2 men who arranged dates online were instead kidnapped, beaten: police

Two men who thought they were meeting with women in Kenwood were instead accosted by men in ski masks, beaten and then driven to ATMs and forced to withdraw cash.

Four people were arrested in connection to the Tuesday night kidnappings on the South Side.

About 10 p.m., a 23-year-old man went to meet a woman he had met online in the 4700 block of South Ingleside Avenue, Chicago police said in a statement. She brought him to a basement, where he was attacked by four males.

They punched him in the face and then forced him to drive his car to the 7800 block of South Saginaw Avenue, before taking his cellphone and kicking him out of the car, police said. The males all wore ski masks, and at least one of them was armed with a gun.

He called 911 with a passerby’s phone and went to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition, police said.

A half-hour later, a 21-year-old man went to meet a woman he met online at the same address and was also attacked by four males when he arrived, police said. He was able to briefly escape after being punched.

The males chased him down, flashed weapons and forced him into his car, police said. They forced him to drive to the 6700 block of South Stony Island Avenue, where they made him withdraw money from an ATM, police said.

They drove him a few blocks away and forced him out of the car in the 6700 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue after taking his wallet.

Responding officers saw the stolen car in the 6700 block of South Rhodes Avenue and pulled it over, police said. Four people, including the woman the two men went to meet, were allegedly arrested.

No charges were filed.