A burglary crew is stealing ATMs from locations across the city, and their most recent targets are a Lakeview currency exchange and a West Loop restaurant, according to police and a CPD report. CWB Chicago first told you about the thieves Saturday morning after they broke into a Ravenswood bank’s ATM. Now, police say they’ve committed at least seven similar crimes since Thursday.
CPD issued a community alert on Saturday night to warn about the group, which is driving around in a white Jeep Cherokee. The crew pries open the doors to businesses and then forces their way into the ATM, police said.
Most recently, the burglars struck at Clark Diversey Currency Exchange, 2735 North Clark, around 6 a.m. Saturday. A witness said men broke through the front glass door and took the ATM’s contents.
Police said the burglars committed two other burglaries Saturday. Around 4:30 a.m., they took the ATM from Porkchop, 1132 West Grand. A few minutes later, they hit a location on the 2000 block of East 87th. The Twitter account Spot News identified the 87th Street location as a chicken restaurant.
CPD says the team also hit Flee Club, 2221 West Taylor, around 6 a.m. Friday. Earlier that morning, they broke into the ATM at Chase bank, 1809 West Lawrence, and a 24-hour laundromat on the 1400 block of East 47th in Kenwood. Police said the offenders escaped in a white Jeep Cherokee.
The first burglary that police linked to the team occurred around 6 a.m. Thursday on the 1600 block of East 75th, according to the community alert.
Police said the burglars are a group of three to five Black males who travel in a white Jeep Cherokee Trail Hawk with no license plates.
Anyone with information about the crimes can contact Area Two detectives at 312-747-8273.
You can support CWBChicago’s start-to-finish tracking of court cases by becoming a subscriber today!