At least 6 businesses burglarized in about 90 mins. across Chicago part of string of crimes: police

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Thieves have been busy this week, knocking off businesses.

Early Thursday morning, a group smashed into a GameStop on Cermak Road, and hit El Taconazo Restaurant that's just steps away in the city's Heart of Chicago neighborhood.

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Surveillance video shows them climbing through the door, getting inside and going straight to the cash register. Cameras inside show one of the suspects trying to open the register before giving up and grabbing it.

"They just tried to take it, and it was still plugged in. So you could tell they were total amateurs. They almost fell with the register as they were pulling it out. That's all they took actually," said Jorge Arceo, with El Taconazo.

The suspect carrying the register actually dropped it, breaking it, before he scooped it up and carried it out with another suspect following him out.

The restaurant owner says they got away with very little.

"It's not really what they took. It's all the damage they did," Arceo said.

The GameStop sustained broken glass, but nothing was stolen.

A couple miles away, at Archer and Western avenues, police believe the same suspects broke into a Jimmy John's restaurant, using a brick to shatter the windows. They got away with a safe, but there is also security video that has been handed over to police.

And at Shawn Michelle's Homemade Ice Cream on 47th Street in Bronzeville, there was a similar scene Thursday morning.

The owner said the alarm company called him in the middle of the night.

When he arrived, the register was gone and even the safes had been taken.

Investigators have security camera video.

The owner says he's grateful no employees were around, but he says it makes no sense.

"Breaking into Shawn Michelle's is like breaking into your own house. We like to say, 'this is your ice cream shop. This is our community,'" Yahya Muhammad said.

CPD tracked a stolen black Infiniti they believe was being driven by the suspects, and found the car.

The Cermak burglaries were part of a string of crimes, Chicago police said.

SEE ALSO: CPD issues alert for dozens of armed robberies over last month across Chicago

In each incident, two to four men between 20 and 30 year old, wearing dark-colored hooded sweatshirts, sweatpants and ski masks, forcibly entered businesses after breaking the front glass door, Chicago police said.

Once inside, suspects stole money in safes and cash registers, CPD said.

In one incident, one of the suspects pointed a gun and threatened to shoot the unsuspecting victim as he arrived to work and entered into the business, according to police.

A stolen gray 2011 Infiniti four-door sedan and a black 2017 Infiniti four-door sedan were identified as being used by the suspects in a majority of incidents.

The crimes took place at the following times and locations:

- 3300-block of North Broadway at 3:20 a.m. on Nov. 5 (Lake View East)
- 7100-block of North Ridge Boulevard at 3:32 a.m. on Nov. 5 (West Ridge)
- 600-block of West Washington Boulevard at 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 5 (West Loop)
- 400-block of South Wells Street at 5 a.m. on Nov. 5 (Chicago Loop)
- 1900-block of South State Street at 4:58 a.m. on Nov. 7 (Near South Side)
- 2000-block of South Clark Street at 5:04 a.m. on Nov. 7 (South Loop)
- 500-block West Harrison Street at 5:40 a.m. on Nov. 7 (Near West Side)
- 6100-block of North Milwaukee Avenue at 5:04 a.m. on Nov. 15 (Norwood Park)
- 6700-block of North Northwest Highway at 5:21 a.m. on Nov. 15 (Edison Park)
- 3400-block of North Elston Avenue at 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 15 (Avondale)
- 4300-block of West Irving Park Road at 3:11 a.m. on Nov. 20 (Old Irving)
- 4300-block of West Irving Park Road at 3:11 a.m. on Nov. 20 (Old Irving)
- 4300-block of West Irving Park Road at 3:54 a.m. on Nov. 20 (Old Irving)
- 2300-block of West Cermak Road at 4:25 a.m. on Nov. 20 (Lower West Side)
- 2300-block of West Cermak Road at 4:27 a.m. on Nov. 20 (Lower West Side)
- 800-block of West Jackson Boulevard at 4:41 a.m. on Nov. 20 (West Loop)

Anyone with information should call Area Three Detectives at (312) 744-8263.

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