Two burglars shattered the front glass of a Rogers Park convenience store early Monday and bolted with an Illinois Lottery vending machine and roughly $7,000 in scratch-off tickets, according to police and the store owner. Surveillance video shows the pair inside the Express Food Mart on Devon Avenue for only about 30 seconds before they ran off. Chicago police said no one was in custody as detectives launched an investigation.
Video Captures Lightning-Fast Hit
As reported by ABC7 Chicago, the owner of Express Food Mart said the thieves used a large stone to smash the front door, then hauled out a lottery vending machine along with a stash of tickets worth nearly $7,000. The manager told reporters the suspects were inside for about half a minute before they hurried out with the machine. ABC7’s coverage includes surveillance footage that the station says shows the break-in and the suspects leaving the store.
Part Of A Bigger ATM And Lottery Crime Trend
Smash-and-grab thefts targeting ATMs and lottery machines have surfaced across Chicago, prompting community alerts and city-level discussions about how to prevent them. CBS Chicago previously reported on a series of ATM thefts in which crews yanked machines out and, at times, knocked around nearby lottery equipment during the heists. Those incidents highlight how quickly offenders can rip out heavy coin-and-ticket devices and drive away, often in the early-morning hours.
How Lotteries Try To Stay One Step Ahead
In similar cases elsewhere, stolen vending machines have turned up cracked open with stacks of unscratched tickets, and state lottery officials have said they can sometimes remotely deactivate tickets linked to compromised machines. For example, the California State Lottery told ABC30 Fresno that it can deactivate tickets after a stolen machine is recovered and will investigate any tickets that show up in the field. Retailers are generally instructed to file a police report and alert their state lottery so investigators can start a formal review.
What Neighbors And Businesses Can Do
Store owners told ABC7 Chicago that clear surveillance footage and neighborhood tips are often the strongest leads detectives get. Business operators are urged to save any video, jot down vehicle descriptions, and pass that along to police. Residents are advised not to confront suspects; instead, they should call 911 or contact Chicago police and share recordings or tip details with detectives. Chicago police say the investigation into the Rogers Park theft remains active as officers review video and track down leads.
