LINCOLN PARK — Two armed men allegedly robbed a cell phone store Monday after zip-tying the hands of its employees, according to police and media reports.
Around 8 p.m. Monday, two men held up the store at gunpoint in the 1700 block of West Fullerton Avenue, taking several phones, electronics and an unknown amount of cash, police said.
The victims inside had their “hands restrained,” police said.
CWB reported that employees at the AT&T store in the Riverpoint shopping center, 1730 W. Fullerton Ave., had their hands zip-tied during the robbery.
The two men fled in a white SUV, police said. No injuries were reported. No one is in custody and police are investigating.
A spokesperson for AT&T declined to comment and referred questions to Chicago Police. Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) did not return a request for comment.
The brazen incident follows a series of robberies reported on DePaul University’s nearby campus, when students were targeted in five separate holdups. In response, university officials are now requiring people to carry identification around campus.
Robberies have surged this year, especially on the Near West and Northwest Sides. Neighbors have told Block Club they feel scared, exasperated and unsure about what city officials are doing to stem the attacks.
Mayor Brandon Johnson this month promised “a strategic plan” was in place to address rising robberies in partnership with the state and county, but did not divulge many details.
In a Monday night meeting with neighbors in Humboldt Park, one Chicago Police official said State Police have been “instrumental” in helping Chicago officers catch armed robbery suspects.
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