Burglar breaks into South Loop African grocery store, steals cash register full of money | VIDEO

Maher Kawash Image
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Burglar steals cash register from South Loop African market | VIDEO
A burglar broke into L'Afrique Market African grocery store overnight in South Loop and stole a cash register. The Chicago crime was caught on video.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- An African grocery store was burglarized overnight in Chicago's South Loop.

The owner of the L'Afrique Market in the 2000 block of South State Street shared surveillance video with ABC7 on Thursday.

The video show a suspect stealing a cash register, stealing hundreds of dollars.

The store owner, who remained anonymous, said the burglary happened very quickly and all of it was caught on camera. He said the suspect broke in through a back door, with using what he believes was a crowbar.

With the police station just a block away from us, we never saw this coming

L'Afrique Market has been in business for about three years near State Street and Cullerton.

The store owner said he woke up to the store's emergency alarms ringing on his phone.

"It says there's a break in," he said. "I check the camera, and I saw somebody running around through the store and checking stuff. The next thing I knew, they grabbed the cash register."

Video shows the suspect yank out the cash register as the alarms blare loudly throughout the store.

SEE ALSO | Old Town vegan bakery targeted in second burglary | VIDEO

The owner said he doesn't think he could've done anything to prevent the crime, considering he had security measures already in place and there is police precinct nearby.

"With the police station just a block away from us, we never saw this coming," he said. "We did everything right on our own side. I mean, this is Chicago. We really can't say much, but it is what it is."

The owner hopes the cameras can help police with their investigation.

So far no one has been arrested.