A man was walking near the 300 block of N. State Nov. 16 at 1:57 a.m. when three men approached from behind. One of the men asked, “Where’s your wallet?” and displayed a knife. The victim said he didn’t have a wallet but asked if the robbers wanted money. The offender then took $50 from the victim and pointed to his pocket saying, “What’s that in your pocket?” The victim said it was an iPhone and pulled it out of his pocket. The offender took the phone and then all three men fled. Police arrived, but did not locate the offenders.

A man was looking for a bathroom near a parking lot close to the 1400 block of N. Sedgwick at 3:09 p.m. Nov. 12 when a man in a black skull cap and a brown button-up shirt approached and said that the man could use the bathroom in a building nearby. The man in the skull cap then escorted the man in to a nearby hallway where two other men were waiting. One of the men pulled out a black handgun and said, “Don’t move,” and then added, “Lay your bitch ass on the ground.” The victim got down on the floor while the offender placed the gun on his back and demanded money. The men searched through the victim’s clothes and took $40. They tried to get the victim to lure his female companion who was still in the parking lot in to the hallway via her cellular phone. As they stepped out of the building, nearby witnesses flagged down police and the offenders fled. Police did not locate the offenders, but the victim said he overheard the men talking and thinks one of them lives in Rogers Park near Howard Street.

A man parked his 2008 Chevy in the 800 block of N. Hudson Nov. 10 at 4:30 p.m. When he returned two hours later he noticed the passenger side door of the van was broken and $400 worth of tools were missing.

An employee came to work at a bank located in the 800 block of N. State Nov. 10 at 3:30 p.m. and found the front door shattered. Police spoke to witnesses who said they saw a man punch the glass and flee south on State. Police did not locate the offender.

Police arrived at a mall located in the 800 block of N. Michigan Nov. 11 at 1:51 a.m. and found smoke emanating from an escalator, filling the building. They called the Chicago Fire Department, who arrived and put out the blaze. The fire originated from an escalator motor on the second floor. There was no major damage to any of the nearby retail stores.

A man said he heard a noise coming from the second floor in his building in the 600 block of N. Wells Nov. 11 at 8:45 p.m. He went to investigate and found his neighbor standing and holding a knife. The man called police. They arrived, arrested the neighbor and transported him to the 18th District police station for processing. The neighbor allegedly has been hospitalized with metal illness in the past.

A man returned to his business in the 900 block of N. Michigan Nov. 13 at 9:40 a.m. and found a safe valued at $800 and containing $275 missing. The man also found a $100 gift card missing. There were no signs of forced entry. Police dusted for fingerprints and requested surveillance video from the premises.

A man said he was “making love to a woman” in an apartment in the 800 block N. Cleveland Nov. 15 at 8:45 a.m. Shortly thereafter, he left the apartment and four men approached him, asked him for money, and started beating him in the head and back with a wooden club. The offenders fled and the man suspected the woman he’d been cavorting with might be involved in the incident. He returned to her apartment only to find it vacant. Police investigated, confirmed the apartment was vacant and found no signs of struggle. They took the victim to Northwestern Hospital and toured the area, but did not find any offenders.