A quiet pre-dawn shift at a South Side gas station turned chaotic Tuesday when thieves used a Jeep as a battering ram, smashing through the front of a minimart on the 4300-block of South State Street, ripping out an ATM and jumping into a waiting getaway car. Employees were inside when the crash hit, but a clerk said no one was hurt. The impact tore out front bricks, shattered windows, bent the door frame, and left the Jeep abandoned at the scene.
According to ABC7 Chicago, the clerk reported the theft happened around 4:45 a.m. and described heavy damage to the storefront after the Jeep plowed into the entrance, and the ATM was hauled away.
Similar smash-and-grab hits across Chicago
The State Street heist is one of several early-morning ATM smash-and-grab jobs that have rattled Chicago businesses in recent weeks. Local TV reports show a pattern: crews in SUVs crash into small shops, yank out the machines in seconds, and bolt before police arrive. CBS Chicago has documented multiple cases that investigators say share the same basic method, although police have not publicly linked them to one crew.
Police response and investigations
Area detectives are investigating the State Street robbery, and so far, no arrests have been announced, police told FOX 32 Chicago. Authorities are asking anyone with surveillance video or information to contact investigators or use the Chicago Police Department tip portal, and to call 911 if they see a crime unfolding.
Why ATMs keep being targeted
Chicago outlets and local reporting have chronicled a run of similar ATM hits that leave behind big repair costs but, so far, relatively few injuries. Business owners are often stuck dealing with boarded-up storefronts and long waits for fixes while machines full of cash vanish in a matter of moments.
In February, Hoodline covered a Gage Park ATM theft that followed the same playbook and shared police advice for store owners; see Smash-And-Grab Crew Rips ATM for background on that case.
How to help
Anyone with video or information about Tuesday's theft is urged to submit it through the Chicago Police Department tip portal or call 911. For the CPD tip portal, see Chicago Police Department.
