Runner Robbed At Gunpoint In West Beverly

CHICAGO, IL - A 35-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint while running in the city's West Beverly neighborhood Saturday morning, police said. The incident was one of four incidents of armed robberies and attempted armed robberies reported in West Beverly and East Beverly between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. Saturday.

The runner was in the 2600 block of West 106th Place at 7:31 a.m. when he was approached by a man who exited a silver SUV and displayed a handgun, demanding the victim's cell phone. After getting the phone, the offender ran back into the SUV and fled the scene.

Just around the corner in the 10600 block of South Fairfield at 7:35 a.m. (four minutes later), an offender in a similarly described silver SUV exited the car and approached a 48-year-old man inside a parked car with a handgun and announced a robbery, police said.

Police said the victim "refused" the robbery and "swung open his car door, scaring away the offender who ran away" and entered the SUV before fleeing the area.

22nd District armed robberies were also reported in the 1400 block of West 88th Street and 8900 block of South Laflin within minutes of the first reports in West Beverly on Saturday morning.

On 88th Street, police said a 43-year-old woman was walking on the sidewalk when a man exited a grey SUV, displayed a handgun and demanded the woman's purse at 7:40 a.m. The victim complied and the offender re-entered the waiting SUV and fled the scene.

On Laflin Street, a 27-year-old woman was walking on the sidewalk when she was approached by an armed man who exited a silver SUV demanded her mobile phone. The victim complied and the man fled the scene.

Police also issued an alert regarding a vehicle hijacking that occurred in the 8800 block of South Eggleston at 7:50 a.m. No one was injured in any of the incidents, police said.

The suspect in all incidents was described as African-American between 14 and 18 years old, 5'5" tall and weighing 130 to 150 lbs. He was wearing a black winter hat, black sweatshirt, and dark jeans during the robberies, an alert from District 22 shows.

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