Chicago police are warning South Side shop owners to stay on high alert after a string of armed robberies that started June 23 and ran through July 18, targeting small businesses in the early-morning dark. Detectives say crews of two to five suspects, armed with handguns, have been slipping into stores before dawn, demanding cash and, in several cases, hauling off entire registers or customers' belongings before making a quick getaway. The series stretches across South Chicago, South Shore, Roseland, Jeffery Manor, Washington Heights and Englewood, giving the pattern a wide footprint across the South Side.
Timeline and scenes
According to CBS Chicago, police say the first reported robbery in this series happened on June 23 in the 9100–9200 block of South Commercial Avenue. The most recent case in the pattern was reported on July 18 in Washington Heights, on the 1400–1500 block of West 95th Street. Between those dates, CBS Chicago reports, detectives have linked multiple other scenes across the South Side, including locations on South Stony Island Avenue, East 79th Street, East 103rd Street and Union Avenue.
Police: suspects and tips
Police describe the offenders as teams of two to five people, armed with handguns, who take cash and property, then flee in multiple vehicles, FOX 32 Chicago reports. Officers are urging business owners to pull any security footage from around the time of the incidents and keep it ready for investigators. Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact Area One at (312) 747‑8384 or to submit tips online at CPDTIP.com.
How businesses can respond
Past Chicago Police Department business alerts have advised store owners to secure doors and windows, improve exterior lighting and preserve any surveillance video for detectives, standard steps the department has repeatedly listed in community notices. A sample CPD business alert outlines these measures and urges owners to report suspicious activity right away so evidence technicians can process scenes, according to Chicago Police Department guidance.
Investigators have assigned a specific tip reference number for this pattern. Detectives ask anyone with information or video to call Area One Property Crime Detectives at (312) 747‑8384, Area Two Property Crime Detectives at (312) 747‑8273, or submit an anonymous tip via CPDTIP.com, using reference No. 26CWP018BBA, as reported by CBS Chicago. Police say the investigation remains active and are urging both business owners and residents to share any footage that might help identify the vehicles or suspects.
