Thief caught on cameras stealing from Skokie van

SKOKIE, Ill. (WLS) -- A couple in north suburban Skokie is hoping someone will recognize the thief who was caught on camera breaking into their work van and stealing all their tools.

The thief took his time, making trip after trip after trip, his hands full of tools and equipment. The van he broke into belongs to a plumbing company that's a family-owned business, and if they don't have any tools then they can't do any work.

Emina Alijanovic said the thief stole thousands of dollars of tools from her husband's van. It was parked at their home near Skokie Boulevard and Lee Street.

The theft occurred around 4 a.m. on Sunday. No one else was around. The man is seen on the surveillance footage going back and forth, trip after trip, his arms loaded down with stolen items.

"He took about four or five trips, from my husband's truck to his vehicle, transferring tools," Alijanovic said.

Alijanovic thinks her husband's van might have been targeted.

"There was a van parked two down from my husband's van and he didn't even look at that vehicle, he just came right to my husband's vehicle," she said.

The camera didn't catch a clear shot of the thief's face, but police are hoping someone knows something and will call them.

"We are confident with the public's help we will catch this guy," Alijanovic said.

She said she didn't expect to get the tools back, so her husband is buying new ones. And she reminded people to stay alert and pay attention to their surroundings.