A quiet stretch of Armitage Avenue in Chicago's Hermosa neighborhood turned into a crime scene early Wednesday when burglars hit a corner store, hauling away an ATM and two cash registers and leaving a lone register drawer tossed on the sidewalk, according to neighbors and the shop owner. The smash-and-grab shook nearby merchants and drew a police response as detectives canvassed the block for surveillance video and witnesses.
What the store owner and police said
The break-in happened at the Safeway Food Market at 4025 W. Armitage Ave., where the owner told reporters the crew ripped the ATM and two tills out of the store before fleeing, leaving an empty register drawer outside. As reported by CBS Chicago, it was not immediately clear how much cash, if any, the burglars actually got away with, and Chicago police are investigating the burglary.
A pattern of commercial burglaries
Chicago police have recently warned business owners citywide about commercial burglaries that target ATMs and registers, often involving smashed doors or even stolen vehicles used to yank fixtures out of storefronts. A Chicago Police Department business alert details similar incidents and urges merchants to save any surveillance footage and repair broken doors quickly to help limit further losses.
Neighborhood on edge
Merchants and residents say the latest hit only adds to a growing sense of unease in Hermosa, where recent local reporting has highlighted a run of armed robberies and commercial thefts. Hoodline previously covered an armed-robbery spree that triggered community alerts, and business owners now say they are weighing additional security measures in the wake of the Armitage Avenue burglary.
The shop is an independent convenience store, not part of the national Safeway chain, the owner said, and the loss tightens already thin margins for small neighborhood merchants. Chicago police did not immediately release additional information about the case, according to CBS Chicago. Anyone with video or tips can submit information to the Chicago Police Department through its tip portal at CPDTIP.com.
