One man could be responsible for at least 7 armed robberies at Back of the Yards businesses: CPD

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Over the past month, Chicago police said, there have been at least seven reported armed robberies in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

One woman, who did not want to show her face on camera, said she has been living in fear since she was robbed at gunpoint last week.

On Sunday night, police from the 9th District warned neighbors and business owners about a series of armed robberies reported over the past few weeks. In a community alert, police said, in each instance, the suspect approaches victims with a gun, demanding cash and personal belongings.

Police said the two most recent armed robberies happened along South Ashland on Saturday night, blocks away from each other and minutes apart.

Employees from Naples Pizza said on Saturday night, the suspect came in wearing a ski mask, pointed a gun at two workers, and demanded cash from the register.

They said the man fired a gun over their heads, leaving behind this bullet hole in the wall. Police said no one was hurt, and the suspect ran away.

Another employee from a business in the neighborhood said she was also robbed at gunpoint last week. She did not want to show her face out of concern for her safety, and spoke to ABC7 in Spanish, through a translator.

"It's something horrible to know your life, that in a moment they can do something to you, even kill you, that your life is in the hands of criminal," she said.

The woman said the robber held the gun in front of her face the entire time. After learning about the recent robberies in the area, she said, she has not been able to find peace.

"When people come in and they have their face covered due to the cold, I think they too will rob me," she said. "When they are getting ready to pay, I think they are going for a gun."

Police said the suspect has been described wearing skull cap and dark-colored round-framed glasses.

If you have any information that could help investigators, please contact police.

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