Robber Targets Deaf-Mute Man; Driver Rapes, Robs Woman

The following reports are based on police reports from Chicago's 19th Police District.

The district provides police protection on Chicago's north side, from Lawrence Avenue on the north, Fullerton Avenue on the south, the Chicago River on the west and Lake Michigan on the east. 

TUESDAY, JAN. 1

Driver Rapes, Robs Woman on Diversey

A 21-year-old Edgewater woman was raped and robbed at 6 a.m. on New Year’s Day after reportedly getting into the car of a stranger who promised her a ride home.

The woman told police she got into the sport utility vehicle near the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Diversey Parkway, according to the report. That’s when he drove to an unknown residential area, parked and told her to get in the back seat.

The woman told police the man locked the doors, joined her in the back seat and raped her, said the report. He later drove her to another unfamiliar area, grabbed her iPhone and kicked her out of the vehicle, police said. She was taken to Swedish Covenant Hospital in Lincoln Square where a rape kit was used to gather evidence. Health officials determined that she was not intoxicated during the incident.

MONDAY, DEC. 31

Tenant Robbed at Gunpoint While Entering Apartment

Police were called to the 700 block of West Cornelia Avenue in East Lake View at 3:20 a.m. after two men, believed to be 25-to 35-years-old, reportedly robbed a man at gunpoint. According to the police report, the 26-year-old victim was entering his apartment when two men pushed him into his apartment and said, “I have a gun.” Fearing for his safety, the man gave them $40 while one of the suspects snatched his iPhone. Police are still searching for the two men.

TUESDAY, JAN. 1

Drunken Woman Beaten With 2-by-4 at Hotel Chateau

Police were called to Hotel Chateau at 9 p.m. New Year’s Day when a resident walked into another's apartment, picked up a wooden 2-by-4 and used it to hit a woman, according to the report. The 49-year-old victim, who was reportedly intoxicated during the incident, told police she was in her apartment with the door open when a man from another floor walked in and started a verbal fight with her.

The fight escalated, so the man picked up the piece of wood and cracked her in the arm. Police said she may have had a broken arm. The woman was transferred to Thorek Medical Center for treatment. Authorities weren't able to find the 2-by-4 or the assailant. However, they said they know the man's identity.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 2

Teens Rob Lake View Man

Police were called to a robbery in the 1100 block of West Wellington Avenue around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday when three men who police said were 17-to 19-years-old reportedly committed a robbery. The teens came up behind the 29-year-old man repeatedly saying, “Let me use your phone, let me see it,” police wrote, in the report.

The victim told them, “I do not have my phone. It’s a radio,” according to the report. That’s when the suspects started pulling on the man’s bag and hitting him in the back of the head, police said. They reportedly snagged the bag from around the victim's neck and took off.

MONDAY, DEC. 31

Con Man Steals Thousands From 86-Year-Old

An 86-year-old Lincoln Square woman called police at 4 p.m. New Year’s Eve when a phone conversation with a man who claimed to be her second cousin made her feel like “something wasn’t right.”

It turns out, she was right, as the man successfully conned her out of thousands of dollars.

• Check out the full story here on Lincoln Square Patch.

TUESDAY, JAN. 1

Robber Targets Deaf-Mute Man

Two men robbed at gunpoint a 45-year-old man who was deaf and mute around 7:50 a.m. Jan. 1 near the corner of North Broadway and West Montrose Avenue. After the attack, the man drove to the 19th District Police Station to file a report.

The robbers, believed to be 20-to 25-years-old, came up behind the victim, police said. One suspect put the man in a headlock, pointing a gun at his head while the second suspect stole his wallet, which contained $150.

Mentally Ill Patient Rapes Fellow Patient

Police were dispatched to Wilson Care in Uptown at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday to investigate the criminal sexual assault of a 27-year-old patient and resident, they said. Located at 4544 N. Hazel St., the center is a residential facility for the mentally ill.

According to the police report, the 23-year-old suspect removed the victim's clothes while she was in his room and proceeded to rape her. The woman told police she asked the man to stop and also kicked him, they said. The woman was taken to Weiss Hospital so doctors could test her using a rape kit. The man was not taken into custody due to his mental disability, but when questioned, he told police he didn’t know what the woman was talking about.

FRIDAY, JAN. 4

Gunshot Wounds 17-Year-Old

A 17-year-old girl was shot in the back around 9:20 p.m. in Uptown Friday night while walking in the 4600 block of North Malden Street, police said. The girl was reportedly walking with her friends when they heard gunshots, so they started running. That’s when the teen realized a stray bullet grazed the middle of her back, according to the report. She was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital.

Police reporting to the scene discovered that a silver SUV stopped at the corner of Malden and Wilson around the time of the incident, the report said. They said a man got out and started shooting. However, while a bullet fragment was recovered, police couldn’t find any shell casing or suspects.