Chicago Police Warn of Armed Robberies in Bronzeville and Lake Meadows

Police say victims were ordered to unlock phones before suspects fled

CHICAGO — Chicago police are warning residents about a series of armed robberies reported at night this month in the Bronzeville and Lake Meadows neighborhoods, where victims were approached by one to three offenders who demanded their mobile phones at gunpoint.

According to a police community alert, the offenders ordered victims to unlock their phones before taking the devices and running from the scene. The reported incidents occurred on the South Side in areas that include the 400 block of East 32nd Street and the 3000 block of South State Street.

The first robbery listed in the alert occurred at about 10:15 p.m. on Aug. 6 in the 400 block of East 32nd Street. Two additional robberies were reported at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Aug. 14: one in the same block of East 32nd Street and another in the 3000 block of South State Street, police said.

Police described the people sought in connection with the robberies as three men and one woman. All were reported to have worn hooded sweatshirts. The alert did not provide ages, names, vehicle information or more detailed physical descriptions, and police did not say whether the same group was definitively responsible for every reported case.

The incidents highlight the particular risk posed by phone robberies in which offenders seek access to an unlocked device, potentially allowing them to reach personal accounts and financial applications in addition to taking the phone itself. Police urged people in the affected areas to remain alert to their surroundings and promptly report suspicious activity.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to contact Chicago Police Department Area 1 detectives at 312-747-8380. Anonymous tips may also be submitted through CPDTIP.com. Tipsters should provide reference number P26-1-070.

No arrests were announced in the police bulletin, and the investigation remains ongoing.