A Logan Square bakery has been hit by the same burglar three times in six months, amid a wave of small business break-ins across Chicago, according to reports. Pan Artesanal, located in the 3700 block of West Fullerton Avenue, saw its latest break-in around 3:22 a.m. Wednesday. The Chicago Police Department said an unidentified thief shattered the bakery's front window and fled with money from the register, ABC7 Chicago reported.
The owner, Lizette Espinoza, is fed up with the repeated robberies, telling NBC Chicago, "It’s been very frustrating because it’s the same person over and over again." Surveillance footage captured the intruder running through the bakery and raiding the cash register. However, Espinoza stressed that the greatest loss is not monetary, saying, "It’s not about how much he stole in money; it’s how much damage he causes us internally."
This spate of criminal activity has affected at least nine other small businesses since January with four of those break-ins, including Pan Artesanal, occurring in Logan Square and Avondale. A similar incident took place at the North Side's Defloured: A Gluten-Free Bakery, which has also been targeted twice in just over three weeks. According to ABC7 Chicago, an early Tuesday burglary involved a glass door being smashed for a thief to snatch property and then make an escape.
35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa acknowledged the concerns of business owners. "We’re looking at options for improved lighting, we’re also going to be working with the local police to see if there are strategic areas, where we can place cameras," Ramirez-Rosa conveyed to NBC Chicago. He also mentioned discussions on holding offenders accountable. While police have identified a suspect believed to be interlinked with several of these crimes, no arrests have been made to date.
Despite the challenges, Pan Artesanal is determined to resume operations. The bakery is set to reopen on Saturday at 8 a.m. and is calling on the community to support local businesses that have been impacted by these incidents. "If things like this keeps happening how can we stay in the area?" Espinoza questioned, emphasizing the impact on their decision to remain in the neighborhood.
