CHICAGO — Police on the North Side are trying to determine if the same crew is responsible for several armed robberies over the last few days.  

Separate incidents in North Center and Lakeview, which occurred in less than 30 minutes, saw the victims approached by a group of offenders who demanded their belongings before taking off.  

Police said they learned of the first incident just before 10:50 p.m. Monday. A 23-year-old male and a 21-year-old male were walking in the 1600 block of W. Waveland when a dark-colored sedan driving eastbound approached them.  

Three male offenders exited the vehicle displaying firearms and demanded the victims’ personal property.  

The victims complied and the offenders got back into the vehicle and fled northbound through the alley. Police reported no injuries.

Less than two miles away, around 11:20 p.m., in the 3100 block of N. Damen, a 35-year-old told police that two to three unknown male offenders approached him and demanded his belongings.

According to police, one of the offenders struck the victim in the head with a firearm and took his possessions. 

The uptick in armed robberies has left North Side residents Ezequiel Collazo and Samantha Matos concerned for their safety. 

“Right now, it just gives me the chills because I live down the block,” Collazo said. “It’s not too often that you hear that it happens here in Lakeview, but it’s starting to happen more frequently than usual.” 

“It’s pretty scary knowing that that happened here,” Matos said. “To have to walk through the neighborhood and having to look over my shoulder constantly, that’s a scary thing.” 

The incidents come after a similar attack happened over the weekend in the city’s Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods. 

On Monday, WGN News spoke with a couple who was robbed at gunpoint Saturday evening in the 1700 block of N. Winchester around 11 p.m.

Surveillance video shows a white sedan stopping in the middle of the street and three men rushing the victims and demanding they turn over their personals.  

The couple did not wish to be identified but told WGN News they were “ambushed.” 

“All the doors open up and you immediately see people with guns,” she said. “One kind of rushed us up the middle, the other two flanked us. We tried to get away. They caught us in the middle of the street, emptied our pockets and were gone in 30 seconds.” 

Police told the couple another attempted robbery had happened nearby on Armitage and Wolcott. Still, police have no suspects in custody.

Tuesday evening, police issued a community alert for four more similar robberies that all occurred on Saturday:

• 2800 block of North Campbell Ave. on August 20 at 10:12 p.m.
• 2900 block of West Grace St. on August 20 at 10:15 p.m.
• 5000 block of North Kimball Ave. on August 20 at 10:40 p.m.
• 1900 block of West Wabansia Ave. on August 20 at 11:00 p.m.

The search continues and police ask anyone with information to contact the authorities.