Woman Beats Armed Robber With Cellphone In Lake Forest

LAKE FOREST, IL — An armed robber ran away after a woman hit him in the head with a cellphone repeatedly Friday afternoon. Around 5:20 p.m., police received a call of an attempted armed robbery in the 1000 block of North Western Avenue. An apparent teen brandishing "a large kitchen knife" had reportedly tried to rob a woman before running away north, according to Lake Forest police.

The robber was described as between the age of 17 and 19, 5 feet 8 inches tall, white and skinny. He was wearing a dark hoodie, a puffy winter coat and dark cargo pants, police said.

The woman was getting into her parked car in a street parking spot near the intersection of Lauren and Western avenues when she was approached by the assailant, Deputy Chief Rob Copeland said.

Cops set up a perimeter and called in a canine unit from the Gurnee Police Department. They searched a nearby construction area, bike paths and the Metra tracks.

As of Friday night, no suspect or weapon had found, but police are continuing to investigate and search the area. Copeland said detectives would return to the scene Saturday to canvass for possible security cameras.

The woman got herself to Lake Forest Hospital where she was treated for a minor cut to her hand as a result of the incident.

Police asked anyone with any information about the incident to call investigators at 847-810-3810.

In a similar incident last Saturday, a knife-wielding man tried to rob a woman in Lake Bluff before running away. Copeland said while the crimes followed a similar pattern, the women who fended off the robbers described them as different weights and ages.

UPDATE: Police arrested a suspect in the incident Monday and charged a 16-year-old with aggravated robbery and drug possession charges.

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_{Top photo via Lake Forest PD}