Chicago Police Department
‘Smash and grab’ burglars hit businesses
.
Dozens victimized this summer
By Tim Hadac
A “smash and grab” burglary crew has been hitting businesses across the Southwest Side, prompting police to issue a community alert.
The crew typically strikes in the early hours of the morning, smashing windows and quickly grabbing valuables within easy reach.
Chicago Police Department
Crime scenes this month (and approximate times) include:
- 5100 block of South Pulaski at 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12.
- 5100 block of South Pulaski at 3 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 13.
- 7600 block of South Cicero at 4 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 13.
- 5100 block of South Pulaski at 5 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 13.
- 5300 block of South Pulaski at 7:40 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 13.
- 8500 block of South Pulaski at 4 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 13.
The crew is described as three to five black men ages 18-35, about 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-1, wearing black hoodies, blue sweatpants, red gym shoes, white gym shoes, and a black sweatshirt with the letter “R” imprinted.
Last month, the crew burglarized:
- 3600 block of South Archer at 4 a.m. Saturday, July 8.
- 4000 block of South Western at 5 a.m. Saturday, July 8.
- 2700 block of West 59th Street at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, July 8.
- 5800 block of South Western at 5 a.m. Saturday, July 8.
- 1700 block of West 35th Street at 2:15 a.m. Sunday, July 9.
- 4000 block of West 55th Street at 2:30 a.m. Sunday, July 9.
- 7500 block of South Cicero at 9:15 a.m. Sunday, July 9.
- 8600 block of South Kedzie at 10 a.m. Sunday, July 9.
- 3200 block of West 87th Street at 3 a.m. Monday, July 10.
In addition to the Southwest Side, the crew has struck businesses in Bridgeport and Chinatown.
The crime spree appears to have started in June. Crime scenes include:
- 4200 block of West 55th Street at 5:50 a.m. Friday, June 9.
- 4700 block of West 63rd Street at 5:15 a.m. Thursday, June 15.
- 5200 block of South Archer at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, June 17.
- 7100 block of West Archer at 5 a.m. Saturday, June 17.
- 4300 block of West 51st Street at 4:20 a.m. Saturday, June 17.
- 7000 block of South Pulaski at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, June 17.
- 7000 block of South Pulaski at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, June 17.
- 6800 block of South Pulaski at 4 a.m. Sunday, June 18.
- 5000 block of South Archer at 3:15 a.m. Monday, June 26.
- 4400 block of South Archer at 4 a.m. Monday, June 26.
- 5700 block of South Archer at 4:20 a.m. Monday, June 26.
Those with useful information to share about any of the crimes are asked to call CPD Area 1 detectives at (312) 747-8384 and refer to crime pattern P23-1-108E.
In the wake of the crimes, business owners and managers are advised:
- Keep the perimeter of your property well lit.
- Report suspicious activity immediately.
- Keep doors and windows secured.
- Immediately repair any broken windows, doors or locks.
- If video surveillance is available, save and make a copy of the incident for investigating detectives.
- If you are a victim, do not touch anything. Call police immediately.
- If approached by a witness to the incident, request contact information.
- Secure window air conditioner units.
Local News
Neighbors lighting the way to Christmas season
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere me and Oliver go! Thank you, neighbors. The blocks around my home are simply beautiful with the displays. To get yourselves more in…
Hanukkah, a holiday of happiness and peace
Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C. and the miracle of the temple lights lasting eight days with just one day’s supply of oil. Hanukkah is…
College Report | SXU football falls in quarterfinals
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer For three quarters, Saint Xavier went nearly toe-to-toe with the No. 1-ranked football team in the nation. Justin Pringle had returned a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown to bring the Cougars to within three points of Northwestern (Iowa), the top-seeded team in the NAIA playoffs and the…
Area Sports Roundup | Richards grad Sean Lewis ready to air it out in San Diego
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The rollercoaster ride continues for Sean Lewis. The Richards alum went from being the head coach at Kent State to the offensive coordinator at Colorado, one of the most talked about college football programs in the country this season because of Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. He was…
Girls Hoops | Sandburg and Oak Lawn to host holiday tournaments
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The field has been finalized for the third Sandburg Holiday Classic, which is the only girls basketball holiday tournament in the area to feature 16 teams. The host Eagles will be joined in the event, to be held Dec. 27-29, by area teams Oak Lawn, Richards, Argo and…
Offer cash reward in Chrysler Village slaying
Spread the love. By Tim Hadac . Someone somewhere knows who shot and killed Misael Sanchez. To help bring that person forward, the Cook County Crime Stoppers group is offering a cash reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the killer’s arrest. Sanchez, 23, was shot in the 5200 block of West 64th…
Midnight Terror serves up a different kind of spirits at Christmas Fear
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong The Halloween fans at Midnight Terror in Oak Lawn have decided to extend the haunted house season into the holidays with their eighth annual Christmas Fear weekend in December. Savage Santas, eerie elves, and sinister snowmen will be running amok and showing off their own kind of Christmas spirit at…
Dogs had their day at alderman’s office
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . Who let the dogs out? Who, who, who let the dogs out? Twenty-third Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares let the dogs in, at her office on 63rd Street. Our Oliver was one of the…
Yule decorations light the way to Christmas
Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . Today (Dec. 1) is National Eat a Red Apple Day. Apples are a superfood. Eating them will reduce your chance of developing diabetes, heart disease and cancer. They are good for digestion and even improve brain health. Organic apples are…
Catholic schools dilemma
Spread the love. After loss in Springfield, advocates search for a Plan B . By Tim Hadac After a clear defeat in Springfield earlier this month, supporters of the state’s Invest in Kids scholarship program—which includes a number of Catholic school parents on the Southwest Side—are searching for a Plan B. “What we do at…
Neighbors
Dolly Parton Imagination Library officially launches statewide in Illinois
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois families with infants and toddlers now have access to free children’s books that can be sent directly to their home, regardless of their income. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday announced the official launch of the state’s partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program founded…
What to know about Illinois’ assault weapons ban
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Gun owners face a Jan. 1 deadline to register their assault weapons with the state under Illinois’ assault weapons law. But between lawsuits and ongoing policymaking, the exact guns, accessories and ammunition covered under the Protect Illinois Communities Act remain unclear to many gun rights advocates, who point…
Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield
Capitol News Illinois Broadcast Director Jennifer Fuller talks with Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nowicki about the 2023 petition filing deadline for Illinois’ 2024 primary election. Capitol News Illinois · Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield
Supreme Court rules teen bicyclist is covered by father’s auto insurance policy
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that automobile insurance policies must cover people against uninsured motorists and hit-and-run accidents, even if the person covered by the policy is not in a vehicle at the time of the accident. The case involved a 14-year-old Chicago boy, Cristopher…
State high court finds medical personnel exemption to biometric information privacy law
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday ruled the state’s strongest-in-the-nation biometric information privacy law does have an exemption: health care workers who use fingerprints or similar scans to access things like medication, materials or patient health information. In a unanimous opinion, the justices ruled against a pair of…
Illinois Supreme Court: FOID records exempt from public disclosure
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that people may obtain records about their own Firearm Owners Identification cards, but they may not use the state’s Freedom of Information Act to do so. In a 7-0 ruling, the court said the Illinois State Police acted properly when…
Temporary staffing agencies seek to block new state labor law
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A group of temporary staffing agencies and their trade associations are asking a federal court to block enforcement of a new state law that governs how day laborers and temp workers are managed and paid. The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in Chicago, challenges several changes…
Former GOP senator, third-party governor candidate to represent himself in corruption trial
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Monday was supposed to have been the first day in the weeklong federal corruption trial of former Republican state Sen. Sam McCann, who allegedly misused more than $200,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses. A pull-down projector screen in the Springfield courtroom of U.S. District Judge…
Candidates for 2024 primary brave cold for potential ballot advantage
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Monday marked the kickoff for the 2024 election cycle, with hundreds of candidates filing their petitions at the Illinois State Board of Elections. Those in line by 8 a.m. Monday at the ISBE building in Springfield will be entered into a lottery to be the first…
State high court to hear case against staffing agencies accused of suppressing wages
By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear arguments from three staffing agencies that say their industry is exempt from state antitrust laws in a case claiming the firms conspired to hold down wages for their workers. The Chicagoland-based companies have already lost twice in…