A Southwest Side couple, Ayesha and Sunny Khan, owners of the New Quick Market located at 8301 S. Kedzie Ave., in the Ashburn neighborhood, have been woken up by a disheartening call for the third time. Their store was burglarized again in a break-in that set off their security alarms around 3 a.m. Thursday morning. Upon reaching the store, they discovered the front entrance smashed open and their belongings – from glass to cigarettes – scattered across the parking lot. Inside, they saw the cash register broken and their inventory thrown on the ground, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
In a statement obtained by ABC7 Chicago, the Khans shared, "By the time we came, everything was just ruined." The couple has experienced similar breaches to their store's security, as the front entrance had just been rebuilt following a break-in three months prior. The surveillance footage showed a group of males using vehicles to dislodge and remove the store's security gates. They made off with the ATM, cash from the cash register, and liquor bottles, leaving the owners with cascading losses and a flagging spirit.
Owners Ayesha and Sunny Khan, who have been operating their business for nearly two decades, are voicing their frustration and deepening despair. "This business is how we pay our bills," Ayesha Khan told the Chicago Sun-Times, stressing the imperative to keep the store running despite the recurring incidents.
The thieves, suspected to be driving a black Jeep Cherokee and a Lexus, are yet to be apprehended. The Chicago Police Department has not made any arrests at this time, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
