LAKEVIEW — As Katherine Berens turned away from the ATM with her cash in hand, she knew she was being followed.
Berens, 23, sensed the four people watching her closely under the Belmont "L" station around 10:30 p.m. Oct. 19. But when she heard their footsteps following her east on Belmont Avenue, she felt in her bones that something bad was about to happen.
"So I was like, 'Either mentally prepare yourself or give up.' And I wasn't about to give up," she told DNAinfo Chicago.
One of the men caught up with her and forced her into an embrace, telling her he was drunk and needed a hug after his mother's recent death. He grabbed the cash in her hand, but she managed to snatch it back.
"I did track in high school, but I've never run that fast in my life," Berens said Monday. "I saw this other girl across the street, and I'm just screaming at her, 'Don't leave me, don't leave me.'"
Berens (who was "sober as a button") got away, but not before a second man tackled her to the ground and took her money. Within seconds, a dozen squad cars arrived, and police canvassed the area until they arrested two men.
Ariel Cheung says Berens' instincts kicked in during the robbery:
The robbery has left Berens shaken and concerned that her efforts to follow through in court won't be enough to keep the offenders behind bars. After all, prosecutors said the two men charged with the crime — Michael Lee and Devontae King — are already on probation for past convictions.
Police told Berens the men she'd described matched suspects in other cases, but there were times when victims didn't wait long enough to speak with detectives, she said.
Berens herself waited three hours to file her police report, and that was after an immediate response from police. In 2013, Chicago police stopped responding immediately to crimes without a suspect on scene and a victim in immediate danger.
"I really hope this whole case doesn't just get dropped. People always say, 'Oh, it's just your phone, it's just $80,' but something that starts out small turns into something bigger if it doesn't get solved," Berens said.
That notion is akin to the "broken windows" police strategy, in which police aggressively tackle minor violations with the hope it will reduce more serious crimes. In 2013, Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said he believed such a crackdown would reduce crime in Chicago.
Earlier this month, Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) demanded more police in the ward after what he described as a "rough" summer of crime in Lakeview.
Recalling late-night trips to get frozen yogurt as an 8-year-old growing up in Lakeview, Berens said she has noticed a marked difference in the amount of crime in the neighborhood.
"You don't have to read the paper to know crime is picking up. I see it all around and it's really scary," she said.
Berens carries a knife with her and has refused to leave home after dark for the past week, terrified that the next incident could have worse consequences than losing $60.
"My life is way more important than getting a drink at the bar. I won't even get into an Uber to go from point A to point B," she said.
Instead, Berens plans to move farther north, seeking safer ground. But regardless of whether she leaves Lincoln Park, Berens said some things have changed for good.
"I used to walk up to anybody with a smile on my face and start a conversation. That's how I made all the friends I have now, and that's not going to happen anymore. That's not the person I am," she said.
But Berens has made one new acquaintance since the alleged robbery — the man who called 911 during the attack and got a punch in the face for his troubles.
"I'm actually going to see his comedy show today. We became friends," Berens said.
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