Shattered glass, busted cabinets and a quick escape in a white car greeted employees opening up Lincoln Park Food & Liquor after yet another break-in. The early-morning burglary hit the shop in the 2400-block of North Clark Street near Fullerton just after 3 a.m., leaving debris scattered across the floor and inventory missing, as the neighborhood absorbed a second hit to the same business in under two months.
Chicago police said the crew moved fast. Around 3:12 a.m., three people smashed through the storefront and poured into the shop, according to ABC7 Chicago. Surveillance video shows one person swinging a sledgehammer at a video gaming machine while the others grab cigarettes, liquor and lottery tickets. A manager told reporters it was the store’s second burglary in less than two months. The group then took off in a white car as Area Three detectives opened an investigation, with no arrests reported so far.
Pattern of Gaming-Machine Thefts Across Cook County
Investigators say the Lincoln Park hit is not an isolated case and appears to track with a broader pattern of burglaries targeting video gambling machines across Chicago and nearby suburbs. Cook County Sheriff’s police have taken part in joint operations this year and reported arrests tied to similar incidents, according to CBS Chicago. Authorities in multiple suburbs have logged comparable break-ins at businesses that recently installed gaming cabinets, raising concerns that the machines are acting like beacons for late-night thieves.
Owner Reacts and Removes Machines
Owner Anil Patel said the break-in convinced him the gaming machines had to go. He told reporters he plans to pull the nearly new cabinets from the store altogether, saying, “This may be the target,” as quoted by CBS Chicago. Patel also noted that thieves stole an ATM from the shop in March, and he said the repeated hits are putting serious pressure on his small business. Neighbors and other merchants along Clark Street say the latest burglary highlights their ongoing worries about overnight robberies in the area.
Police Ask for Tips
Chicago police are urging anyone with information or relevant video to get in touch with Area Three detectives, according to ABC7 Chicago. No arrests had been announced at the time of publication, and investigators are combing through the surveillance footage to identify the burglars. Local business owners say they are looking at possible security upgrades and asking customers and residents to share any footage that might help crack the case.
