Chicago residents in two separate neighborhoods woke to the news of overnight ATM burglaries. Englewood and Auburn Gresham's convenience stores became the latest targets in a series of brazen cash machine heists that have left local shopkeepers reeling and law enforcement scrambling for leads. The Chicago Tribune reports that the first incident occurred around 3:50 a.m. at a convenience store located on the 6600 block of South Halsted Street in Englewood, where a prised open door and a missing ATM greeted Chicago police following a burglar alarm alert.
As investigators combed through the Englewood scene, a nearly identical crime unfolded minutes later and miles away on the 2000 block of West 79th Street. According to CBS News Chicago, the Diamond Express Market in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood was struck by thieves who smashed through the store window. They used an SUV to forcefully extricate the cash machine before making their escape with the ATM loaded into the back of the vehicle.
In both instances, a black SUV was reported as the mode of transport for the heists, a detail that has not gone unnoticed by authorities. However, as of now, no one was in custody, as detailed by CBS News Chicago.
