Two quick phone grabs in the Loop were enough for Chicago police to sound the alarm on downtown sidewalks. After a pair of cellphone robberies earlier this month that detectives believe may be connected, officers are warning pedestrians to keep a tighter grip on their devices as they move through the heart of the city. In both cases, groups approached people on the street and forcibly took their phones, and police say no arrests have been announced. Investigators described the suspects as young men in dark clothing and are asking anyone who saw something to speak up.
What police say
According to a Chicago Police Department community alert reported by FOX 32 Chicago, one robbery happened around 6 p.m. on May 3 in the 100 to 200 block of North State Street. The other was reported around 5 p.m. on May 6 in the first block of East Jackson Boulevard. In each incident, the victims’ phones were taken.
Detectives say they are looking for a group of three to four suspects described as Black men between 19 and 25 years old who were wearing black hoodies and black pants. Police say that description is consistent across both cases, and that they have not announced any arrests tied to the incidents.
How to report tips…