 2400 block of West Berenice Avenue.

In that case, a black man wearing a red sweater, skull cap and jeans with stitched patterns on the back pockets also had a handgun when committing the robbery, police said.

The warning comes days after a man on parole for armed robbery was charged with robbing three people at gunpoint during a 30-minute spree that spanned Lincoln Park, Lakeview and Roscoe Village. Jonathan Alvarado, 26, was charged Wednesday and ordered held on a $750,000 bail.

In Lakeview, the most recent pattern of armed robberies continues an uptick in crime that began in July.

Ariel Cheung discusses what police say about recent crime in Lakeview:

With little hope of an increase in the number police officers for the Town Hall District, Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) and police called on chambers of commerce to hire private security in September.

"Trust me, we're not hiring a whole bunch of cops," Tunney said at the time. "It's going to be a tough time, and I want to make sure we keep this neighborhood safe. We're all in this together."

From Sept. 1-24 there were 22 robberies, 20 burglaries and eight aggravated assaults or batteries, according to the most recent available Chicago Police data.

In that same time frame last year, there were 15 robberies, 26 burglaries and eight aggravated assaults or batteries.

From July 1-23 this year, there were 11 robberies and nine burglaries.

While recent summer weeks have seen an uptick in robberies and burglaries, totals for the year-to-date are mostly lower than 2014 on Lakeview's north side, police said last month.

Police advise residents to be aware of their surroundings and remain calm if confronted by an assailant, remembering any unique characteristics or vehicle descriptions. If a cellphone is taken, police recommend activating tracking devices like "Find My iPhone" as soon as possible.

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