Chicago police on Friday issued a warning about a three-person crew that investigators say has been pulling off a string of early-morning burglaries at restaurants and small stores in the Loop and on the North Side this month. Owners are finding smashed glass, looted counters, and missing cash registers after predawn break-ins, with the pattern hitting busy commercial strips where overnight repairs and lost hours can hurt small operators the most.
According to police, the crew typically gets inside by prying out the sealant molding around window panes and glass door inserts, then removing the glass panels so they can reach in and grab property. Officers listed stolen items that include cash registers, bottles of alcohol, and tobacco products, as reported by CBS Chicago. Merchants told reporters the burglars move fast and often leave storefronts unusable until glass and frames can be replaced.
Smash-and-grab trend across the city
The break-ins track with a broader wave of predawn smash-and-grab and ATM thefts that has rattled downtown and the north lakefront, with crews sometimes hauling out machines or ripping down displays to get at merchandise and cash, according to coverage of predawn ATM bandits. Local reporting has shown more merchants shifting ATMs away from front windows and investing in temporary boarding after repeat hits.
Where police say the hits occurred
Detectives say the crew struck five times between June 5 and June 19 across the Loop, Lakeview East and Uptown. Police listed the locations as the 0–100 block of E. 9th Street (June 5), the 300 block of E. Wacker Drive (June 10), the 3900 block of N. Sheridan Road and the 1000 block of W. Lawrence Avenue (both June 14), and the 0–100 block of E. Harrison Street (June 19). Officers described the suspects as two males and one female believed to be between 17 and 25 years old, and said investigators are treating the incidents as part of a related pattern, according to CBS Chicago.
Police ask for footage and tips
Anyone with information is asked to contact Area Three detectives at (312) 744-8263. Detectives have also urged business owners to preserve surveillance video and avoid disturbing potential evidence until officers arrive. The Chicago Police Department’s business alerts routinely recommend keeping doors and windows secured, maintaining exterior lighting and saving security footage for investigators, as outlined by the Chicago Police Department.
How merchants are responding
Merchants told reporters they are weighing quick fixes such as boarding up windows and putting up temporary fencing, along with longer-term investments like shatter-resistant shields and relocating ATMs away from street-facing glass. Those are many of the same steps other businesses have taken after recent hits around the city, according to coverage of predawn ATM raids. Owners say the bigger toll often comes from repair bills and lost business hours rather than the cash taken, leaving small operators juggling recovery costs while police work the case.
