Englewood residents are on edge after a recent spate of brazen armed robberies, orchestrated through social media platforms, the Chicago Police Department warns. Authorities have alerted the 007th District to a string of incidents where perpetrators, leveraging the anonymity of social media, orchestrate meetings to buy and sell merchandise under pretenses, only to commit robbery at gunpoint. The recent offenses took place in April, with two occurrences chillingly paralleling in method and location, the Department detailed in a community alert.
The CPD has specified two incidents: one on the 7200 block of South Peoria Street at approximately 9:10 PM on April 23, and another on the 7200 block of South Green Street around midnight on April 21. In both situations, the victim agreed to a location with the supposed buyer/seller found through social media, whereupon the encounter rapidly escalated from transaction to intimidation: an offender produced a handgun and demanded their property. Post-theft, the offenders fled on foot to locations currently unknown.
The suspects in these harrowing events have been described by the police as two male blacks, armed with handguns. The CPD alert advises the public to remain vigilant, suggesting that all social media transactions, such as those arranged via Facebook Marketing Place or Instagram, be conducted at local police stations. The hope is to create a safer environment for individuals to buy and sell goods without the fear or threat of violence.
In a bid to prevent further instances and to aid in the apprehension of the criminals, authorities are urging the community to report any suspicious activity immediately and to note any distinct physical features of potential assailants carefully. The CPD stated, "If video surveillance equipment is present, please save a copy of the incident for investigating detectives." Englewood citizens are recommended to stay calm if confronted, but not to pursue fleeing suspects, instead providing any useful information to the police. As always, in an emergency, the public should dial 9-1-1 and, when possible, remain at the scene to assist law enforcement.
For more details on the incidents and safety recommendations, please take a look at the full alert on the Chicago Police Department's website.
