LAKEVIEW — Two men were arrested late Monday following a strong-arm robbery in central Lakeview, police said.
Michael Lee, 22, of the Near West Side, and Devontae King, 20, of Washington Park, have been charged with robbery and were expected in bond court Wednesday. Lee was also charged with battery.
The two men approached a 23-year-old woman a block south of Clark and Belmont around 10:45 p.m., according to a Chicago Police spokesman. One wrapped his arms around the victim and grabbed money from her hand, police said.
One of the men struck a 25-year-old witness when the witness said he was calling 911, then both robbers tackled the woman in an attempt to take her remaining cash, police said.
The woman, uninjured, pulled away and the two men fled. They were found in the 3200 block of North Clark Street and arrested, police said.
Their arrests come one day after police issued a warning about robberies near Wrigley Field this month. Multiple men approached the four victims on the street or in an alley and used force to steal wallets and cellphones, police said.
Those robberies took place between 7:30 p.m. and 3 a.m. Oct. 10-15.
Earlier this month, police also warned of two armed robberies, and one 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.
On Tuesday, Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) voted against a record property tax increase, restating his demand for more police in Lakeview as a partial cause for his "nay" vote.
Earlier this month, Tunney and Ald. James Cappleman (46th) said they had secured "a commitment ... that there will be more police, specifically for the 19th District."
During one budget hearing, Tunney said he found it hard to support the proposed property tax hike when the district dropped by more than 100 officers over the past several years.
The district that includes Lakeview and parts of Uptown, North Center, Lincoln Park and Lincoln Square merged the 19th and 23rd districts in 2012. Since those early years, the police force has dropped almost 30 percent, from 468 officers to 333 in August, Tunney said.
Police advised 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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