South loop

String of South Loop car break-ins unnerve residents

String of overnight car break ins puts residents on edge

NBC Universal, Inc.

Smashed windows and ransacked consoles greeted numerous car owners Tuesday in Chicago's South Loop, with seemingly no rhyme or reason for the vandalism and thefts.

Chicago Police say someone in a blue sedan made their way down 16th Street near Clark St and broke out car windows at approximately 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.

David Pickens frequents the area, and was alarmed to hear about the recent crime.

"I want this to stop," he said. “I’m thinking about the safety for my kid, so to hear that is a little nerve wracking, to add to the complexity of the fact that it is near police station is also a little unnerving as well."

The crimes happened several hundred feet from Chicago Police District 1, according to police.

This isn't an isolated incident either, as NBC Chicago has learned it's not the only block in the area bedeviled by the bizarre break-ins.

"I got my car broken into before. They stole literally nothing, (but) I had to pay $200 to get my back passenger window fixed," said Keirra, a South Loop resident who lives about half a mile away from the scene of Tuesday's break-ins.

She says that she is angry enough about the incidents that she's considering moving.

“It’s really weird and just a pain. I don’t want to keep paying $200 for my windows," she said. “I’m definitely moving. Like as soon as possible. I’m taking it probably back up north. I never had problems up north at all. Never had my car broken in to up north, never had problems until I moved downtown.”

Just one week ago, Chicago police investigated in Kenwood after 20 cars were vandalized there.

It's not clear if the string of break ins are related. Chicago police tell NBC Chicago that if detectives determine the incidents are connected, they will issue a Community Alert.

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