Kidnapping Attempts Happened Near Each Other, Minutes Apart: Cops

CHICAGO, IL — Two women escaped separate attempted kidnappings within minutes of one another Sunday and only about a mile apart, according to Chicago police alerts. The first attempted abduction happened at around 7:40 p.m. in the South Loop neighborhood, and the second incident occurred at around 7:55 p.m. in the Pilsen neighborhood. Detectives are investigating whether the two are connected.

According to police, the victim in the first incident — a 62-year-old woman — was in the 200 block of West 19th Street when an unknown suspect parked nearby while she waited on the sidewalk. The suspect then allegedly grabbed the woman from behind and covered her mouth while trying to force her into the car, the police alert stated.

The victim struggled with the suspect and screamed for help before eventually escaping, according to police. The suspect then fled west on 19th Street and south on Wells Street, the alert stated. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Chicago — or your neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

In the second incident, an unknown suspect grabbed the victim — a 29-year-old woman — from behind while she walked in the 1000 block of West 18th Street, according to police. The suspect allegedly punched the woman in the stomach, covered her mouth and then tried to carry her toward a parked car, the police alert stated.

Two witnesses, however, came to the victim's aid after hearing her screams and noticing her fighting off the suspect, police said. As the witnesses approached, the suspect released the victim, ran to the parked vehicle and fled west on 18th Street, according to police.

Descriptions of the suspects in both kidnapping attempts were released by police Monday. In the Pilsen attack, the suspect was described as follows:

• a white or white Hispanic man with no visible tattoos or piercings
• clean shaven with short, dark hair
• between 20 and 30 years old
• around 6-feet to 6-feet-2-inches tall with a thin build

The suspect was seen driving a newer-model, four-door sedan that was either tan or beige. The car had Illinois license plates, and the last four digits of the plates are possibly 7110.

In the South Loop attack, the suspect was described as follows:

• a white or white Hispanic man with a thin build
• short, dark hair
• between 20 and 30 years old
• between 5-feet-7-inches and 6-feet tall

The suspect was seen driving a light-color, newer-model, four-door sedan, but no other vehicle details, including the car's license plate number, were known.

Anyone with any information concerning the attacks should call Area Central detectives at 312-747-8380.

Photo via Shutterstock

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