ROGERS PARK — Police are seeking an armed robber that has hit stores on the Near and Far West sides as well as targeted people walking in or near Rogers Park.
The robber is responsible for at least 21 robberies since late November, with 13 of them taking place in Rogers Park or Edgewater, according to a police community alert sent Wednesday.
In the robbers, a man walks up to victims from behind, often while showing a handgun, before demanding their property and running away. The robber has been described as speaking in a “polite” manner, according to police.
Some of the robberies happened as the victims were entering their apartment buildings, police said.
In the store robberies, the robber shows a handgun, demands property from the store but flees before taking the property, police said. In more than one occasion, the robber, the robber signaled to the store clerk to keep quiet by placing his index finger to his lips.
Businesses that have been targeted include convenience stores, liquor stores, fast food restaurants and clothing stores, police said.
The robber is using rental cars with out-of-state license plates during the robberies. One car used in a robbery was described as a silver Mitsubishi with Texas plates, according to police.
The suspect is described as a Black man standing 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-2 with a medium complexion and a possible neck tattoo, police said. He has been seen wearing a black face mask, a hooded sweatshirt, black gloves, Jordan brand dark sweatpants and acid washed jeans.
The robberies took place at:
- 10:15 p.m. Nov. 22 in the 7400 block of North Sheridan Road
- 7:20 p.m. Nov. 23 in the 900 block of West Monroe Avenue
- 2:45 a.m. Dec. 4 in the 7300 block of North Sheridan Road
- 3:33 a.m. Dec. 4 in the 5100 block of North Sheridan Road
- 4:45 a.m. Dec. 4 in the 1000 block of West Bryn Mawr Avenue
- 7:28 p.m. Dec. 6 in the 7000 block of North Wolcott Avenue
- 7:40 p.m. Dec. 6 in the 6000 block of North Glenwood Avenue
- 8:15 p.m. Dec. 6 in the 1400 block of North Shore Avenue
- 8:23 p.m. Dec. 6 in the 1400 block of West Devon Avenue
- 3:37 p.m. Dec. 8 in the 4200 block of West 26th Street
- 8:45 p.m. Dec. 8 in the 7300 block of North Clark Street
- 2:40 p.m. Dec. 9 in the 4000 bock of West 26th Street
- 2:44 p.m. Dec. 9 in the 2400 block of South Hamlin Avenue
- 3:20 p.m. Dec. 9 in the 2200 block of South California Avenue
- 12:20 a.m. Dec. 13 in the 6500 block of North Glenwood Avenue
- 2:19 p.m. Dec. 13 in the 4100 block of West 26th Street
- 12:24 a.m. Sunday in the 1300 block of West Morse Avenue
- 10:35 p.m. Sunday in the 6800 block of North Sheridan Road
- 10:55 p.m. Sunday in the 6600 block of North Clark Street
- 11:50 a.m. Tuesday in the 4000 block of West 26th Street
- 12:25 p.m. Tuesday in the 3300 block of West 26th Street
Anyone with information on the robberies is asked to call detectives at 312-744-8263 or 312-746-8253.