Moment an armed thief follows woman into a building and attacks her before stealing her car

Chicago police are searching for an armed thief they say attacked a woman and stole her car.

Surveillance footage caught the moment the unidentified suspect, in a red jacket with dark pants, followed a woman into a building on September 24 at 7.30pm.

He soon approaches an alcove, where the woman appears to be hiding out, and seems to yell at her.

Moments later, the man, whom Chicago police say was 'armed with an object,' appears to push the female victim, in a black-and-white checkered jacket and ripped jeans.

She tries to push him back, but he grabs onto her arms and pushes her down before apparently grabbing something out of her hands and fleeing the scene onto West Monroe Street in the city's West Loop neighborhood.

Authorities say the unidentified suspect made off with the woman's car keys and stole her vehicle. 

They are asking anyone with information to contact Area 3 Detective Harris at (312) 744 - 8261.

The theft comes as crime in the Windy City skyrockets continues to spiral out of control, even as Mayor Lori Lightfoot proposes giving herself a 5 percent salary increase.

Surveillance footage caught the moment a man in a red jacket followed a woman in a black-and-white checkered jacket into a building on September 24

The unidentified suspect was seen wearing a red jacket and dark pants. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call (312) 744 - 8261.

The suspect grabbed the woman by the arms and forced her to the ground

Police say he was able to get away with the woman's car keys before fleeing

Chicago police have reported that the city's crime rate is now up 40 percent from the same period as last year.

While aggravated battery reports fell 8 percent, from 5,586 during the same time period last year to 5,159 so far this year, there has been a significant increase in theft and motor vehicle theft complaints.

Motor vehicle thefts are now up a whopping 90 percent from last year, according to Chicago Police Department statistics, while reports of thefts spiked 60 percent so far this year.

At the same time, the city's murder rate is up 16 percent.

Just a few weeks ago. the city reported that 51 people were shot across the city in just one weekend. Of the victims, about 11 died from the 43 shooting incidents and about nine were juveniles — including a 14-year-old boy who was playing on a playground.

More recently, a seven-year-old boy died after being shot by a stray bullet on the West Side of Chicago.

He had been in the bathroom when a wayward bullet made its way into his home on West Potomac Avenue and struck him in the stomach.

The child had been rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries.

And a beloved high school baseball umpire was shot and killed at the end of October after asking his neighbors to keep quiet as he had work the next morning.

Carlos Rivera, 50, was shot in the second-floor apartment building on North Whipple Street on October 22 when going to see his neighbors, ABC 7 reports.  

Police said the man had reported a loud disturbance that was keeping him up, and Rivera was shot in the face and body when stepping out of his apartment. 

He was rushed to the Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he died. 

Carlos Rivera, 50, a Chicago High School baseball umpire, was shot and killed outside his apartment building after telling his neighbors to keep quiet 

A seven-year-old boy died after being shot by a stray bullet while washing his hands in his home on the West Side of Chicago. Officers are pictured outside the home in Humboldt Park

But Democrat Mayor Lori Lightfoot had been elected in May 2019 on a platform to tackle the city's worsening crime rates. 

Soon after taking office, though, she proposed slashing $59million from the Chicago Police Department's budge, including cutting 600 vacant positions amid 'defund the police' protests in the summer of 2020.

Lightfoot has since denounced the 'defund the police' movement, but Chicago's police union has since issued a vote of 'no confidence' in the mayor. 

Still, she proposed last month giving herself an annual pay increase to reflect the rate of inflation.

The mayor currently takes home an annual salary of $209,915. Under her proposal, that would increase to $216,210 starting May 22.

It could then increase even further, up to 5 percent each year. The ordinance does not stipulate that a mayor could opt-out of the pay rise.

'To be clear, the ordinance that was introduced today would put the mayor, the city treasurer, and the clerk in line with all the other elected officials regarding a cost of living increase,' Lightfoot said.

'It's not a salary increase, I want to make sure that's clear, and it puts us in line with the aldermen. It would not go in effect until 2024 at that point, and each member, the mayor, the clerk, and the treasurer would have the ability to opt in or opt out,' she said.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot proposed last month giving herself an annual salary increase to reflect the rate of inflation. She is pictured here in September

Lightfoot is now set to face eight challengers in her race for re-election next year, as many progressives line up to challenge her on the left.

The mayor has lost support from many progressives in the Windy City, the Chicago Tribune reports, after she fought with left-leaning groups over the Chicago police budget and criticized criminal justice reform.

At the same time, Lightfoot will also face off against businessman Willie Wilson, Southwest side Ald. Raymond Lopez and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas on the right.