A man armed with a knife has robbed five businesses across Chicago's Northwest Side since late July, walking in like an ordinary customer before pulling a blade on cashiers and fleeing with cash. Chicago police say the pattern stretches from Avondale through Logan Square into Portage Park, hitting stores along Belmont, Fullerton, and Milwaukee avenues.
The Chicago Police Department issued a formal Business Alert, P26-5-012 BA, on Saturday covering the 14th, 17th, and 25th police districts after the string of five reported commercial robberies, according to the Chicago Police Department. As detailed by CBS News Chicago, the same man is suspected in each case, using a consistent approach: he walks up to the checkout counter with a drink to buy, and when the cashier opens the register, he pulls out a knife, grabs the cash, and runs off.
Investigators describe the suspect as a Black man between 25 and 35 years old, standing between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot-2, and weighing between 210 and 250 pounds, per the same account. In at least one instance, the suspect reportedly handed the cashier money before the robbery unfolded, though the outlet's account does not clarify the sequence in every case.
Tracking the Robberies Along Belmont and Milwaukee
The earliest known incident happened in the 3400 block of West Belmont Avenue in Avondale on July 31, followed by a robbery in the 3300 block of West Fullerton Avenue in Logan Square on August 6, the same day another robbery struck the 3400 block of West Belmont Avenue. Five days later, on August 11, a business in the 3200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue in Avondale was hit. The pattern's most recent stop came Saturday, when the suspect robbed a business in the 4700 block of West Belmont Avenue in Portage Park, moving the spree westward along the corridor.
Because Avondale straddles the boundaries of the 14th, 17th, and 25th police districts, Area 5 detectives are coordinating across multiple district commands to address the pattern, according to the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability. The 14th District, known as Shakespeare, covers Logan Square and southern Avondale, while the 17th District, Albany Park, covers the northern stretch of Avondale along Milwaukee Avenue where monthly beat meetings give local merchants direct contact with officers. The 25th District, Grand Central, covers Portage Park, where the most recent robbery occurred.
How to Report Information
Area 5 Detectives can be reached directly at 312-746-7394, and the public can also submit anonymous tips through CPDTip.com using reference number P265012. Chicago police maintain Safe Exchange Zones open around the clock in the public lobbies of all 22 district stations, a resource Hoodline previously reported is also promoted for online marketplace meetups on the North Side.
If caught and convicted, the suspect would face serious legal exposure. Under Section 18-2 of the Illinois Criminal Code, committing robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon such as a knife is classified as a Class X felony, carrying a mandatory prison sentence of 6 to 30 years with no eligibility for probation, according to the Illinois General Assembly's criminal code.
A Spree Against a Backdrop of Falling Robbery Numbers
The Northwest Side spree comes even as citywide robbery numbers have fallen sharply. Mid-year 2026 data published by the Council on Criminal Justice showed reported robberies across Chicago dropped 28% during the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2025. That follows a 2025 marked by historic reductions citywide, including a 29% decline in homicides to levels not seen since 1965 and multi-decade lows in robberies, according to NORC at the University of Chicago.
Still, Chicago police crime tracking reports from this summer indicate those steep early-year reductions have begun to plateau, with overall crime counts drifting back near 2025 baselines by mid-year. For small business owners along Belmont, Fullerton, and Milwaukee avenues, the citywide trend offers little comfort against a suspect who has now struck five times in less than three weeks.
Part of a Broader Pattern on the Northwest Side
This is not the first time Northwest Side businesses have been targeted in a coordinated spree. Hoodline reported a violent stickup on Belmont Avenue in June, and last August covered a similar CPD alert for armed robberies across Belmont Central and Dunning. In November, police announced an arrest in a separate string of knifepoint commercial robberies in the adjacent 17th District. Whether the current suspect is connected to any of those earlier cases remains unclear, and it is not known whether detectives have recovered surveillance video confirming his identity or whether additional, unreported businesses have been targeted.
