A man walking down a street in Oak Park last weekend became the victim of the third armed robbery reported in the community so far this month, police in Oak Park said.
The man, whose age was not released by police, was heading north on Marion Street shortly after midnight on Nov. 13 when he was approached by a group of three men described by the witness as being in their early 20s.
“The [men] shouted at him to come toward them as they crossed the street in his direction,” said Cmdr. LaDon Reynolds, spokesman for the Oak Park Police Department.
When the men reached the victim, one of the men lifted up his shirt to reveal a handgun tucked inside his pants waistband, police said. The men demanded his phone, and the victim started running, but he fell to the ground when one of the men tripped him, police said.
The men went through the victim’s pockets as he laid on the ground, and one of them removed his cellphone before the group fled north on Marion Street, according to police.
The victim did not suffer any serious injuries, Reynolds said.
The man who had the gun was described as about 5 feet, 8 inches tall. He was described as a black man with black dreadlocks and wearing a gray jacket. The second man had a beige jacket on. He was described as a black man, 6 feet tall with a thin build. The third man was wearing a red, white and blue jacket with an American flag on it. All were described by the witness as between 20 to 25 years old.
Oak Park police are investigating a possible connection with the trio of armed robberies that have occurred so far this month, Reynolds said.
“As soon as we see a trend, we start looking at a connection. We’re analyzing the incidents and collaborating with outside agencies,” he said. “Anytime we have a citizen who is a victim, we become concerned and we put forth all of our resources to address these types of issues.”
Police patrols have increased in response to the robberies, Reynolds added.
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Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.