Police warn of armed robberies at Heart of Chicago businesses

Police are warning businesses about two armed robberies last month in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood on the South Side.

In both incidents, the suspect entered the business displaying a handgun and demanded cash, according to a business alert from Chicago Police.

One robbery happened at 1:20 p.m. Sept. 19 in the 1600 block of West 16th Street, while the other robbery occurred at 3:14 p.m. Sept. 21 in the 1900 block of West 21st Street, police said.

The suspect is described as a black or Hispanic man, thought to be between 20 and 25 years old, weighing between 140 and 150 pounds, standing between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-9, with black hair and an olive complexion, police said. In one incident he was wearing a white T-shirt, while in the other he was wearing camouflage shorts, a beige bandana with green money signs, a black baseball cap and a black tank top.

Anyone with information on the robberies is asked to contact Area Central detectives at (312) 747-8382.