Univision TV’s news crew is robbed at Chicago’s GUNPOINT while filming stories of a spike in robberies
- The bizarre incident occurred early Monday morning around 4:30 a.m. in the Wicker Park neighborhood, on the 1200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue.
- Three gunmen in ski masks pulled into a black SUV and gray sedan and first demanded money from the couple before stealing two bags of equipment
- The reporter, who did not reveal his identity, called the ordeal “completely ironic”
A Spanish-language Univision TV news crew filming stories about the spike in Chicago robberies was robbed at gunpoint, but miraculously no one was hurt.
The bizarre incident occurred early Monday morning around 4:30 a.m. in the Wicker Park neighborhood, on the 1200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, when a reporter and a photographer were on the street before 5 a.m. about to take a live recording.
Three gunmen in ski masks pulled up in a black SUV and gray sedan and first demanded money from the couple before stealing two bags of equipment, their camera and the photographers’ backpack before fleeing, a police spokesman told The Chicago Sun. Times reported.
The reporter, who declined to reveal his identity and shared that the only stolen item of value was the video camera, called the ordeal “total irony,” according to Chicago book club.
‘As a journalist you never want to be the story, do you? You report on the story, but you never think you can become the story,” he said in part. “That’s why we’re not doing this.”
The reporter said the only stolen thing of value was the crew’s video camera. Although he and the photographer were shaken by the attack, they are both fine, he said.
Pictured: The Wicker Park neighborhood, on the 1200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, where the Monday morning robbery took place
Chicago police have made no arrests in connection with the latest crime, CWB Chicago reported.
The reporter admitted that he and the cameraman were shocked by the event and expressed how important it is for everyone in the community and beyond to remain vigilant at all times.
“So I think it’s another reminder of how important it is to keep telling these stories and keep putting pressure on our local authorities to try and prevent more events like this.”
At the time of the robbery, the two-man crew was parked on Milwaukee Avenue, just north of Ashland Avenue and Division Street.
The reporter added, “This could happen to anyone. So it’s an eye-opener for anyone who works in the news industry that this could happen. It happened to me early in the morning, but I think it could happen literally any time of the day,” he said.
Univision Chicago vice president of news Luis Godinez confirmed Monday that the two robbed men were Univision employees and that they are safe.
He said no injuries were reported and Area 5 detectives are investigating.
Monday’s robbery, first reported by CWB Chicago, is the latest in a crime spree taking place in Chicago’s Wicker Park, Bucktown and West Town areas.
At least thirty people were robbed or carjacked between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, the newspaper reports reported.
Police said hours before the Univision TV crew was robbed, a woman was carjacked in the same block at around 10:15 p.m. Sunday.
There have been at least 164 robberies in the Wicker Park, West Town, and Logan Square areas since early 2023. That number is up from 126 in 2022 and 94 in 2021, according to CWB.
A Chicago TV news videographer was called on August 8 at te West Side in the 2800 block area of West Monroe, a report said.
EThe 45-year-old victim was approached by two men who asked him for money. The man was not injured in the attack, a police spokesman said.
Authorities classified the incident as an “attempted strong-armed robbery, robbery, simple battery and criminal damage to a vehicle.”