The crimes happened on the city's Northwest Side in the afternoon at the beginning of October; the first in the 1800-block of West Dickens Avenue on Oct. 2 at 03:25 p.m.; the second just half an hour later in the 2200-block of North Leavitt St on Oct. 2 at 03:55 p.m.; and a third on Oct. 4 at 3:30 p.m. in the 2000-block of West Churchill St.
In each case, Chicago police said the burglars forced their way into the houses through a side door.
Richard Phillips' home security system captured 18 seconds of video of the burglary of his house on West Dickens that have rocked him to his core.
He said when he returned home from work on Oct. 2, he found his house ransacked and the lock snapped clean off the back door.
"In the video it looks like one of them is carrying a firearm and that to me was just the most unsettling part. My sister was just here with her 3-year-old, and the thought of my family coming to some kind of harm is just terrifying to me," he said.
They didn't stay long, but it was enough.
"You feel really vulnerable, really kind of violated. They went through my drawers. They went through my bathroom drawers, I assume looking for drugs," he said. "They just kind of left it a mess and took off."
Police said the same trio of masked men broke into another home on North Leavitt just half an hour later, which was also captured on video.
Burglars took money, jewelry and any items of value. In the North Leavitt burglary, the thieves took an entire safe.
They were seen driving off in a 2005 Silver GMC Savana Van with Illinois registration plates 102028PV. Police said the van has a "huge dent" on the rear.
Burglars wanted for ransacking NW Side home | VIDEO
Between the license plate, freeze frames and bits of surveillance video, investigators are hoping to thwart the team that's terrorized Bucktown residents.
Police are looking for any more surveillance video or images of the van that could help.
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