An organized burglary crew forced their way into three Lakeview businesses overnight to steal ATMs and merchandise, according to Chicago police. The heists all went down within 15 minutes. The burglaries may be connected to a series of similar crimes that have been reported during overnight hours across the city in recent weeks.
Around 2:10 a.m., five or six men used an object to break the front glass door of Around the World Tobacco, 1044 West Belmont. The crew took the store’s ATM and placed it in the back of a large white SUV. They then fled the area in the SUV and two other vehicles, one of which was a black Chrysler 300, according to a witness.
Another witness reported seeing two of the vehicle run into each other near Clark and Belmont as they sped from the scene. But the fender bender didn’t stop the thieves from completing their appointed rounds.
Next stop? Gold Crown Liquors at 3433 North Sheffield in Wrigleyville. Police said the men went through the same routine there. The thieves helped themselves to cigarettes and booze in addition to the cash machine, according to police.
And at 2:20 a.m., the men broke the glass door at North End bar, 3733 North Halsted, They removed the ATM, shoved it into their Chrysler 300, and sped away.
At least two of this morning’s break-ins were captured on surveillance video. The burglars were described as black males in their late teens or 20’s
