STORY YOUMISSED
Burglars used a dark SUV as a battering ram to smash through a North Western Avenue storefront before stealing an ATM and fleeing in a second vehicle.
Chicago Police Department officers are investigating a destructive crash-and-grab burglary that targeted a Northwest Side business early Sunday morning.
The incident occurred at approximately 3:53 a.m. in the 800 block of North Western Avenue.
Investigators report that a dark-colored SUV deliberately drove through the front entrance of the commercial property.
The vehicle collision shattered the storefront structure, granting the perpetrators immediate physical access to the interior.
Once inside, multiple individuals targeted a bank ATM located within the establishment.
The suspects extracted the ATM from the premises and loaded the heavy machine into a getaway vehicle.
Police confirmed the group fled the scene in a second dark-colored SUV shortly after securing the machine.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene to secure the damaged storefront and establish a crime scene perimeter.
Authorities reported no physical injuries in connection with the early-morning destruction and theft.
Crime scene technicians canvassed the 800 block of North Western Avenue to collect evidence and examine glass fragments left at the entrance.
Detectives are reviewing commercial surveillance footage from nearby businesses along Western Avenue to track the movement of both dark-colored SUVs.
No suspects are currently in custody, and police have not released detailed descriptions of the individuals involved in the raid.
Incident patterns involving vehicle-ramming burglaries have drawn heightened concern among local commercial property owners across the city.
Business organizers advise local storefront operators to install reinforced security bollards and position indoor ATMs away from direct glass sightlines.
Area Three detectives are leading the active burglary investigation and urge anyone with information regarding the vehicles to contact the Chicago Police Department.
