CHICAGO – Armed robbers are targeting food delivery companies on the Near West Side, targeting four food delivery workers in the first five days of the new year, according to Chicago police. CPD says DoorDash, Uber Eats and local pizza shop drivers fell victim to the robbers.
The robbers order food and then wait for the driver to show up. Once the delivery person steps out of his car, two or three men emerge from dark alleys or other unlit areas and confront the victims, police said. While one robber holds the delivery person at gunpoint, the others search for valuables in the victim’s pockets.
Detectives have linked four incidents to the crime pattern:
- in the 2100 block of West Van Buren at 3:30 PM on January 1 and at 8:20 PM on January 4
- in the 300 block of South Leavitt at 6 p.m. on January 5
- in the 2100 block of West Gladys at 11 p.m. on Jan. 5
CWBChicago reported on Jan. 6, citing a preliminary police report, that the driver robbed on Leavitt was on a video call with his wife when three robbers attacked him and took his keys and phone. The victim told police he believed he had pepper-sprayed at least two of the suspects.
Police described the robbers as black males between the ages of 16 and 23 wearing black hoodies, black ski masks and black pants.
Anyone with information about the crimes can contact detectives at 312-744-8263 regarding crime pattern #P25-3-002.
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CWBChicago was founded in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had become discouraged by the inaccurate information presented during local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has since expanded to Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown and other North Side areas. But our mission remains unchanged: to provide original public safety reporting with better context and more detail than mainstream media. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com
