6th victim robbed in Old Town in 3 weeks

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A woman riding a Divvy bike became the sixth victim of robbery in Chicago's affluent Old Town neighborhood in a little over three weeks.

It happened Wednesday night at 5:45 p.m. in the 1800 block of North Sedgwick and took less than 10 seconds for the robbers to knock the woman off of her bike, steal her purse, and ride off.

The crime put neighbors on alert. A $2,000 reward is now being offered for the arrest and conviction of the suspects.

"It's just the brazenness of it. To be that aggressive is unbelievable," said Tami Stone, Old Town resident.

This comes just over a week from another robbery on the same street where the victim was pistol whipped and shot at steps from million dollar homes.

In surveillance video armed thieves are seen getting out of an SUV and approaching two pedestrians.

"He pistol-whipped me in the head and then kept it there. And so I'm like, okay. I emptied my wallet," said Dan Carley, robbery victim.

The two Sedgwick robberies are among several stick-ups in Old Town, part of a North Side crime wave of carjackings and muggings.

In response, Chicago police are forming a task force with federal, county and state authorities to combat the citywide pattern of street crime.

The recent string of muggings have extended from Lake View to Gold Coast. The pattern consistent: two or more thieves getting out of a vehicle and approaching the victims.