Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
A ride-share driver carjacked at gunpoint Sunday by his passenger in Wicker Park said carjackings have “gotten out of hand.”
Police said he was carjacked in the 1700 block of West Lemoyne Street by a rider who took out a gun and stole his car.
“It’s as easy as stealing candy from a kid just pointing a gun to someone’s head and taking their car,” Allen Suchkou said. “Something has to get done.”
Police warned residents in the neighborhood of six other carjackings targeting ride-share drivers since late December.
Supt. David Brown announced a series of measures Thursday aimed to slow the surge in carjackings across the city.
-2000 block of West St. Paul Avenue on Dec. 28 at 1:50 a.m.
-2000 block of West Division Street on Jan. 9 at 11:15 a.m.
-1400 block of North Maplewood Avenue on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m.
-1400 block of North Leavitt Street on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
-2100 block of West Charleston Street on Jan. 16 at 10:35 p.m.
-1700 block of West Lemoyne Street on Jan. 17 at 3:53 a.m.
Officials are urging residents of the neighborhood to be on the alert for any suspicious subjects loitering in the area, and to make sure that existing surveillance cameras are functioning properly.
Anyone with information on any of the thefts is urged to call 911.