A man grabbed three women from behind and groped them within the span of a single hour Friday night in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood, according to police, who are now warning residents on the Northwest Side to be on alert for a suspect who remains unidentified.
The three incidents happened between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday at the 3400 block of North Springfield Avenue, the 3900 block of North Cornelia Avenue, and the 3300 block of North Avers Avenue, according to CBS Chicago. Police said the man approached each victim from behind, wrapped his arms around her, and grabbed her breasts and groin area over her clothes before fleeing.
Investigators describe the suspect as an unidentified Hispanic male with a medium-to-dark complexion, believed to be between 20 and 40 years old. He was last seen wearing a black or dark-colored baseball-style hat, a black or dark-colored polo-style shirt with red stripes across the chest, black or dark-colored shorts, and black socks with white gym shoes. In one of the three incidents, police said the man fled the scene in a red sedan. CPD has not released a photo of the suspect.
Area 5 Detectives Lead the Search
The case falls under the Chicago Police Department's Area 5 Bureau of Detectives, which oversees major felony investigations across the 14th, 16th, 17th, and 25th police districts on the Northwest Side, according to the Chicago Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to submit an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com or call Area 5 detectives directly at 312-746-6554. Tipsters should reference case numbers JK409515, JK409540, and JK409513.
Avondale is an official Northwest Side community area bounded by Addison Street to the north, Diversey Avenue to the south, and the Chicago River to the east, home to roughly 35,500 residents, per Wikipedia. The department's 2025 Annual Report is also linked above. The concentrated, same-night spree has made the incident especially unsettling for residents.
What the Charges Could Look Like
Potential charges would depend on the facts of the case and Illinois law, according to the Illinois General Assembly.
A Pattern of Stranger Attacks on the Northwest Side
This is not the first time Area 5 detectives have investigated a stranger sexual assault in the district this year. In March, a 17-year-old suspect was arrested and charged after an attack on a 15-year-old girl in a Ravenswood Manor alley, a case Hoodline covered in a report on the teen's arrest. Area 5 detectives have also investigated other cases this year.
Area 5 has also been active on other fronts recently. The bureau appealed for information about seven suspected armed robberies. Taken together, the recent appeal and prosecution point to a pattern of heightened vigilance from detectives covering the Northwest Side, even as the area's overall crime numbers remain comparatively low.
For now, the man responsible for Friday's three attacks remains at large. Police are continuing to ask anyone with information to come forward using the case reference numbers tied to each of the three reports.
