Police investigating 2 carjackings, armed robbery in Lincoln Park, Lakeview

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police are investigating a pair of carjackings in the Lincoln Park neighborhood that occurred minutes apart Thursday morning and an armed robbery late Wednesday night in the Lakeview neighborhood.

Police said a delivery driver was delivering food at about 12:25 a.m. in the 800-block of West Dickens Avenue in the Lincoln Park neighborhood when two armed men took the drivers cell phone and $10 in cash. Then they got away in the driver's car.

Twelve minutes later, a 26-year-old woman was carjacked nearby in the 800-block of West Willow Street. Police said she was sitting inside her Ford Fusion when a man knocked on her rear door and implied that he had a weapon.

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He told her to get out of the car, as a second man started pulling her out. Both men got away in her car.

Police also report that a 25-year-old woman was robbed by two armed men late Wednesday night in the Lakeview neighborhood.

That robbery was in Ald. Scott Waguespack's ward, the 32nd.

"In the last week we've seen six of them, so it's very frustrating to residents, it's very frustrating to me," said Ald. Waguespack.

The robbery occurred as the woman was walking on the sidewalk at about 11:55 p.m. in the 1600-block of West Barry Avenue. She was approached by two armed men and she turned over the keys to her red Toyota Corolla.

"Rough, real rough when you hear about something like this especially right around this area, this is as beautiful neighborhood," said Lincoln Park resident Tony Burks.

Police say they spotted the Toyota and the Ford traveling together in the Woodlawn neighborhood. They chased the Toyota, which crashed, and the suspects got away on foot. Authorities were able to recover that car. They also found the Ford Fusion parked and unoccupied near 69th Street and Anthony Avenue.

Police said a connection has been made between the incidents. The two suspects are in their late teens or early 20's.

"It's sad but then on the other hand, I work in public health and you know people don't have enough money to make a living so I'm not entirely surprised," said North Side resident Susan Cahn.

This comes just one day after the city announced expanded use of technology to quickly track stolen cars.

Police have now updated a community alert for Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown and other adjacent neighborhoods warning about a series of carjackings since October 1.

"That is technology that will enhance in real time," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. "Sometimes the type of car is not accurately reported but the technology actually captures the license plate in real time."

The city added 200 specialized license plate readers, and that brings the total number of patrol cars equipped with the readers to 300. The city also reports that 126 readers are mounted to poles or used by other city departments.