01 June 2023 , 13:55
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Masked gunmen march up to a terrified family's front door and rob them in a brazen crime caught on camera.
A community alert has been issued across a number of Chicago districts after a spate of armed robberies believed to be by the same suspects.
Police said they are looking for a group of individuals who consistently wear dark clothing, blue gloves and black ski masks as grim footage captured the moment brazen thieves robbed a family in broad daylight.
Vincent Galena Sr was on his way to work on Friday morning last week around 6am when he was suddenly attacked at his home in the city's Hermosa district, his son Vincent Jr said.
"The first guy that was sending closer to the truck - he got the guns pulled out to him, and from there, that's when they started pointing a gun at my dad, and the other guy who was up here on those stairs," Galena Jr. told CBS Chicago.
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Branding his father a hero, Vincent Jr continued, saying his father's wife, sister, nephews and five children were all asleep inside the house during the robbery.
Vincent Galena Sr was on his way to work when he was robbed (Citizen App)
Police are concerned about the same suspects committing armed robberies (Citizen App)He said: "[He was] More worried about if they were going to go inside the house... he was trying to protect the doorway, so he didn't want to come down the stairs.
"In case they try to force their way in there, then he was going to fight back."
The financial impact on the brave dad was significant and he lost the money he needed to buy construction tools needed for a day's work.
He also lost a day's salary.
Police said incidents at a total of 48 addresses are being investigated and the Southwest, West and Northwest Sides of Chicago all now have community alerts.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has attempted to address crime in the city (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP/REX/Shutterstock)Crime in the city remains a problem and this year's Memorial Day weekend saw 12 people killed and 48 wounded. One person was stabbed to death and there were 59 shootings across the city.
It was the most violent Memorial Day weekend in seven years, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced last week that 'peacekeepers' to help with the situation. Around 500 peacekeepers were on duty in 102 points across Chicago.
The city was seeing a decline in shooting and homicides - down by seven per cent from last year - compared 2022 before the weekend.
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Citywide crime, however, has shown dramatic increases from 2019 to 2022.
Research by the Brookings Institute said: "Between 2019 and 2022, there was a 48per cent increase in property crimes in Chicago... For violent crime, there was a five per cent increase."