Chicago businesses in several neighborhoods are on high alert after a string of commercial burglaries struck the area, the Chicago Police Department reports. The recent break-ins have been reported in the Chicago Loop, Logan Square, Lakeview, and North Center neighborhoods, encompassing the 1st, 14th, and 19th police districts, respectively.
In a pattern of crime that seems as persistent as it is destructive, the burglaries all occurred in the early hours of January 19th, and then again on January 21st, with storefronts being the prime target for the assailants who made their entry by shattering through the glass façade of businesses to lay hold of valuables inside, allowing the night to cloak their retreat as they fled in a gray, late model Kia Forte sedan. According to the Chicago Police Department's news release, the burglaries occurred at the following locations: the 0-100 block of S. State Street at 1:43 a.m., the 2900 block of N. Sheffield Avenue at 2:03 a.m., the 200 block of W. Van Buren Street at 2:26 a.m., the 3400 block of W. Fullerton Avenue at 3:06 a.m., and the 2100 block of W. Irving Park Road at 4:01 a.m.
Witness descriptions have provided a consistent account of the offenders: four to five African American males wearing dark clothing, black ski masks, and distinctive orange & black gloves. This detail adding a specific thread to the needle of this investigation. The Chicago Police Department advises local businesses to stay vigilant and suggests several precautionary measures such as maintaining a well-lit perimeter and securing doors and windows, while also recommending that, if victimized, owners should preserve the crime scene and immediately call the police.
Community members are encouraged to report any suspicious activity and cooperate with authorities by providing contact information if they happen to be a witness. For those with video surveillance systems, saving a copy of any incident related to the investigation also remains crucial, as stated in the Chicago Police Department alert.
Anyone with information about these crimes is urged to contact Area Three detectives. The police seek the community's help in apprehending the individuals responsible and are working to increase patrols in affected areas while investigators piece together the evidence.
