Armed robbers raided three businesses in 30 minutes overnight: Police

Three stores were hit by armed robbers within a half-hour on Tuesday evening in Bucktown, Back of the Yards and Pilsen, police said.

The robberies followed a similar pattern: According to Chicago police, three men entered the stores with handguns and demanded property from employees or customers.

The first robbery occurred in the 1800 block of West 47th Street in Back of the Yards around 9:50 p.m. The gunmen demanded property from employees, stole money from the cash register and fled the scene, police said.

About 20 minutes later, a business in the 1100 block of West 18th Street in Pilsen was similarly attacked. Three gunmen demanded property from employees and customers inside the business and struck one of the employees in the head with a pistol, police said. The employee refused medical attention and the robbers fled.

Around 10:20 p.m., three men entered a store in the 2000 block of North Damen Avenue in Bucktown, demanded property and took money from the register before leaving the store, police said.

No one is in custody in any of the robberies and the criminal police are investigating.