Three Robbers Target President Obama's Kenwood Neighborhood
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago police have warned residents in the Kenwood neighborhood, where President Obama still maintains a home, that robbers have held up victims six times on the same block in one week and committed another robbery nearby.
Police said there were six robberies on the 4700 block of South Ellis Avenue in the span of a week, from June 1 to June 7. A seventh robbery was carried out a block away on the 900 block of East 47th Street on June 4.
According to a community alert issued by Wentworth District police, a group of three robbers threatened to hurt their victims, and then robbed them on the street.
Kenwood resident Edward DeLoach said he was aware of robberies in the neighborhood, just not those near 47th and Ellis.
"That's crazy. Whoever it is, or whatever group of people it is that target people on one specific block, that's crazy," he said.
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Jameal Mathis lives on the 4700 block of South Ellis Avenue, and said he's a big guy at 6-foot-2, so he's not too worried about himself, but "I'm more so concerned about my wife and kid, you know? Especially by the parking lot, being off the alley, so that could be a big concern."
Angela Washington, who also lives on the block, said it's sad, because they're only half a mile from President Barack Obama's home, on the 5000 block of South Greenwood Avenue.
"It's a lot of hard-working people in this neighborhood, and we work hard for our stuff. You know, I'm up early, going to go to work," she said.
Six of the robberies happened between 8:30 p.m. and 4:45 a.m. One robbery happened at 4:30 p.m.
Police had only vague descriptions of the suspects; two black males and one white female, all in their late teens to late 20s.
CBS 2 has learned police may be working on the theory that the woman suspect is acting as "bait" in setting up the robbery victim.
Sources tell CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker the female in the robbery group has been soliciting men on her Facebook page with the promise of sex. Once the victims show up at 47th and Ellis, her two accomplices rob them.
Sources say one of the victims has said he was set up via that scam. The victims are not necessarily from Kenwood.
No arrests have been made.
