Police: Englewood burglaries target homes, houses of worship

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police say a rash of Englewood burglaries have been reported in the last couple of weeks, targeting homes and houses of worship.

Police say six burglaries have been reported since Aug. 25; one in the 7000-block of South Union Avenue, one in the 7200-block of South Halsted Street, one in the 700-block of West 71st Street and three in the 700-block of West 73rd Street. The burglaries took place at all hours of the day and night, from just before 9 a.m. to around 2 a.m.

Residents say the area is usually quite.

"That stuff ain't good," says one resident. "You don't want nobody breaking in your house and going through your things cause it's hard to get things that people have in their house."

Police say the burglar or burglars gain entry through a window or through the front or rear door by force. They say various household items have bene taken. Police also say that houses of worship have been targeted; in one burglary alarm system wiring was cut and a different burglary an industrial-size air conditioner was taken.

"Our church doors are always going to stay open to community because this is where we are," says Rev. Charee Baker of Zion Temple Church, one of the houses of worship burglarized.

The suspect broke through a barbed wire fence to steal the air conditioning condenser, but Baker says the church has dealt with this before, a couple of years ago.

"We came to church on Sunday and couldn't turn on any power," Rev. Baker says. "And we were wondering what in the world happened. They pulled all the copper wires from the ComEd pole."

The church has surveillance cameras but they did not capture the suspects.

Police describe the offender or offenders as black males, 18-22 years old, 5 ft. to 5 ft. 3 in. and between 100 and 150 lbs. with their hair in braids or dreadlocks.

If you have any information about these burglaries, contact Area South detectives at 312-747-8273.