Oak Park police believe a series of armed incidents that took place in the village over a matter of hours early Sunday morning “could be related,” according to Oak Park spokesperson Dan Yopchick. The white BMW involved in the latter half of the events is believed to be the same vehicle that was taken during a Chicago carjacking.
The police department is currently investigating the six incidents from Sept. 24, the first of which happened at 2:50 a.m. on the 6000 block of North Avenue, when four men robbed a woman of her purse. The men, who police said had a rifle and a handgun, pulled up by the woman in a dark blue sedan just before the robbery and left in the same vehicle after taking the purse, which contained two cellphones and a wallet with $500 cash, identification and credit cards.
The purse and its contents were later found on the 800 block of Fair Oaks Avenue, where the second offense took place between 2:55 and 3 a.m, when 4-5 men exited a dark blue sedan once again carrying a rifle. The men used the rifle to strike an Oak Park resident in the head, after which they removed the victim’s keys and credit cards, an estimated loss of $75.
Shortly after, at 3:03 a.m., police said 4-5 men, driving in a dark blue sedan, cut off a Wisconsin resident, who was driving a gray Ford Fusion on the 1000 block of North Euclid Avenue with a passenger. The men exited the sedan, reportedly, with weapons drawn. The victim and the passenger, a Glendale Heights resident, were hit in the head with the rifle. Some of the offenders then fled in the Ford Fusion, which was later recovered by the Chicago Police Department at 8:30 a.m. that morning on the 2100 block of North Kenneth Avenue in Chicago. Yopchick could not say if the remaining offenders left in the blue sedan but did confirm that all offenders left the scene.
The second half of the spree occurred within the 5 a.m. hour, beginning at 5:25 a.m. with the aggravated assault of an Oak Park resident on the 200 block of Home Avenue. The resident was out walking when a man exited a white BMW armed with a rifle. When the man beckoned the resident to come over, the resident fled on foot.
Not long after, at 5:49 a.m., an armed robbery occurred on the 700 block of North Kenilworth Avenue. Three men reportedly exited a white BMW with a rifle and approached two newspaper delivery drivers, both of whom were sitting in their respective vehicles. The men demanded the victims’ possessions and then fled in the BMW eastbound on Thomas Street.
Roughly 10 minutes later, another newspaper delivery driver was robbed on the 600 block of North Elmwood Avenue by two men, reportedly driving in a white BMW. One was carrying a rifle, while the other took the delivery driver’s wallet, which contained $60 and miscellaneous credit cards. The two offenders then fled in the BMW, last seen traveling eastbound on Augusta Street.
Armed robbery
A Broadview resident was robbed by 5-6 men at 2:56 a.m., Sept. 21 on the 1100 block of South Elmwood Avenue. The victim was reportedly hit in the back of the head with a firearm and all of his personal belongings were taken during the robbery. The men fled the scene in a silver sedan. The victim’s belongings were later recovered.
Aggravated discharge of a firearm
Someone discharged several rounds of ammunition near the area of Iowa Street and Linden Avenue at 8:04 p.m., Sept. 20.
These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department reports, dated Sept. 19-25, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.
Compiled by Stacey Sheridan
