Crime & Safety

Another Woman Choked in Oak Park Robbery

Attack takes place in backyard of South Harvey Avenue home.

An Oak Park woman reported to police she was choked and robbed, the latest in a series of similar, troubling attacks.

The incident took place around 11:50 p.m. Tuesday in the back yard of a home in the 200 block of South Harvey Avenue, police said.

According to a police report, the man entered the home's back yard, approached the woman from behind and "grabbed her around the neck." After a struggle, the man made off with the victim's toiletry bag. The loss is estimated at $40.

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Police were hesitant to say whether or not Tuesday's attack is related to a trio of similar, recent incidents in Oak Park, but they did say in a news release issued Wednesday morning "the similarities suggest" the same man could be responsible for all four.

In each incident, victims described the suspect as a black male in his 20s, about 5 feet 10 to 6 feet tall.

Find out what's happening in Oak Park-River Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In the first three attacks, the man was said to be wearing a light-colored jacket with a black knit cap. In Tuesday's incident, the man was described as having short hair and was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.

Unlike the first three robberies, police said the attacker stayed silent during Tuesdays' incident. He'd previously told victims he was just wanted to take their money.

The attacks have prompted police to pledge to beef up their patrols and issue They've also of the attacker, compiled from a description offered to police by the victim in an April 4 robbery.

Meanwhile, police in Oak Park are reminding residents that they can call (708) 386-3800 for an escort home, particularly if arriving home late at night.


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