Thief breaks into Northwest Side homes while victims sleep, police say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police issued a new alert about a thief who broke into at least five homes on the Northwest Side. In some of the burglaries, the man got in while the victims were sleeping.

The suspect has targeted five addresses in the last month in the city's Logan Square, Wicker Park, Bucktown and Noble Square neighborhoods. The burglaries happened:

-between 8:20 a.m. and 5:35 p.m. Sept. 20 in the 1300 block of North Bosworth Avenue;

-about 12:20 a.m. Sept. 22 in the 2200 block of West Charleston Street;

-about 2:15 a.m. Sept. 23 in the 2000 block of West Armitage Avenue;

-about 11 p.m. Sept. 23 in the 1900 block of West Schiller Street; and

-at 12:24 p.m. Oct. 9 in the 2300 block of North Rockwell Street.

Police said the suspect is known to wake his victim after walking into the home.

"It definitely makes me feel vulnerable. It's become more brazen, more frequent. People are getting hurt," said Nancy Ricchio, who lives in Wicker Park.

Margee Plass, who also lives in Wicker Park, said on Sept. 22, the woman who lives in the apartment below hers was targeted.

"He had climbed in through the bathroom window and went out the back door, I think. Didn't take anything, but seemed to be pretty disoriented," Plass said.

Thankfully, her neighbor was not hurt. But the next night, police said the suspect was back at it. He broke into a home in Logan Square.

Police have not yet released a detailed description of the suspect. But investigators did say he is 20-30 years old and has a light build.

Anyone with information about the burglaries should call Area North detectives at (312) 744-8263.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.