City officials have reported that police successfully located one of the vehicles linked to a series of sexual assaults on the North Side. This development was made possible by surveillance footage.
Now, they are working with local bars and rideshare companies to keep festivalgoers safe ahead of Lollapalooza.
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On Monday, the authorities revealed that the Chicago Police Department has gained new information and leads in a case involving a man who pretended to be a rideshare driver and subsequently sexually assaulted female passengers.
Public Safety Committee Chairperson and 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins stated, “Despite the use of stolen plates, we have managed to follow some leads based on the video evidence available to us.”
Chicago police said so far, they have heard of two incidents within the past few months with similar circumstances.
In each incident, a man posing as a rideshare driver picked up female victims and later sexually assaulted them.
Police say the man drove a mid-sized black SUV, which was not the vehicle ordered by either victims on their rideshare apps.
The most recent incident happened along a busy stretch of North Wells Street near North Avenue in the Old Town neighborhood on July 19 just after 2 a.m.
The first reported case happened back on March 30 at about 5 a.m. along a residential area on North Lake Shore Drive near Cedar Street in the Gold Coast neighborhood.
The suspect is described as a man between 35 to 45 years old with a heavy build.
Hopkins said that offenders, in cases like these, call out to passengers who appear to be looking for an Uber.
“If any driver calls out to you, they’re not your Uber. The rideshare driver are instructed to not do that. They want the customer to approach them. Not the other way around,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins says the city is extending its outreach and working with bars and restaurants in the area to keep rideshare passengers on high alert.
“They are helping us identify some of these repeat offenders too. They know who to look for at night when the bars close and all the guests are waiting on Division for their rideshares. That’s when these crimes typically occur,” Hopkins said.
Looking ahead to Lollapalooza, Hopkins said, the city is coordinating with rideshare companies to create designated pick up and drop-off zones.
“There’s a geofence that will be in place, so all the rideshare companies know where they can go and where they can’t go during Lollapalooza. It’s only the illegal operators that won’t have that information,” Hopkins said.
Police say these incidents are good reminders for rideshare passengers to verify the license plates and make and model of the vehicle they ordered.
It is also good idea to share that ride share information or location with either family or friends.
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