Recent violent robberies in Colorado Springs on Dipity.
At least nine robberies since the beginning of June in southeast Colorado Springs could be the work of a pack of thieves violently attacking lone pedestrians at night and people getting out of cars, police said.
Police spokesman Sgt. Steve Noblitt could not confirm that any of the robberies are related, but said police have noticed a disturbing trend.
“We definitely think we have a situation where we have people committing multiple robberies,” he said Wednesday.
Handguns were used in seven of the robberies and shots were fired in three, according to police reports online. One of the victims was wounded and another told police he “felt the shock wave from the bullet as it passed by.”
The most recent robbery was the first to target someone in a vehicle.
Early Tuesday, two people pulling into the parking lot at the Windmill Apartments, 4165 Lacy Lane, were stopped by a maroon car that pulled in front of them. Five black men got out of the car, surrounded the vehicle, and took money from the driver and passenger after beating them.
There have been eight other similar robberies in the area in the past six weeks, according to accounts on the online police blotter.
In each of them, two to five black men approach strangers walking on the street, standing in a driveway or in a park at dusk or at night. In some, a white or Hispanic man has been involved.
No arrests have been made and Noblitt said police have been hampered by vague descriptions provided by victims.
“The reality is that people are probably very traumatized,” Noblitt said.
Noblitt said investigators would be helped if victims could provide descriptions of identifying marks such as tattoos, piercings or tattoos that can’t easily be changed like clothing.
The violence has left some residents wary of going out, especially alone.
Charles White, who lives in the Windmill Apartments, said his wife is afraid to leave their home without him.
“She hates it,” White said.
Overall, robberies throughout the city are only up slightly this year.
Through July 10, robberies of businesses, houses and people were up 5.45 percent from the same time last year, from 275 to 290.
Noblitt said police have assigned “additional resources” to investigate the robberies, but declined to say if more detectives are working on the cases or if more officers are patrolling the area.
Knowing the thieves are still out there makes Angelina Diaz, who also lives in the Windmill Apartments, nervous.
“I just really don’t feel that safe around here,” Diaz said.
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