LINCOLN PARK — Police have made three arrests in connection to a North Side crime spree in late August in which young robbers with knives attacked victims — some as young as 10 — and stole their belongings, according to Cmdr. Robert Cesario with the Town Hall Police District.
"It was roughly 10 days before any arrests were made. But these are significant arrests because we're confident this robbery crew is responsible for numerous robberies," Cesario said, addressing dozens of residents at a packed CAPS meeting Monday evening.
"They were targeting victims in the 14th district and 17th district, so they're traveling."
Cesario declined to comment further on the arrests, saying the investigation is ongoing.
The Aug. 29 robberies were reported at:
• 3:45 p.m. in the 1900 block of North Wood Street
• 3:58 p.m. in the 2500 block of North Greenview Avenue
• 4:15 p.m. in the 2700 block of North Mildred Avenue
• 4:50 p.m. in the 3000 block of North Greenview Avenue
• 4:50 p.m. in the 1800 block of North Ravenswood Avenue
• 5:01 p.m. in the 3700 block of North Greenview Avenue
Eighth-grader Leo Smat and his two friends were watching a cross country meet in Wrightwood Park, 2543 N. Greenview Ave., when they were attacked. Leo's mother, Tina, told DNAinfo Chicago that her son "did everything right," but was mugged anyway.
"They were in a group, it was broad daylight, they were close to school and they were right across the fence from friends. There's nothing he could've done differently or I could've prepared him for," Smat previously said.
Smat said it took police between 20 and 40 minutes to arrive on the scene, which she felt was too long. She said a quicker response time might've prevented more robberies from happening.
At the CAPS meeting, held at New Life Church, 1110 W. Lill Ave., a number of residents echoed Smat's concerns.
Cesario said police were not dispatched to the scene after the first 911 call because the boy who made the call insisted that police not show up. It wasn't until the boys' coach called 911 about seven minutes later that police were dispatched, he said.
"He indicated that the offender had left. The dispatcher wanted to send a police unit, but the victim said, 'I don't want the police, I don't want the police.' He said it numerous times," Cesario said.
He said a dispatcher with the city's Office of Emergency Management took the call and didn't send it to police: "I'm not pointing fingers here, but we don't take the calls," he said.
Residents at the meeting wondered why 911 didn't send to police anyway, especially given the young age of the victim.
"This was unfolding quickly, and we were responding to the incidents as quickly as possible," Cesario said.
Also at the meeting many residents asked Cesario and other Town Hall officers if the district needs more manpower, especially in light of recent high-profile crimes. Cesario said the district, which is the second largest in the city, had 369 sworn officers as of September, but wouldn't explicitly say if the district needs more.
"I work with what I have," Cesario said.
Resident Josh Fox said police were "very good at providing facts" at the meeting, but suggested that it might not have been enough.
"I'm worried that people did not leave here with a sense of assurance," said Fox, who has lived in the neighborhood for 12 years.
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