Police: 4 Armed Robberies, Kidnappings near Wrigley Field in Chicago

Chicago Police have issued community alerts to residents who live near Wrigley Field after four individuals were temporarily kidnapped and robbed at gunpoint over the weekend.

Authorities say the group of offenders force the victims into their vehicle, drive them to an undisclosed location, and rob them of their personal belongings, including cell phones and wallets. The offenders then order the victims out of the vehicle unharmed. Each incident occurred in the middle of the night over the weekend.

According to reports and police, the location of each abduction occurred at:

• 3600 block of N. Cark Street on Sunday
• 1100 block of W. Addison Street on Sunday
• 3400 block of N. Clark Street on Sunday
• 3500 block of N. Clark Street on Saturday

Police describe the suspects as two or three black men who stand at approximately 5’10 to 6’0 feet tall, weigh 150 to 170 pounds, and are believed to be between the ages 25 to 30 years old. They were noted to be carrying a handgun.

Victims have told police that the offenders were traveling in a gray sedan, possibly a Honda Accord, CWB Chicago reported.

Residents and business owners in the Wrigleyville neighborhood say the recent string of robberies has made them feel uneasy walking around, especially at night.

“It takes a lot of guts to do something like that,” Wrigleyville business owner Adam Feathers told WGN 9. “Everyone in the neighborhood has always been comfortable walking down the streets. At night now, we have to keep our eyes open and look behind our backs, which is unfortunate.”

Other business owners have noted they have had to upgrade their security, while their employees are forced to adjust some habits when leaving work.

“All of us spend more on security, private security, because police don’t have the resources right now,” bar owner Zach Strauss told NBC 5

“My employees don’t leave with cash anymore,” he added. “All their tips are on their checks. So the days with leaving with cash in their pocket are over.”

Democrat Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot weighed in on the string of abductions Tuesday, saying, “We continue to look for ways we can improve in safety all over the city.”

She then boasted how homicides in Chicago are down by 17 percent since last year and shootings are down by 19 percent. Although that statistic is accurate, in the 19th police district — where Wrigleyville is located — homicides are up by 200 percent, while shootings have remained unchanged. Robberies in the district are up by 48 percent, while overall major crime is up by 66 percent.

Across the Democrat-controlled city, overall major crime is up by 38 percent, with robberies up by 17 percent. Motor vehicle theft is up by a whopping 79 percent.

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.