Predawn chaos rattled South Shore on Wednesday when a vehicle plowed into a neighborhood gas station in an apparent crash-and-grab attempt, leaving the storefront damaged but with no reported injuries. The impact hit around 4:48 a.m. in the 7600-block of South Jeffery Boulevard, and employees on shift were left badly shaken as detectives moved in to pull surveillance footage from nearby cameras.
According to ABC7 Chicago, the video shows a black SUV slamming into the building before the suspects bailed out and took off in a second vehicle. The outlet reports the owner said he was working inside when the thieves burst in and called the incident the third or fourth break-in at the corner mini-mart. Area Two detectives have been assigned to the case.
Part of a wider smash-and-grab spree
Police and local stations have been tracking a string of early-morning crash-and-grab thefts that have rattled South Side storefronts this spring, with crews using SUVs to ram entrances and haul out ATMs, according to CBS Chicago. Local coverage, collecting surveillance clips and owner accounts of the same pattern, and the hefty repair bills it leaves behind, has been pulled together in brazen ATM crew footage. So far, those outlets say few arrests have been announced in the related cases.
Police ask neighbors to check cameras
The owner told ABC7 that the location has been targeted multiple times this spring, and investigators are urging neighbors to hang on to any video that might help identify suspects. Police are also asking anyone with tips or footage to submit them through the Chicago Police Department tip portal or to contact Area Two detectives directly, a process outlined by FOX32 Chicago. No arrests had been reported as of mid-morning Wednesday, and detectives continue to review recordings from the block.
