Armed robbers, including one wielding hammer, target four businesses in three hours overnight

At least four businesses were targeted by armed robbers in around three hours late early Tuesday and late Monday across the city, police said.Most recently about 12:45 a.m., a man entered a business in the 4300 block of South Ashland Avenue in the Back of the Yards and distracted an employee by asking to purchase an item. He then pulled a gun and demanded property from the employee, who complied before fleeing the scene, police said. Around 10 p.m. two gunmen entered a business in the 4500 block of North Kedzie Avenue in Albany Park, demanded cash then fled the scene.Another Albany Park business was targeted around 10:30 p.m. when two gunmen demanded proceeds in the 3300 block of West Lawrence Avenue. A security guard opened a back door and scared them off, police said.The first robbery happened around 9:45 p.m. in the 100 block of South Halsted Street in Greektown when man wielding a steel hammer entered a business and threatened to beat a staffer with it before taking things from the store, police said. No one is in custody for any of the incidents and detectives are investigating.