A man and a woman were robbed while waiting for the bus on the 800 block of East 51st Street on Saturday, November 26, at 12:45 a.m. The offender jumped out of a white vehicle and engaged the two victims in conversation, then pulled out a handgun and demanded their money. The victims turned over a total of $4, at which point the offender ran back to his vehicle and drove away.
This robbery is one in a series of at least five incidents perpetrated by offenders traveling in a white vehicle. According to the police, the group was also responsible for damaging a number of vehicles and breaking windows of various business establishments that same evening. The police later caught up with the vehicle and took all four offenders into custody, revealing that the handgun used in the robbery was in fact a BB gun.
The individual responsible for the robbery was Romel Johnson, 17, who lives on the 8700 block of South Elizabeth Street. Johnson was charged with two counts of aggravated robbery, and he has a court date on December 2 at branch 48. The other incidents are being investigated further by area one detectives.
A man was critically wounded by gunshots fired by an unknown offender on Cottage Grove Avenue between 52nd and 53rd Streets at 12:26 a.m. on Sunday, November 27. A group of men, including the man who was shot, had been involved in a fight at the time. Police are investigating.
An aggravated robbery occurred on the 5400 block of South Woodlawn Avenue on November 27 at 8:55 p.m. A man was walking alone on the street when he was approached by a male offender. The offender put his arm around the victim and insinuated that he was armed, forcing the victim to turn over his money. The victim turned over $10, and the offender fled westbound on 54th Street after noticing a group of people walking by. The offender is described as a black man between 25 and 30 years of age, 6-foot-2, 160 pounds, with a dark complexion. At the time of the robbery he was wearing a black hoodie, baggy blue jeans, and tan Timberland boots.
