Chicago cops are on high alert after a string of overnight burglaries rattled several business owners on the city's North Side. The smash-and-grab spree hit five establishments, leaving behind shattered glass and depleted shelves. According to the Chicago Tribune, the burglars struck a variety of shops including a cosmetics store on North Southport Avenue in Lakeview and a clothing store on North Peoria Street in Greektown.
The spree, which has kept the police on their toes, began around 1:25 a.m. with a liquor store on North Halsted Street in the Sheffield Neighbors neighborhood. According to reports by CBS News Chicago, the store had been hit three times the previous week, causing thousands in damage. Shattered doors became a common sight, as the burglars moved on to a second clothing store around 3 a.m., where the owner claimed this was the sixth burglary they'd weathered.
This was not an isolated event, with three additional businesses targeted, including a cosmetic store and another liquor store in Lakeview, both sustaining broken front glass doors and theft of goods. Police found the doors of a liquor store on North Wells Street smashed before the culprits fled with merchandise at approximately 5:30 a.m., according to the Chicago Tribune. The suspects, two males, were seen leaving the scene in a maroon SUV, possibly a Dodge.
As the community reels from the attacks, law enforcement has yet to make any arrests. The owner of the Notre clothing store, who told CBS News Chicago about their repeated victimization, is facing the aftermath of the break-in, which has piled onto a series of occurrences that have previously struck earlier this week. Investigations into the burglaries are ongoing, led by Area 3 detectives, with the hope to shine a light on the identity of these after-hours thieves.
