Police warn of armed robberies in Austin

Police are warning residents of two armed robberies that occurred minutes apart early Thursday in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.

In both incidents, a maroon vehicle pulls up to a victim and three people, armed with semi-automatic handguns, exit the vehicle and rob the victim, according to a community alert from Chicago Police. The three people then get back in the vehicle, which drives away.

One robbery happened at 1:25 a.m. in the 100 block of South Lotus, while the other robbery occurred at 1:40 a.m. in the first block of North Mayfield, police said.

The suspects are described as four black males, between 25 and 30 years old, standing between 5-feet-8 and 6-feet, weighing between 170 and 180 pounds, police said. The vehicle may have been a Buick Regal.

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