Chicago's North Side has a brazen early-morning burglar on its hands, and police are warning business owners from Uptown to West Ridge to be on high alert. After a string of break-ins where a lone suspect smashes storefront doors and runs off with entire cash registers, detectives say they are tracking a pattern that stretches from mid-December through early January.
Police: suspect description and timeline
In a community alert, the Chicago Police Department described the offender as a Black male about 16 to 25 years old who arrives on foot, uses a blunt object to smash front doors, and leaves with cash registers and the money inside, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Investigators have linked the pattern to reported break-ins on Dec. 14, 2025, and several early-morning incidents in January, including Jan. 2, Jan. 4, Jan. 7, and Jan. 9. The targeted businesses are clustered in the 1100 blocks of West Argyle, West Granville, and West Bryn Mawr, as well as the 6300 blocks of North Artesian and North Claremont. Police said surveillance images show the offender wearing a black hoodie, dark pants, a black facemask, and gloves.
What police are asking
Police are urging business owners to double-check that doors and windows are secured, fix any broken glass as soon as possible, preserve surveillance footage, and report suspicious activity without disturbing a potential crime scene. Those prevention steps are a standard part of CPD advisories after early-morning break-ins, as outlined by ABC7 Chicago. If you see a burglary in progress, officers say to call 911 immediately rather than confronting anyone yourself.
A pattern on the North Side
This latest alert lands on top of several similar community warnings issued this winter about smash-and-grab and early-morning burglaries in North and Northwest Side neighborhoods. Police and reporters have connected dozens of incidents over recent months. Local outlets have highlighted how quickly offenders can move through multiple blocks in the predawn hours, according to reporting by WBBM Newsradio. Detectives say timely calls from witnesses and clear video footage are often what give them the break they need to identify a suspect.
How to submit tips
Anyone with information about the North Side burglaries is asked to contact Area Three detectives at 312-744-8263 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com using reference number P26-3-001, police said. Those contact details were included in the CPD alert and summarized by FOX 32 Chicago.
