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Armed Robbers Ambush Couple, Threaten Woman With Rape, Force Man To Strip

By  Mina Bloom and Alisa Hauser | April 24, 2017 11:03am 

 The armed robbery happened early Sunday in the 1600 block of North  Rockwell.
The armed robbery happened early Sunday in the 1600 block of North Rockwell.
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EAST HUMBOLDT PARK — Two gunmen ambushed a couple walking home from a bar early Sunday, threatening the woman with rape and forcing the man to strip to his underwear — each with guns to their heads.

The harrowing robbery happened in East Humboldt Park about 4:10 a.m. Sunday, according to Officer Thomas Sweeney, a Chicago Police Department spokesman.

The 25-year-old woman and the 30-year-old man were on the way home from a nearby bar when they were attacked in the 1600 block of North Rockwell.

As they walked into the gate leading to the man's apartment, two unknown men came up to them, demanded their belongings and then separated the couple, according to the woman, who lives in Ukrainian Village.

Both robbers appeared to be about 17 to 22 years old. Both had on black hoodies with the hoods pulled up. One of them possibly had dreadlocks, the woman said.

One of the attackers forced the man to strip down to his boxers while holding a gun to his head, while the other threatened to rape the woman while also holding a gun to her head.

"I started screaming because I thought they were going to kill him. I was crying and screaming, like, 'Oh my God. Don't do this' and he said, 'I'm going f------ pop you. I'm going to rape you. I'm going to kill you right now,'" said the woman, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons. 

The couple gave the attackers their belongings, including the woman's purse and the man's cellphone, and the attackers ran off.

It was a chilling experience for the 25-year-old woman, who originally is from the suburbs but has lived in the city for about four years.

"I thought my life was going to be over. You think it will never happen to you, and it will. I thought they were going to kill us. They had such anger in their eyes," she said.

The woman said the attack will change the way she'll navigate the city.

"It's going to take awhile until I'm content walking around at night again," she said.

No injuries were reported, and no one was in custody as of Monday morning, according to Sweeney.

Detectives are investigating.