Sun Times article here
State Rep. Annazette Collins robbed at gunpoint on South Side
An Illinois House member from Chicago’s West Side was robbed at gunpoint Sunday night while she and her sister were in front of their mother’s home in the South Shore neighborhood on the South Side.
Rep. Annazette Collins (D-Chicago) was not injured after the robbery in which her assailant grabbed her and held a gun to her head as he took her purse.
“He just politely took my purse, then he asked for the phone. He said he was sorry, that he didn’t want to do this, but he had no choice,” Collins said.
At about 8 p.m., Collins, a Chicago Democrat, was with her sister and walking to the home of their mother near the intersection of East 61st Street and South Woodlawn Avenue when a gunman wearing a black ski mask and black skull cap approached on foot, according to police.
The gunman followed the two women into an unsecured courtyard, displayed a silver revolver and said, “Don’t look at me. Give me your purse. Don’t look at me.” He then fled the scene with Collins’ purse, police said.
“He was really calm himself. He was apologetic so I felt at peace because I figured he didn’t want to hurt anyone,” Collins said when asked what was going through her head as a gun was held against it.
The courtyard was unsecured because of a glitch in the system from the new 872 area code that requires 11-digit dialing in the city of Chicago, police said.
The two women were not hurt and the gun was not fired, according to police.
The male attacker was described as either a teenager or in his early 20s, about 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds. Police said they were investigating whether he lives in the neighborhood and had targeted the politician. Police had no suspects in custody Monday afternoon.
The purse was later found at East 61st and South Kimbark Avenue, one block east of the attack, and investigators were going to be checking it for fingerprints.
Collins’ Blackberry device, Sony camera and $40 in cash were missing, police said. Collins’ sister was not hurt and her purse was not stolen, according to police.
On two previous occasions as a younger woman, Collins said she had a gun held to her head. If the attacker in this latest encounter is caught, the five-term lawmaker said she has one question for him.
“I do believe there are consequences for your actions,” Collins said, “but I want to know what we have done as a community to fail him.”
Contributing: Sun-Times Media
