A man was walking near the 2300 block of S. State Jan. 3 at 7:37 p.m. when three men approached him. One of the men put him in a chokehold while another took the man’s wallet from his pants. All three offenders ran west on 23rd and then south on Federal. Police radioed a description of the offenders to nearby units, one of which observed the three men entering an apartment near the scene of the crime. Police gained entry to the apartment and took the men into custody, but the victim told police he did not get a clear look at his assailants and wasn’t sure if the men in custody were his attackers. Police let the men go. Afterwards during a search of the property, officers discovered the victim’s wallet behind the apartment building. Missing were $399 and a Home Depot gift card.

A man boarded a CTA bus in the 200 block of N. Michigan Jan. 4 at 7:50 p.m. and started talking to the bus driver. The rider told the bus driver that she supposedly failed to stop for him on a previous date. The man grew increasingly agitated. The driver asked the man to quiet down and sit or she would stop the bus. The man got up, approached the driver and said, “I’m gonna cut your motherf—ing throat,” and motioned with his hand to his coat. The driver stopped the bus and activated an alarm. Police arrived on the scene and placed the offender under arrest and charged him with assault.

A man was standing near the 600 block of W. Harrison Jan. 7 at 9:23 p.m. smoking a cigarette when a man wearing a black jacket and black leather pants approached, pulled out a gun and robbed him of an unknown amount of money. The offender fled. Police arrived and while touring the area, found the offender who was identified by the victim. They searched the offender, but found neither a gun nor money. The victim told police he wasn’t sure the man in custody was the offender, so they released him.

A man was walking near 300 S. Dearborn Jan. 5 at 4:30 p.m. when a man wearing a gray cap and jeans approached, put a blue steel handgun in his back and said, “Give me everything in your pockets.” The victim gave the offender an iPod, a black cell phone, a bag, his $150 Nike Air Force one sneakers and $260. The offender fled. Police toured the area, but did not locate the offender.

A woman took out an ad Dec. 29 on Craigslist looking for a roommate in her apartment in the 1100 block of S. Michigan. A woman contacted her, agreed to share the place and wrote the current tenant a check for $3,750. The prospective renter contacted the current tenant a few days later and said she needed $2,200 from the original check for moving expenses. The current tenant wrote a check to her future roommate. Later that day, her bank contacted her and said the check she received from the prospective tenant was not valid. The victim attempted to contact the tenant, but there was no response.

A man was getting off the Blue Line near the 400 block of S. Clinton Jan. 10 at 11:05 p.m. when another man approached, pointed a gun at him and said, “Give me your money.” The offender then struck the victim in the back with gun, and a fight ensued over the victim’s backpack. The offender eventually wrestled the pack containing an iPod and $230 and fled. Police toured the area, but did not locate the offender.

A woman was standing on her porch in the 1500 block of S. Wabash Jan. 8 at 6:55 p.m. when her neighbor walked by and threatened to kill her with a .22 gauge gun. The offender placed her hand in her pocket and gave the impression she was holding a gun. Police are investigating.

A woman was walking down the street on the 700 block of S. State Jan. 6 at 11 p.m. when a man started following her. The man eventually approached the woman, made a hand gesture as if he was about to strike her and then said, “Give me your cell phone.” The offender grabbed her iPhone, and fled. Police toured the area but did not find the offender.

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By Jerry from South Loop
Posted: 01/20/2010 12:03 PM

A friend of my mom\'s was attacked in an identical manner near Union Station on Thursday, January 14th around 4:30 pm last week. I believe it may be the same group of thugs. As far as I know, these three guys got away with it again. Maybe the police can bring them in for a line up and see if the victim recognizes these people as his attackers?