Chicago police say a cross-unit investigation ended Saturday with two juveniles under arrest and a haul of firearms, burglary tools and stolen ATMs off the street. The department announced the bust in a brief post on its official X account and did not offer much more in the way of detail.
Multiple units within the #ChicagoPolice Department worked together to arrest and charge two juvenile offenders involved in a burglary spree. Firearms, burglary tools and stolen ATMs were also recovered during this joint investigation. https://x.com/i/status/2045540609557942580
— Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) April 18, 2026
Police account
In its post, the Chicago Police Department said investigators from several units "worked together to arrest and charge two juvenile offenders" and recovered firearms, burglary tools and stolen ATMs, according to Chicago Police. The department did not release the juveniles' names or explain where each arrest took place, keeping the public update short and tightly focused on the headline results.
A wider pattern of ATM thefts
The latest arrests land at a time when Chicago has been hit by a run of smash-and-grab burglaries and ATM thefts in recent months, with police tying multiple incidents together across different neighborhoods. Local reporting describes crews using SUVs and, in some cases, weapons to yank ATMs from storefronts, a pattern covered by NBC Chicago and in masked ATM bandits on the Northwest Side. Police and business owners say the tactic is fast, messy and brutally destructive for small shops.
What business owners should do
The Chicago Police Department's business-alert pages urge store owners to save surveillance video, bolt or GPS-tag their machines and call 911 rather than try to confront suspects, according to Chicago Police. Coverage of recent cases shows that the hit-and-run style of these break-ins can leave businesses with thousands of dollars in property damage and lost revenue, CBS Chicago reported.
Legal note on juveniles
Because the suspects are minors, their identities are typically withheld, and juvenile law enforcement records are kept confidential under the Illinois Juvenile Court Act, according to guidance from the Cook County Juvenile Division, Cook County Circuit Court explains. Public information about the case may remain limited unless a judge moves it to adult court or specifically allows more disclosure.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact area detectives or submit an anonymous tip through CPDTIP.com, NBC Chicago notes. Chicago police did not provide a fuller timeline or additional context in the brief X update.
