Armed robbers, including one wielding hammer, target four businesses in three hours overnight

Sun-Times file

At least four businesses were targeted by armed robbers in around three hours late early Tuesday and late Monday across the city, police said.

Most recently about 12:45 a.m., a man entered a business in the 4300 block of South Ashland Avenue in the Back of the Yards and distracted an employee by asking to purchase an item. He then pulled a gun and demanded property from the employee, who complied before fleeing the scene, police said.

Around 10 p.m. two gunmen entered a business in the 4500 block of North Kedzie Avenue in Albany Park, demanded cash then fled the scene.

Another Albany Park business was targeted around 10:30 p.m. when two gunmen demanded proceeds in the 3300 block of West Lawrence Avenue. A security guard opened a back door and scared them off, police said.

The first robbery happened around 9:45 p.m. in the 100 block of South Halsted Street in Greektown when man wielding a steel hammer entered a business and threatened to beat a staffer with it before taking things from the store, police said.

No one is in custody for any of the incidents and detectives are investigating.