Chicago police detectives are investigating three armed robberies at fast food restaurants that occurred within a single hour early Tuesday morning.
The incidents spanned across three different neighborhoods, including Lincoln Park, Albany Park, and Pilsen.
Police officials have not confirmed if the same group of men committed all three crimes.
The first reported incident took place in Lincoln Park on the North Side.
Around 3:30 a.m., four armed men drove up to the Wendy’s drive-thru window in the 2300 block of North Ashland Avenue.
The suspects climbed directly through the drive-thru window to enter the restaurant.
Once inside, the armed group demanded property and stole two cash registers.
The men also took personal cell phones from two employees working the late-night shift.
Following the theft, the suspects entered a black sedan and fled the scene.
No injuries occurred during the Lincoln Park interaction.
Area Three detectives assumed responsibility for the North Ashland Avenue investigation.
Minutes earlier, a separate robbery occurred a few miles northwest in the Albany Park neighborhood.
Between 3:25 a.m. and 3:29 a.m., an armed group entered a Subway restaurant in the 4400 block of North Pulaski Road.
The men pointed guns and demanded money from the employees inside the store.
One individual from the group grabbed a cash register before the team fled.
The suspects ran from the scene on foot into the surrounding neighborhood.
Law enforcement reported no physical injuries to the staff at the Pulaski Road location.
A third fast food establishment faced a similar attack less than an hour later on the Lower West Side.
Around 4:20 a.m., three armed men targeted a McDonald’s restaurant in the 1600 block of South Blue Island Avenue in Pilsen.
The suspects used the drive-thru window to gain entry into the building, mirroring the tactic used in the Lincoln Park Wendy’s incident.
The group brandished firearms and pulled a cash register from the counter area.
Witnesses observed the men jumping into a black sedan before the vehicle sped away from the location.
Chicago police officers secured the scene on South Blue Island Avenue but made no immediate arrests.
Area Three detectives are handling the Pilsen investigation alongside the Lincoln Park case due to the similarities in the vehicle descriptions and entry methods.
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Local business owners express growing concern regarding the safety of late-night employees working along these commercial corridors.
The Chicago Police Department recommends that overnight retail operations keep drive-thru windows securely locked between transactions.
Security experts suggest that businesses install high-definition security cameras facing both the interior and exterior of drive-thru lanes to capture license plates.
Store managers should also limit the amount of cash available in registers during overnight shifts to reduce the incentive for commercial thefts.
Community members with information regarding the black sedan or the identities of the suspects can submit anonymous tips to CPDTIP.com.
