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Austin-area detectives are still searching for the individuals responsible for a string of armed robberies and sexual assaults on the West Side.
Since August, there have been 11 related attacks spanning the 11th, 12th and 15th Police Districts, said Officer Darryl Baety, a Chicago Police Department spokesman.
In mid-October, West Side aldermen, police and the Area 5 Detective Division held a community meeting to alert residents about the attacks.
One or two African-American male offenders have approached females exiting their cars, walking on the sidewalk or entering their homes at gun point between the hours of 3 a.m. to 6 a.m., Baety said.
The offenders often grope or sexually assault their victims, he said.
The most recent armed robbery and sexual assault occurred Dec. 3 in the 900 block of North Lockwood Avenue.
The offenders are described as being 20 to 30 years old, 5-foot-5 to 6 feet tall, 130 to 190 pounds, and wearing a mask, skull cap, or a black hood and dark clothing.
Residents in the area should be vigilant when outside in the early morning and contact the police or the area detectives if they witness any suspicious activity, Baety said.
Contact the Area 4 Detective Division at (312) 746-8253 or the Area 5 Detective Division at (312) 746-8362 with any information about the crimes.
Here’s where the attacks occurred:
- Aug. 28 at 5:45 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Lawndale Avenue
- Sept. 25 at 3:30 a.m. in the 800 block of North Harding Avenue
- Sept. 25 at 4:47 a.m. in the 5500 block of West West End Avenue
- Sept. 28 at 3 a.m. in the 4700 block of West Maypole Avenue
- Sept. 28 at 3:18 a.m. in the 3800 block of West Monroe Street
- Sept. 28 at 4:25 a.m. in the 5400 block of West Crystal Street
- Oct. 1 at 4:45 a.m. in the 2200 block of West Monroe Street
- Oct. 2 at 3:15 a.m. in the 900 block of North Leamington Avenue
- Oct. 2 at 5:25 a.m. in the 5400 block of West Fulton Street
- Oct. 7 at 4:40 a.m. in the 600 block of North Leamington Avenue
- Dec. 3 at 5:30 a.m. in the 900 block of North Lockwood Avenue
Separately, Chicago Police are also looking for a man who inappropriately touched a teenage girl while she was walking down the sidewalk of the 4800 block of West Jackson Boulevard on Dec. 15 in the afternoon, Austin Weekly News reported last week. The man is described as African-American, 20 to 30 years old, with brown eyes, a beard and black hair in a twist.
Anyone with information about the crime should contact Area 5 detectives at 312-746-8362.