CHICAGO – The man prosecutors say may have been responsible for more than two dozen robberies from Little Village to the North Side has been sentenced to 18 years in prison. Clarence Anderson, 42, pleaded guilty to four counts of armed robbery in exchange for Judge Mary Anna Planey’s sentence.
During the 2021 holiday season, businesses, mainly supermarkets, were destroyed by an armed robber who was described as “polite” by some victims.
Chicago police said the serial robber robbed convenience stores and liquor stores as well as people on the streets with heavy concentrations in Rogers Park and Little Village.
Although Anderson was charged with only four robberies, prosecutors said he was responsible for more than 20 robberies.
His winning streak came to an end after he robbed a small convenience store in the 2400 block of South Christiana, according to officials. Except for his eyes, the robber’s entire face was covered with a hood, hat and mask. But he was dressed in a striking red jacket with a bunny motif on it and a similar design on his shirt.
The robber pulled out a gun and went behind the counter to take lottery money, rolls of coins and money from the cash register. Then he told the cashier not to call anyone as he walked out the door.
Detectives reviewed CPD surveillance video from the area and spotted a car they linked to the robbery. The car, a rental car, was rented to someone known for renting cars that Anderson has used in other incidents, prosecutors said.
Investigators found the suspect car hours after the Christiana robbery. Anderson, who was wearing the same clothing with the same bunny design as the robber, was sitting in the driver’s seat.
‘It’s not a rabbit. It’s a teddy bear,” Anderson interjected after hearing about rabbits for the fifth time during his court appearance.
Officers also found cash, change, a black ski mask, gloves and suspected narcotics in the vehicle, officials said. A gun is said to have been wedged into the engine block of the car.
The other three robberies that resulted in charges for Anderson occurred on the sidewalk in the 100 block of South Aberdeen and at stores in the 3300 block of West 26th Street and the 900 block of West Monroe, court records show.
Anderson has now been convicted 11 times and was on parole for his second theft conviction just months before the crime spree began.
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