Police warn of robberies in Lake View

Police are warning residents in Lake View of two recent robberies in the North Side neighborhood.

In both incidents, the robber approached from behind and used force or threat of force to take a purse and a backpack from people on the street, according to a community alert from Chicago Police.

The robberies happened about 5:35 p.m. Nov. 16 in the 900 block of West Newport and about 1:55 a.m. Nov. 21 in the 3600 block of North Fremont, police said.

One robber is described as a black man, between 25 and 32 years old, standing between 6-foot and 6-foot-2, weighing about 185 to 200 pounds, with short hair, jeans and a black or dark blue hooded sweatshirt, police said.

Another robber is described as a 6-foot-2, 190-pound black man, in his mid-20s, with short hair, jeans, a black wool jacket and a black flat-brimmed White Sox baseball cap, police said. That suspect was seen running to a dark blue, four-door car, possibly a Chevy Malibu, in the alley south of Waveland.

Anyone with information on the robberies should contact Area North detectives at (312) 744-8263.