Police are searching for two to four suspects involved in at least 15 armed robberies — revealing in a statement that the thieves had been primarily using the bike-sharing service Divvy for transportation while committing their crimes.
The armed robberies all took place in or near the Loop, which is the central business district of Chicago and the main section of Downtown Chicago. Each time, armed male offenders robbed their victims at gunpoint in the early hours of the morning.
According to local news outlet Fox 32 Chicago, each incident involved armed male offenders approaching their victims on the Loop and stealing from them while threatening force. One incident even involved the theft of a victim’s vehicle.
The first robbery occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. on June 19. Six more robberies happened on June 25, and another six happened on June 26. The latest two robberies occurred on July 7. Most of these incidents happened in the North Loop.
Fox 32 Chicago included a detailed list of the robbery locations in their reporting.
There have been at least 15 armed robberies reported in the Loop over the past month, Chicago police warn. https://t.co/XGxvI67bWE
— FOX 32 News (@fox32news) July 9, 2023
Felicia Davis, who works in the downtown area, spoke out about the robberies.
“I just think it’s nuts, like, the whole idea. They just get on these bikes and go away,” Davis said.
Police have described the suspects as two to four different Black and “White Hispanic males” between the ages of 15-25 — noting that the suspects wore dark hooded sweatshirts, dark jeans and black ski masks during the incidents.
Many have expressed concern about the use of Divvy bikes during the robberies.
“I’m surprised they’re using the Divvy bikes, because I feel like that’s pretty easily tracked,” said another local resident, Brandon Wong.
“Hopefully they stop, or if they are listening, then please stop. There are other ways to make money,” Wong added.
According to Newsbreak, “The choice of Divvy bikes as a means of transportation for these robberies raises eyebrows and skepticism among both law enforcement and the public. Divvy bikes are easily identifiable and can potentially be traced, making them an unconventional choice for criminals seeking anonymity. However, it is important to note that Divvy bikes can be rented using a credit card, which may complicate efforts to identify the culprits solely based on bike usage.”
Police have asked that anyone with information about the robberies contact the Bureau of Detectives Area 3 at (312) 744-8263.
These robberies are not completely unusual in crime-plagued Chicago. While the mainstream media often avoids covering the out-of-control crime in the deep-blue city, local outlets have continued to report on the staggering number of robberies plaguing Chicago.
CWB Chicago published a bullet-point list of the recent crimes:
- “On Monday morning, a group of men armed with handguns and at least one rifle went on a cross-town robbery spree stretching from the Loop through Lincoln Park to the Northwest Side.”
- “Eight women were robbed in about 11 minutes in Lincoln Park Tuesday morning by a crew that traveled in an SUV carjacked from Chinatown. Prosecutors charged a man with participating in the hijacking, but he is not accused of robbing any of the Lincoln Park victims.”
- “Wednesday night into Thursday morning, five businesses and some of their customers were robbed.”
- “Three more robberies were reported in Lincoln Park early last Friday. A DePaul student was among four people robbed in the neighborhood the night before.”
