The wife and daughter head over to the Walgreens about 3 blocks away. The daughter wants to walk; the wife insists on driving — smart move.
Two men have been arrested in connection with the robbery of a man’s iPhone outside a dry cleaning business in the Wicker Park neighborhood, authorities say. …
The Thursday robbery happened about 5:15 p.m. when a 26-year-old man was texting on his iPhone outside a dry cleaning business at Wabasnia and Western avenues, according to police. Two men approached him, at least one of them armed with a gun, and asked for the iPhone, police said. …
Police were able to track the phone by its locator app to the area of Madison Street and Ashland Avenue, a few blocks from the United Center, police said. The officers spotted the suspects in a car that was reported stolen, but one of them jumped out around the time police began pursuing it. That man was taken into custody near Ashland and Washington Boulevard.
The other suspect headed west in the car on Madison, police said. The suspect stopped near Madison and Leavitt streets and abandoned the car, police said. He was arrested about a block away.
The perp was taken into custody at Madison & Oakley. How do I know? Because the wife saw the police running down the alley with their guns drawn catching the dude. A txt message from someone on the job later confirmed two in custody.
Hardly the end of the story:
Detectives have been looking into a string of robberies that occurred recently in an area bounded by Ashland, Central Park Avenue, Division Street and Diversey Avenue.
A police alert about the pattern gave the following locations for the 12 attacks:
–3100 block of W. Fullerton, Dec. 4, 2011, 5:20 a.m.
–1800 block of N. California, Dec. 17, 2011, 6 a.m.
–1700 block of N. Central Park, Dec. 21, 2011, 6:15 a.m.
–1900 block of N. Western, Dec. 22, 2011, 11 p.m.
–2100 block of N. California, Dec. 24, 2011, 7:30 a.m.
–2000 block of N. Kimball, Dec. 31, 2011, 11:20 p.m.
–1500 block of N. Hoyne, Jan. 3, 2012, 3 a.m.
–1700 block of W. Wabansia, Jan. 4, 2012, 4:32 p.m.
–2600 block of W. Wellington, Jan. 6, 2012, 8 p.m.
–2100 block of N. Milwaukee, Jan. 8, 2012, 12 p.m.
–1500 block of N. Maplewood, Jan. 20, 2012, 8 p.m.
–1500 block of N. Milwaukee, Jan. 21, 2012, 2 a.m.via Chicago Tribune.
In the 1980’s Wicker Park was a terrible place to live. The park itself was one of many Heroin Squares that existed in the city (the “Midnight Express” still passes out clean needles on Saturday nights there.) Over the years the place has gotten better. But from the looks of things it’s beginning to slide back into the hell hole it once was.
This is disappointing for everyone. The increase in the value of those homes provided a massive influx of tax revenue for the city (and county) which is used to support programs that help everyone; not just the rich. Many of those who live there are single or married couples without children. These are the “net givers” in the system who pay tons of taxes into CPS (it’s 2/3 of your property tax bill) and yet don’t have any kids in school.
We (the royal we, i.e. we all, myself included) need these people to stay in the city. We need them to like where they live and feel safe. If they move everyone suffers. CPD really has to step-up it’s game and begin making more arrests for these sorts of crimes. The State’s Attorney must begin to demand longer prison sentences for the perpetrators. Probation is not enough for these types of crimes. These guys have to do time.
There’s too much riding on it. Crime must be brought under control.