Surveillance video released from Lakeview burglaries

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A burglary alert has been issued in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood and police hope surveillance video could help identify the person or people who broke in the store during overnight hours.

Police say burglars gained entry by smashing glass windows and doors. Four businesses have been burglarized along Broadway and Clark.

Surveillance video shows a man breaking a pane of glass in the garage door front of Clark Street Sports store to gain entry on July 6th. But he did not immediately enter the store; instead, video shows him waiting around, possibly to see if an alarm will sound.

"I saw a male character pop open our window with some type of object in his hand," says Edgar Reyes of Clark Street Sports. "He actually left for 15 minutes and came back 15 minutes later through the same window."

Cameras capture the man casually perusing the merchandise before making his selections.

"He took money from our store and then came back three different times to take merchandise," Reyes said.

Ten days later and eight blocks south, the Lakeview Smoke Shop was hit. Surveillance video shows a masked man hopping over a counter, grabbing the cash register, then disappearing into the darkness.

Four businesses have been burglarized in the Lakeview neighborhood in July. Each of the burglaries happened between 1:15 a.m. and 4:15 a.m. In each of the cases, the burglar got in my smashing glass on a businesses' front door or window.

In this relatively safe North Side neighborhood it's cause for concern.

"I wouldn't say it scares me, but I would just hope a lot of these businesses become more aware that it happens around here," Reyes says.

Detectives have not said if they think the same person or people are responsible for all of the burglaries. Ther