Before sunrise on May 26, a hammer-wielding intruder shattered the calm in the West Loop and Near West Side, smashing his way into two businesses while an accomplice waited in a getaway car, according to police. Both storefronts were left with broken glass, and at least one had cash taken from a register. Detectives are still working the case, and no arrests have been announced.
What police say
According to police, two men pulled up in a white Acura, and one of them used a hammer to smash through front glass and get inside, then rifled through the business and grabbed cash from a register in at least one incident, as reported by FOX 32 Chicago. Both suspects were described as wearing dark-colored hooded sweatshirts, dark pants and black face coverings. Investigators have grouped the break-ins under reference number P26-3-018, and police say the pair drove off in the same white Acura they arrived in.
Where it happened
The burglaries were reported in the 300 block of S. Riverside Plaza at about 2:40 a.m. and the 1100 block of S. Jefferson Street at about 3 a.m. on May 26. Both locations sit on busy commercial stretches that usually cater to office workers, restaurant crowds and early-morning service crews, but at that hour the main sound was the crash of breaking glass.
A wider pattern
This is not an isolated headache for business owners. Chicago has been dealing with a run of pre-dawn smash-and-grab and commercial burglary cases this spring, with crews often going straight for cash registers, ATMs and gaming machines before bolting, according to CBS Chicago. On its business-alert pages, the Chicago Police Department warns that offenders have been using hammers and other heavy tools to break glass and urges owners to save surveillance video, avoid disturbing potential evidence and contact detectives quickly.
How to help
Anyone with information or surveillance footage tied to these latest incidents is asked to call Area Three Detectives at 312-744-8263 and reference case number P26-3-018. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through P3 Tips. Police advise saving and backing up any video with clear timestamps before sharing it with investigators, since clean, time-stamped footage can be crucial in tracking suspects and building leads.
