Chicago crime: Hermosa residents frustrated by rapid string of armed robberies
Surveillance video captures armed robbery in 4300 block of West Dickens Avenue
CHICAGO (WLS) -- As news of the rapid string of armed robberies on the Northwest Side continues to spread, residents said they're frustrated by the Mother's Day crime spree.
Richard Hernandez said his mother lives near one location in the Hermosa neighborhood, where the robbery at Dickens and Kildare was caught on surveillance video. It shows a group of attackers getting out of a car in ski masks with guns drawn.
"Maybe they need better schooling around here. More programs for the kids, for the youth to get into instead of running around doing nothing," Hernandez said.
The quick succession of armed robberies kicked off around 7:30 a.m. Sunday. The suspects struck 10 times in 30 minutes, according to police.
In each incident, the suspects exited a grey Hyundai Elantra and approached the victims. They then displayed handguns and demanded property before getting away in the vehicle.
Nicholas McGregor said he looks to the pandemic for the uptick in crime.
"It's of course terrible, and it doesn't make anyone feel any better, who's the victim of crime. But, I think it is important to remember the context, and how much better the city is doing than a few decades ago in the '80s and '90s," McGregor said.
Police said the attack caught on surveillance video was one of eight in the Hermosa neighborhood. There were two additional armed robberies reported in Logan Square and Humboldt Park.
Tatiana Darby, who works at a baking company in Hermosa, said cracking down on crime might need a different approach.
"A lot of these robberies are committed by people under 18, which means their parents need to be involved in something," Darby said.
Chicago police said they're looking for four male suspects between 18 and 25 years old. At this point, no offenders are in custody. They asked anyone with information to contact them at (312) 746-7394.
