Chicago crime: Police investigate string of July 4 burglaries at Northwest Side businesses

CHICAGO (WLS) — At least seven Northwest Side businesses were burglarized in the early morning hours of July 4, when most were closed for the holiday.

An ice cream parlor has been burglarized for the second time. The perpetrators were caught on surveillance camera.

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Between midnight and 6 a.m. on July 4, three men decided to wreak havoc on the city’s northwest side, Chicago police said.

The suspect was seen in surveillance video around 4 a.m. breaking into the Chocolate Shoppe near Devon Avenue and Minnehaha Avenue.

The thieves were dressed in black and ripped the cash register off the counter before breaking the cord. They also searched the store and back room for cash before breaking into the ATM.

The suspect then moved across the street to City’s Edge and also broke into the bar and restaurant, police said.

“With everything going on in the news, I knew right away what it was. So it’s unfortunate,” said Blake Baum, owner of City’s Edge.

Baum says the burglars also stole money from them, but it’s the damage they left behind that will cost them more.

“We’re open today and we hope to be able to sell enough food and alcohol to pay for our door and all the damage,” Baum said.

Earlier in their burglary spree, the same gang broke into the Breakfast House near Belmont Avenue and Keating Avenue, breaking out a side glass door. Chicago police say that was their method of entry in every burglary, using a hammer or crowbar to break down doors and then stealing cash, safes and electronics once inside.

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It’s a violent feeling, business owners told ABC7, but it’s something beyond their control.

“Unfortunately, you always have in the back of your mind that something could happen, but again, I hope nobody is here when it happens,” Baum said. “We can replace everything. Our employees are certainly more important.”

Chicago police are still searching for the suspects, who are believed to be between 16 and 25 years old. Anyone with information is asked to call police.

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