The Dandy Crown, a well-liked River West cocktail bar, has been hit with two robberies this week, with incidents involving threats with a knife and a violent altercation caught on surveillance, according to Chicago police and the bar's owner. ABC7 Chicago reported that the first robbery occurred late Monday when a masked individual brandishing what appeared to be a sharp object demanded money from the cash register. Although failing to secure the cash, the assailant made off with a woman's bag within a mere 30 seconds.
Witnesses described the suspect, in this initial instance, as wearing a mask, and in the subsequent robbery, which took place on Wednesday, the individual was clad in all black and a black baseball cap and initially claimed to be waiting for a friend before his actions revealed the deceitful intent, per CBS Chicago. As the second incident unfolded, the suspect went through an employee's purse, and when she confronted him, she was met with physical aggression; "body-slammed" in her attempt to retrieve her possessions before the offender escaped in a red SUV. The victim, fortunately, declined emergency medical services despite the altercation.
No arrests have been made thus far, and the police continue their investigation into both events. "The Dandy Crown will implement security measures, but more needs to be done by the city of Chicago," a spokesperson said in a statement provided to ABC7 Chicago.
The bar, situated at 694 North Milwaukee Avenue, is not new to criminal breaches, having encountered break-ins in the past as well with the owner now hoping for support from the city alongside their internal steps towards fortifying security amidst growing concerns, this uptick in crime stands as a brazen disregard for the sanctity of local businesses but also reveals the vulnerabilities that lie in every unchecked shadow and unchecked door of our communal establishments, as an establishment is cast under the lingering fear of unpredictability as mentioned in a report by CBS Chicago.
