Seven Peotone small businesses were burglarized in less than 14 minutes in the early morning hours of June 9, just before 5 a.m. The believed-to-be five suspects traveled together in one vehicle, using a brick to break business windows, enter the premises, and steal the cash boxes from each business. Because each business had cameras with time stamps, the time of each burglary easily was recorded, leaving officials amazed at how quickly the suspects operated.
They were in and out of each business in less than a minute.
Two officers were on duty and, at times, had to enter and check business premises by themselves, which is against protocol. Thankfully, no one was injured.
A license plate reader picked up the entry of an unreported stolen vehicle entering village limits at 4:42:17. At the time, officers were patrolling Sunset Plaza – time stamp 4:42:27.
At 4:43:56, cameras recorded the offenders breaking into Game On. The alarm wasn’t active, so officers weren’t notified. The offenders exited Game On only 52 seconds after entry at 4:44:48.
Less than a minute later, they broke into Archy’s at 4:45:37, and they left 38 seconds later at 4:46:15.
Cameras picked up the offenders at Sunset Plaza at 4:47:50. They hit Subway first at 4:48:40 and exited in 31 seconds at 4:49:11. Not even 40 seconds later, they broke into Gyro Loco at 4:49:50 and then Peotone Liquor at 4:50:15.
Police dispatch received a witness call at 4:51:32 of a burglary in progress at Peotone Liquor.
At 4:51:44, not even 12 seconds after the call, police officers were dispatched to Peotone Liquors.
Offenders left the liquor store at 4:52:00 and headed northbound on Rt. 50 unbeknownst to officers.
Dispatch then received a witness call at 4:52:35 of a burglary in progress at Game On Bar and Grill. But the offenders had struck at 4:43, the call was delayed.
A single officer arrived at Peotone Liquor at 4:52:41, just 57 seconds after the call and missed the offenders by only 41 seconds.
At 4:53:34, the other officer was dispatched to Game On for a burglary in progress and that officer arrived only 36 seconds after dispatched.
At 4:54:10, the offenders broke into BP and left in 50 seconds.
After that, they hit Tony’s Pizza at 4:55:40 and again left in 50 seconds at 4:56:10 and headed northbound again on Rt. 50.
It was clearly targeted and calculated.
In less than a week, Chief DeMik reported the cash boxes for Peotone Liquors and Archy’s Sweet Treats have been recovered and returned. Peotone Police also have additional cash boxes that still need to be identified. The vehicle used in the commission of the crime has been located in Chicago.
Detective Miller is working in conjunction with detectives from area departments and reviewing previous, similar burglaries from other communities.