Thug accused of knocking out multiple victims in violent robberies in downtown Chicago



A male is accused of knocking multiple victims amid violent robberies in downtown Chicago last summer.

Michael Seawood, 24, of East Chicago, Indiana, is charged with robbery, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, and aggravated battery in a public place, CWB Chicago reported.

The victim was struck in the back of the head and knocked to the ground, after which Seawood and his accomplices allegedly took his phone, wallet, and other items, the outlet noted, citing prosecutors.

Seawood and at least one accomplice attacked a 52-year-old around 2:30 a.m. July 6 in the 400 block of North Lower Michigan Avenue, the outlet said, citing prosecutors. During the attack, the victim fell to the ground motionless and suffered a broken jaw that required surgery to have plates installed, the outlet added.

What's more, a 28-year-old man visiting from Las Vegas tried to intervene in the attack, but prosecutors said Seawood allegedly punched him and knocked him to the ground where he also was motionless, CWB Chicago reported.

While the two victims were incapacitated, Seawood & Co. allegedly went through their pockets and took cash and phones before leaving the area, the outlet said.

On Aug. 1, Seawood and multiple accomplices allegedly attacked a 29-year-old man in the 100 block of East Illinois Street in the Streeterville neighborhood, CWB Chicago said. The victim was struck in the back of the head and knocked to the ground, after which Seawood and his accomplices allegedly took his phone, wallet, and other items, the outlet noted, citing prosecutors.

RELATED: Chicago thug accused of randomly punching mother of 11 in face, knocking her out on downtown street — and White House reacts

Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune

On Aug. 2, Seawood and two accomplices allegedly attacked and robbed two brothers, ages 19 and 22, near the corner of Michigan Avenue and Lake Street in the Loop, CWB Chicago reported.

The two victims were walking south on Michigan Avenue when Seawood allegedly punched the younger brother in the face, after which the victim fell to the ground and briefly lost consciousness, the outlet said. When he regained consciousness, the victim saw Seawood and two other men going through his pockets and stealing his wallet, the outlet said, citing prosecutors.

The older brother told police one of the attackers hit him and knocked him to the ground as well, but he wasn’t sure which one attacked him, CWB Chicago said. Once the older brother was on the ground, Seawood & Co. allegedly went through his pockets and took his phone, cash, and cards, the outlet added.

Three Chicago police officers subsequently recognized Seawood as one of the violent robbers, prosecutors told CWB Chicago.

Judge John Hock ordered Seawood detained pending trial, CWB Chicago said.

Cook County Jail records indicate Seawood was booked Sunday on no bond; his next court date is Jan. 20.

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Fiancée of Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has $40,000 of luxury items stolen in latest NFL-related robbery



The fiancée of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was the latest victim in a string of robberies related to NFL players and their spouses.

Sarah Jane Ramos, mother of Prescott's 10-month-old daughter, was on her way to a Pilates class the day after Christmas and reportedly left her vehicle unlocked before her goods were stolen.

Ramos "quickly rushed inside due to the rain," a police report stated, per WFAA. "Due to the haste," Ramos "forgot to lock her [vehicle] door."

When Ramos returned to her vehicle, she realized that many "designer handbags and wallets" were stolen. Brands reportedly included Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Yves Saint Laurent.

Other items included "computer software and cash," totaling an estimated $40,000.

'These groups appear to exploit team schedules ...'

Other NFL players have reported robberies of their homes, included Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, whose house was burglarized while he played in a "Monday Night Football" game.

"So obviously everybody has heard what has happened," Burrow said during a media briefing. "I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one, and way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share. So that's all I got to say about that."

A 23-year-old Sports Illustrated model named Olivia Ponton and her mother called the police after Ponton arrived at Burrow's home to notice that a bedroom window had been shattered and a room was ransacked.

"Someone is trying to break into the house right now," Ponton’s mother told police. "My daughter is there. This is Joe Burrow's house. She is staying there. He's at the football game."

Model Olivia Ponton reportedly called police after a robbery at Joe Burrow's house.Photo by TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic

The NFL had issued a warning to its players that a group of "organized and skilled" criminals had been targeting their homes.

"The homes of professional athletes across multiple sports leagues have become increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups," the memo posted on X stated. "Law enforcement officials have noted these groups appear to exploit team schedules to target athletes' homes on game days."

A source familiar with the situation also described the criminals as "a transnational crime ring."

In late November, Kansas City law enforcement officials said the homes of Kansas City Chiefs players Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes were robbed on consecutive days. WDAF-TV reported that about $20,000 was stolen from Kelce, while the amount taken from Mahomes was unknown.

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Mob pulls off 3 smash-and-grab robberies in 20 minutes at LA 7-Elevens — on same day Newsom signs bills fighting same crimes



A mob of about 20 individuals pulled off three smash-and-grab robberies in 20 minutes Friday night at Hollywood 7-Elevens — the same day Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed bills into law that are said to combat such crimes, KNBC-TV reported.

The crooks fled on bicycles from the stores, which are within a two-mile radius of each other, the station said.

The station also rolled surveillance video of a similar smash-and-grab by a mob of teenagers at another area 7-Eleven the previous week.

The first store on 7040 West Sunset Blvd. was robbed just after 8 p.m., KNBC said, adding that the business was left with a broken window.

The second store near Hollywood and Highland was robbed at 8:16 p.m., the station said, adding that the crooks assaulted an employee.

The third store at 5700 Santa Monica Boulevard was robbed at 8:22 p.m., KNBC said.

More from the station:

The string of robberies took place on the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bipartisan package of 10 bills that aims to crack down on smash-and-grab robberies and property crimes, making it easier to go after repeat shoplifters and auto thieves and increase penalties for those running professional reselling schemes.

The station also rolled surveillance video of a similar smash-and-grab by a mob of teenagers at another area 7-Eleven the previous week.

It's worth noting that a mob of about 30 teenagers on bicycles were caught on video brutally beating up and robbing a lone man in downtown Los Angeles earlier this month. The victim suffered a broken leg — which will require surgery — as well as deep cuts all over his body after getting kicked and punched while on the ground.

How are observers reacting?

Over 150 comments were logged under the KNBC YouTube video report — and as you might expect, they weren't happy:

  • "Parent is like, 'Bring me home some chips & cigarettes sweetie. Have fun,'" one commenter noted sarcastically.
  • "How sad is an entire state [that has] been taken over by teenagers?!?!" another commenter opined.
  • "Stop calling them people. People don't act this way," another commenter stated. "Clearly this is some other species."
  • "Only bookstores are safe in California," another commenter quipped.

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Gangs of illegal immigrants from South America are committing burglaries on upscale homes in Michigan



"Transnational gangs" from South America are committing high-end burglaries on upscale homes in Michigan, according to law enforcement.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard is sounding the alarm over a rash of burglaries targeting luxurious homes. Bouchard is warning local residents to secure their houses because illegal immigrants are committing home invasions to steal high-end goods.

The sheriff said the burglars are stealing jewelry, precious metals, high-end watches, expensive purses, electronics, money, and safes. Bouchard said the robberies have totaled more than $1 million.

"They typically hit homes from 5 to 9 p.m., they seem to want houses where nobody's home, and they usually come in through windows in the back," he explained.

"They do a lot of surveillance, we believe, before they commit a crime," Bouchard continued. "Usually, it's two or three people working together, with one of them stationed outside as a driver."

"They're focused on the target, not on the community," Bouchard added. "They don't recognize jurisdictions or borders of a country, a state or a county."

Sheriff Bouchard noted that the suspects are illegal immigrants from South America.

"These are transnational gangs that are involved in this that come from South America, looking to do burglaries and violate our communities, not just in Oakland County but across America," Bouchard said on Friday. "It's criminality at its organized crime best in terms of that's how it functions. They work together, and they're here for a specific purpose."

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Custom Enforcement says transnational gangs "strike fear into our local neighborhoods, commit violent crimes against our citizens and facilitate criminal activity such as narcotics and firearms trafficking, sex trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and corruption."

— (@)

Bouchard believes the suspects are illegal immigrants from Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela.

The sheriff said the criminals illegally enter the U.S. by crossing the southern border or by manipulating the Visa Waiver Program. He added that the suspects purchase fake identification.

The sheriff blamed the Biden administration for not securing the U.S. southern border.

"American’s are getting crushed," Bouchard declared. "With fentanyl, human trafficking, terrorist activity that is a ticking time bomb in my opinion. And obviously, transnational gangs that are now attacking communities in Oakland County."

Bouchard demanded, "Secure the border, fix the immigration system, do your damn job."

"Border security for everybody is critically important," Bouchard stated.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is working with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to catch the perpetrators.

Bourchard advised homeowners, "If you see something, say something."

International crime ring suspected in burglaries of luxury homes across Oakland County www.youtube.com

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Video shows San Francisco smash-and-snatch thieves go on spree of systematic thefts from vehicles



Viral video captured the moment a team of thieves executed a spree of systematic smash-and-sntach thefts from vehicles in San Francisco, California.

Brazen Bay area burglars boldly began a barrage of break-ins during broad daylight despite bystanders nearby. The systematic smash-and-grab robberies were caught on video by a car following the mobile crime spree.

Video shows a white Lexus sedan pulling next to parked cars in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf tourist area. A man wearing a black ski mask is seen getting out of the Lexus, then peering into the windows of parked cars to see if there are any valuables. If the thief saw something of interest, he would bust open the window and steal the valuables. Then the Lexus is off to the next vehicle to burglarize.

Since it is a tourist area, the thief is seen stealing bags and luggage likely belonging to travelers visiting the area.

KTVU crime reporter Henry K. Lee wrote on Twitter, "These guys in Lexus bipped cars all over SF’s Fisherman’s Wharf, one by one."

Lee noted that one of the cars that was burglarized "actually had someone sitting in the back seat of the blue SUV," adding that the person in the vehicle screamed as the robbery took place.

The San Francisco Standard defines bipping as: "That's slang for breaking into a car and looting it of any valuables — which, if the car owner is lucky, they might see again being resold on a street corner."

San Francisco Police Lt.Tracy McCray told the New York Post, "It's called 'bipping and boosting.' It really exploded during the pandemic so much so that someone told me that the sidewalks are glistening and sparkling [with glass from windows] where cars are broken into left and right."

In the past 30 days, robberies have jumped 26% compared to the previous year, according to data tracked by the San Francisco Police Department.

There have been nearly 1,670 car break-ins in the past 30 days in San Francisco, according to police statistics. So far this year, there have been almost 10,000 thefts from vehicles in San Francisco.

Tourist areas such as North Beach, Japantown, and Presidio have the highest rate of car break-ins per 10,000 residents.

As TheBlaze reported last week, some federal employees working at the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building in San Francisco were instructed to work from home "for the foreseeable future" because of the city's concerning crime crisis.

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Chicago Smash and Grab | Crime Rates On the Rise
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Chicago Smash and Grab | Crime Rates On the Rise

Man who faces 95 years in jail for hate crime robberies targeted Asian women daily, held prejudiced belief that they don't have bank accounts: Court documents



San Jose police recently made six arrests for related hate crime robberies and attacks against Asian American women — but what the primary suspect admitted stunned prosecutors, KGO-TV reported.

What are the details?

Anthony Robinson — who faces up to 95 years in jail — targeted multiple Asian women daily, the station said, and court documents show he deliberately targeted Asian victims based on his prejudiced assumption that they don't believe in bank accounts.

I was told by the SCC DA\u2019s office Anthony Robinson targeted multiple Asian women DAILY. \n\nHe\u2019s wake up, find someone to help target Asians b/c he believed \u201cthey did not believe in bank accounts\u2026.& they were easy victims.\u201d #StopAsianHate #StopAAPIHate \n\nhttps://abc7ne.ws/30y46bY\u00a0pic.twitter.com/CX1eD4xLn4
— Dion Lim (@Dion Lim) 1639710336

"The callousness of these crimes we could not get past ... you can dehumanize the population literally by treating them as storefronts instead of people," Supervising Deputy District Attorney of Santa Clara County Marisa McKeown told KGO.

Authorities said Robinson, 24, and the other five suspects worked together on more than 70 incidents of robbery, theft, and burglary from October 2020 to September 2021, the San Jose Mercury News said.

The Mercury News reported that, along with Robinson who hails from Stockton, the police released the names of the other suspects: 27-year-old Cameron Alonzo Moody of East Palo Alto, 23-year-old Derje Damond Blanks of San Jose, 24-year-old Hassani Burleson Ramsey of Oakland, 21-year-old Clarence Jackson of East Palo Alto, and 21-year-old Malik Short of Tracy.

All six men were also charged with hate crime enhancements by the county D.A.'s office, the paper added.

McKeown also explained to KGO why three of the men — Short, Ramsey, and Blanks — were released from custody: "Not every member of this criminal group had an equal role. So Anthony Robinson quite clearly was engaged in a voluminous number of incidents, but some other individuals who were involved may have participated in only one or a few incidents, and therefore they stand in very different shoes in terms of the charging decision."

Anything else?

The station said that additional charges for all six men will soon be announced, and McKeown said the investigation is far from complete, noting dozens more unsolved incidents.