There still hasn’t been an alert from Chicago police, but businesses are continuing to experience an unusual number of overnight burglaries in Lakeview and nearby areas. In nearly all of the cases, force has been used to enter the businesses. Cash boxes, register drawers, and merchandise have been taken.
CWBChicago first told you about the unfolding pattern on Sunday. Since then, at least a half-dozen new cases have been reported:
Monday:
• A burglar broke through the wall to steal merchandise from a cellular store in the 900 block of West Montrose around 1:10 a.m.
• Later, managers at two restaurants in the 1500 block of North Clybourn discovered that their businesses had been burglarized and an attempt was made to steal their safes.
• Around 8:45 p.m., a nail salon in the 1700 block of West Diversey was found with its front door smashed open.
Tuesday:
• A nail salon in the 2500 block of West Addison was found burglarized.
• A hair salon in the 600 block of West Belmont was broken into.
Wednesday:
• A dental office in the 3100 block of North Lincoln was burglarized around 3 a.m.
Police are recommending that no cash be left in stores overnight. Safes should be securely bolted to floors and valuable merchandise should be locked securely after closing. Alarm systems and video cameras should be inspected to ensure that they function correctly, officers advised.
Also
Around 4:45 a.m. on Tuesday, a resident of the 3700 block of North Pine Grove found a man breaking into washers and dryers in his building’s laundry room. This is a well-known tactic for common thieves, though laundry room jobs are usually pulled off by a criminal who “specializes” in the craft. Translation: Expect more laundry room break-ins until this guy is either caught or moves along to green pastures.
The suspect on Pine Grove was described as male, black, 40- to 50-years-old, wearing a gray do-rag, a black jacket, and blue jeans.
Reviewing the security of laundry room doors is recommended.
