Two men are charged with burglarizing three businesses during an overnight crime spree Wednesday that targeted cash register drawers and ATMs. Prosecutors said police caught up with the duo by following a hidden GPS tracker on one of the stolen cash machines.
CWBChicago told you about the arrests and how cops tracked the suspects down in an exclusive report Wednesday night.
“There’s an ATM taken from the business. The ATM is located at the scene of the arrest. Those things aren’t mobile,” Judge David Navarro noted after hearing the state’s allegations.
During a bond court hearing Friday, prosecutors accused Kenneth Maxey, 25, and Tyshawn Jones, 22, of breaking into businesses on the 1100 block of South Michigan, the 1600 block of South Michigan, and the 2200 block of South Michigan while using an SUV that was stolen from a car rental agency near O’Hare earlier in the morning.
But the ATM they took from OMG Spa, 1620 South Michigan, contained a hidden GPS device that helped police track it to the 1800 block of South Lawndale less than two hours after the break-in.
Cops found the stolen SUV in an alley near the home and rolls of ATM receipt tape along with large bolts used to secure cash machines strewn about the back yard, according to a CPD report and prosecutors.
Around 8 a.m., Jones jumped out of a window of the home and ran, prosecutors said. Cops who chased him down found a Chase Bank money bag and a roll of ATM receipt paper nearby. He was allegedly carrying $460 cash when police arrested him.
Maxey also ran from the home prosecutors said. Cops chased him for three blocks before taking him into custody. They said he was carrying $5,700 cash.
Both men were wearing the same clothing that the burglars are seen wearing on surveillance videos of the break-ins, prosecutors said.
Judge Navarro set bail for each man at $100,000. They will need to post $10,000 deposit bonds to get out of jail before trial.
At least four other businesses were burglarized early Wednesday by men who targeted cash registers and ATMs while getting around in a white Infiniti SUV, according to CPD reports. Neither Maxey nor Jones have been charged in those cases.
Months-long pattern
Police have been trying to bust an overnight burglary ring that has committed dozens of similar crimes over the past few months. Investigators now hope that they’re on their way to bringing even more members of the crime ring to justice.
The burglary team has been taking ATMs, liquor, cigarettes, and other valuables during early morning raids for weeks. They struck multiple locations on February 28, February 26, February 23, February 24, February 4, February 3, January 26, January 20, January 1, and December 26.
Investigators have linked them to armed carjackings, including one in which a man was shot at a Northwest Side gas station.
Records show they have generally targeted mom & pop convenience stores, Mexican restaurants, and liquor stores where free-standing ATMs are usually permanently installed. They also spent one night breaking into Walgreens and CVS locations.
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