A juvenile has been arrested and charged with a string of armed robberies in Chicago’s 14th District, local authorities report. The 16-year-old male suspect faces two felony counts of armed robbery and two counts of robbery, following his apprehension on Thursday. This series of incidents had the neighborhood on edge, with four reported robberies spanning from mid-July to early August.
The Chicago Police Department released a statement on their official website noting that the young offender was taken into custody in the vicinity of the 2000 block of N. Kedzie, the same area where two of the robberies occurred. According to the Chicago Police, the victims ranged in age from 24 to 43 years old, and the underage perpetrator was positively identified as their assailant. The robberies were reported on the following dates and locations: July 18 and 24 on the 2000 block of N. Kedzie, and July 29, along with August 6 on the 2000 block of N. Sawyer.
As the community grapples with the reality of crime in their midst, particularly involving a juvenile, more light is shed on the circumstances that lead young people down such a path. While the law enforcement process must continue unimpeded, the community perhaps steps back, reflecting upon the social fabric that yields such outcomes. For those affected by the crimes, justice may seem in sight, but with an accused so young, questions of rehabilitation and the role of the justice system with juveniles come to the forefront…