Liam Ford
CHICAGO — A group of young men has surrounded and robbed people in downtown subway pedestrian tunnels at least three times in recent weeks, according to Chicago police who have released surveillance photos of four of the five robbers.
The string of attacks date to Jan. 30, according to a community alert. They have surrounded people in pedestrian tunnels between the Red and Blue lines, hit and kicked and robbed them, even showing a handgun in one robbery, police said.
The most recent robbery occurred around 7 p.m. Wednesday in the 200 block of South Dearborn Street. Items taken included a phone, police said.
About 7 a.m. Tuesday in the 200 block of South State Street, a designer belt was among the items stolen.
About 9:15 a.m. Jan. 30, the robbers showed a handgun and took items, including cash.
The robbers also have taken wallets in the robberies, according to the alert.
The robbers were all described as black men between 18 and 25 years old. In the most recent robbery, one was described as 5-foot-9 and the other 6-foot-1; in the Tuesday robbery, one was described as 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-4; in the Jan. 30 robbery, one was described as 6 feet tall and about 200 pounds, and the other was described as 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-6 and 150 to 170 pounds.
The photographs released Sunday appear to be from surveillance footage from a little before 7 a.m. Tuesday and show four black men.
The first man is shown wearing a red hooded sweatshirt with a black logo on the right sleeve and black rectangles on the front and near where a right pocket might be, a black knit cap, baggy low-rider jeans with white logos or stitching and red shoes.
The second man is wearing a camouflage hooded sweatshirt over what appears to be a black letter jacket, with the letter “P” in script on the right breast and writing over a red logo on the right shoulder, with another white-and-red logo on the left side — possibly a Pelle Pelle “Empire” jack — camouflage pants and gray-and-brown shoes.
The third man is shown in a blue, puffy coat with a puffy hood, dark pants that appear to fit snugly, and tan work boots.
The fourth man appears to be wearing a dark, hooded coat or a coat over a hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants and dark shoes.
No photo was released of the fifth man.
Chicago TribuneDisplayed with permission from Tribune Content Agency
