Chicago police are warning businesses to be on alert after a spree of smash-and-grab burglaries across the city. One of the incidents was caught on camera at a neighborhood market in the South Loop.
Surveillance video shows burglars smashing the glass windows to the front of the South Loop Market early Tuesday morning, as four people could be seen wearing masks loading dozens of liquor bottles into a white vehicle before coming back for more.
“You feel disheartened,” Kamilia Kaf, South Loop Market’s Director of Food Service said. “You feel sorry for those people because you’re like it’s unfortunate that they have to do what they have to do, but you also feel angry because it’s happening to your own business.”
Video shows them returning a short time later near the intersection of Cermak Road and Michigan Avenue, this time bringing some extra help.
“They broke three windows, they took a lot of bottles, they came the first time and came back a second time with a second vehicle,” Kaf said.
The small business has been targeted before, but nothing to this extent. Kaf said the owner is now taking additional steps to increase security to prevent this from happening again.
“I know we can’t necessarily do anything about the crime in Chicago, but the owners are looking into options of maybe metal shutters installed, these things that we can do on our end,” she said.
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Chicago police said thieves targeted a taco restaurant and bakery on Taylor Street early Wednesday morning before fleeing with cash from the register.
Police have also issued a community alert for break-ins on the city's Northwest Side in the Jefferson Park, Portage Park and Irving Park neighborhoods.
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Though it's unknown if the same suspects are behind the crimes, surveillance video released by police shows a similar burglary at an ice cream shop in Belmont Cragin last month.
“I’m not surprised that it’s happening not just here, but in a lot of other businesses,” Kaf said.
Kaf said small business owners still feel motivated to continue.
“But then you know the support that we received from the community, the people coming, our regulars asking us about what happened and them showing up and supporting us by purchasing at our stores—that’s what makes you want to continue.”
