Chicago police are warning drivers about a series of auto thefts in the Loop just a week after detectives issued a similar warning for the Lakeview neighborhood.
Police said in both alerts that young thieves are stealing vehicles that have been left idling and unattended during evening hours. The two crime sprees have not been linked to the same thieves, however.
Detectives linked six auto thefts over the past month to a pattern in the Loop and South Loop:
- on the 1000 block of South State at 9:25 p.m. April 15
- on the 100 block of North Wabash at 10 p.m. on April 23
- on the first block of North Wells at 6:30 p.m. May 6
- on the 400 block of South Dearborn at 7:45 p.m. May 6
- on the 1200 block of South Canal at 9:48 p.m. May 6
- on the 400 block of South Dearborn at 8:45 p.m. May 8
Anyone with information about the Loop crimes can contact Area 4 investigators at 312-744-8263 regarding pattern P20-3-102.
In Lakeview, at least nine thefts of idling vehicles have been reported within a block of Clark and Belmont since April 21. You can read more information about those incidents in our earlier report.
Anyone with information about the Lakeview cases can contact Area 3 detectives at 312-744-8263 regarding pattern P20-3-094.