The Chicago Police Department has issued a community alert for businesses in several neighborhoods following a series of break-ins. According to the official police statement, commercial burglaries have struck Norwood Park, Union Ridge, Portage Park, Irving Park, Jefferson Park, and Bucktown areas. These crimes occurred within the jurisdictions of the 14th, 16th, and 17th Districts.
Each burglary involved the smashing of front glass doors or side windows to gain entry into the businesses. The offenders targeted cash registers and ATMs, fleeing with money in two distinctive vehicles. A silver sedan and a dark-colored sedan were observed to flee the scenes by two to three males wearing dark clothing, face masks, and gloves, described as White or Hispanic.
The series of break-ins took place on November 10 and 11, with incidents recorded at various locations, including the 5300 block of North Cumberland Ave., the 7000 block of West Higgins Ave., and multiple locations along North Milwaukee Ave. and West Irving Park Rd. The times of the burglaries spanned from the early hours of 4:21 am to 4:50 am on the first day and resumed again around 3:05 am the following day.
The Chicago Police Department has urged businesses to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. They've also requested that anyone with video surveillance save and make a copy of the footage to aid investigating detectives. To anyone witnessing the incidents, the statement underscores the importance of not touching anything and calling the police immediately. Additionally, if approached by witnesses, business owners should request their contact information.
