WATCH: Video shows woman getting ambushed by armed robbers in Chicago neighborhood

On Sunday, September 4, 2022, an armed robbery in Lakeview, Chicago was caught in a doorbell video. In surveillance footage, a 45-year-old woman is cornered by a trio of men while walking down the 2900 block of North Seeley, with at least one of them brandishing a firearm.

Her screams fill the minute-long video as she gets attacked and is soon overpowered by the hooded and masked robbers. She can be seen lying on the ground as the men forcefully take her belongings and speed away in a dark sedan.

She could be heard screaming:

"What do you want?"

The men, however, ruthlessly turn a deaf ear to her cries and pleas, and she stays on the ground as the armed men leave with her fanny pack containing her mobile phone, wallet, and house keys, police informed a local media outlet.

Local residents told WGN News that people in the area of the attack came outside to help the defenceless victim. The violent robbery has shook the otherwise quiet and 'safe' Chicago neighbourhood.

Bill Pollard, whose home is just a few blocks from the attack site, couldn't believe that something so heinous could disrupt the community's peaceful living. According to WGN TV, he stated:

"It kind of takes a little bit of the shine off of this bubble that you sometimes feel that you live in, right? You know, kids play in the park, neighbors walking up and down the street and now rather than just walking around, you may have to look over your shoulder every now and then."

There have been no arrests so far, and police are looking for four suspects: the three men seen in the video, as well as a getaway driver.

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Locals worry as armed robbery cases increase exponentially in Chicago

An increase in armed robbery cases has shaken the otherwise safe Chicago neighbourhood. The city has witnessed at least 12 robberies across four districts in the past three weeks, most committed at gunpoint. Commenting on the recent robbery, a resident of the neighborhood told NBC Chicago:

"I want my kid to ride a bike down the street. I want them to be in the front yard without worrying about what’s gonna happen in the middle of the day. It’s not nine at night. This is 3 p.m. Our kids are coming home from school."

At a press conference on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, the Chicago Police Department stated that they suspect a 'crime pattern' among the rampant citywide incidents of armed robberies. Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said:

"These guys come out, they're masked, the have the gators over their faces. As you can see in one video how quickly it happens. But we believe someone knows who these individuals are."

CPD detectives are on the lookout for tips and information on the series of robberies. They are also encouraging more local patrolling.