Police question person of interest in string of machete attacks on Northwest Side

Detectives are questioning a person of interest in a string of machete attacks on the Northwest Side over the past weeks, police said Tuesday.

Officials confirmed they were speaking with a person of interest in the case but did not provide additional details.

The most recent attack was Sunday evening in the 3700 block of North Troy Street, according to police.

A man in all black swung a machete at a man walking down a sidewalk at 9 p.m., police said. The man, 52, fell to the ground — avoiding the blade — then threw his wallet and ran.

That attack happened a day after detectives issued a community alert warning of five other similar robberies on:

• 8 p.m. May 27 in the 3000 block of North Christiana in Logan Square
• 11:45 p.m. May 30 in the 3200 block of North Monticello in Avondale
• 12 a.m. May 30 in the 4100 block of West Fletcher in Belmont Gardens
• 9 p.m. June 3 in the 3300 block of North Monticello in Avondale
• 9 p.m. June 3 in the 4000 block of West Eddy Street in Irving Park

The suspect was working with a getaway driver in a silver four-door sedan, police said in the alert.

During a Monday news conference, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown told reporters the department would be “expanding all our resources” to capture the attacker.

Police asked anyone with information to call Area Five detectives at (312) 746-7394.