South Side store targeted by crash-and-grab burglars for 3rd time in month, owner says

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A group of burglars crashed a pick-up truck into a business on the South Side Wednesday morning, Chicago police said.

Crews are now boarding up Express Food Market on East 87th Street after the family-owned business was targeted once again by thieves early this morning.

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Surveillance video shows the criminals causing thousands of dollars in damage and stealing an ATM in a matter of minutes.

"It looks like a tornado hit us honestly," Express Food Market manager Mike Abuhamdeh said.

Abuhamdeh said the future of his family-owned convenience store on the 1800-block of East 87th Street is unclear after it was hit by a group of thieves.

"Again?" Abuhamdeh said. "It's all you think about. How many times is this going to happen? Find something else to do."

Abuhamdeh said this is the third time just this month and the second time in two weeks criminals have broken in.

"Heartbroken," Abuhamdeh. "I mean all of our hard work. Third time in a month. Unbelievable, unbelievable."

This time, new surveillance video captured the moments the criminals used a heavy-duty pick-up truck to rip the facade from the building before using a chain to tear an ATM from the store just before 5 a.m.

Video shows one of the suspects limping after the ATM was taken from the market as the other two suspects struggle to pick it up and place it in the truck bed

In less than 10 minutes, the suspects were gone with an ATM that store owners said had close to $100,000 inside.

The owners said that ATM was just replaced Tuesday too after other crews of thieves tried to take it earlier this month.

Abuhamdeh said he doesn't know what else to do to protect his store as he considers what's next for the business.

"Alarms are not enough, Chicago Police Department is not enough. What else do we need?" Abuhamdeh said.

The owners of Express Food Market now said they are considering shutting the store down and leaving Chicago.

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