We’ve finally seen them in action!
CWBChicago has been telling you for weeks about two guys who’ve been stealing loads of cigarettes from Walgreens stores across the city. Sometimes, they hit four or five locations in a couple of hours.
On October 14, they came face-to-face with a concealed carry holder who cut their efforts short in River North.
Now we know what they look like.
A Walgreens shopper recorded the men as they stole from the chain’s location at 6310 North Nagle around 6:50 p.m. Monday. Watch (NSFW language):
Witnesses say the thieves simply walked in, strolled behind the counter, and started de-inventorying the tobacco shelves.
“I was getting some sh*t with my girlfriend when they walked in,” said the man who recorded the footage. “The dude literally asked where the Newports were.”
“I literally said [to the cashier], you’re about to get robbed. From the look of the cashier’s face, he knew exactly what was about to happen.”
“They did it with such f*cking ease. They are absolutely fearless.”
Last Wednesday, the men stole cigarettes from the same store and from the Walgreens at 3153 West Irving. An employee at the Nagle location estimated that $2,000 worth of Newport and Kool cigarettes were taken last week, according to a CPD report At least one of the thieves is well-known to cops in the city and suburbs thanks to his many arrests. But he’s managed to elude capture — for now.
On October 22, Chicago police issued a community alert to warn stores in Jefferson Park and Albany Park about two men who have repeatedly gone behind the front counters of retail stores to steal “large amounts of cigarettes” in plastic bags.
In the River North incident, the men hopped the counter, confronted a manager, and collected cigarettes. But a concealed carry holder interrupted the theft, and the duo ran away.
They must not have been too scared. According to a CPD report, they struck again 30 minutes later at Walgreens’ 834 West Armitage location in Lincoln Park. Once again, they forced their way over the counter and stole tobacco products.
Then, they targeted two more stores in Logan Square within 30 minutes: at 2440 West North Avenue and 3110 West Armitage. CPD records show the men hit a Walgreens at 4343 North Central in Portage Park earlier in the day.
Anyone with information about the men can contact Area Five detectives at 312-746-7394.
Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer said recently that the chain may remove tobacco products from its stores because they may not “project a health-for-you profile.”
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