Chicago police are warning South Side residents that an invitation to a party could be a setup for a robbery at gunpoint.
A group of armed robbers has targeted people as they leave parties in the Chatham, Grand Crossing and Auburn Gresham neighborhoods, police said, striking victims at least nine times since February in what investigators have identified as a linked crime pattern. And five of those robberies happened on the same block.
According to a community alert from CPD, victims are invited to parties and then confronted by “multiple perpetrators armed with handguns” when they leave. The robbers “mainly” targeted the victims’ phones, police said.
Most of the robberies have occurred in the 7900 block of South Wabash Avenue, where police have recorded robberies on Feb. 23 at 12:30 a.m., March 6 at 11:20 p.m., April 11 at 11:50 p.m., April 22 at 10:45 p.m. and May 9 at 11 p.m.
Two more robberies occurred near each other in Grand Crossing: in the 7000 block of South Vernon Avenue at 2 a.m. on April 26 and the other in the 6900 block of South Vernon Avenue at 3:30 a.m. on May 9.
The remaining two incidents were reported in the 7800 block of South Carpenter Street: at 3:30 a.m. on May 10 and in the 7000 block of South King Drive at 3 a.m. on April 23.
Area Two detectives are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call 312-747-8273.
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