Chicago police have issued a warning to business owners and contractors regarding a group of armed men who are posing as construction workers to target work vans in downtown and North Side neighborhoods. The burglaries have taken place over the past week while workers were inside buildings carrying out construction or maintenance tasks. In one particularly alarming incident, an offender pointed a short-barreled rifle at a victim who confronted the thieves.
According to the CPD, the crew is breaking into vans by smashing windows in order to steal expensive tools that are kept inside. If breaking the windows does not grant them access to the tools, the crew then resorts to using saws to cut the vehicle’s locks.
The police have linked the crew to break-ins at several locations, including the 600 block of West Lake Street in the West Loop, the 300 block of West Kinzie Street in River North, and the 200 block of East Pearson Street in Streeterville, among others.
The offenders are described as two to four Black men, aged approximately 30 to 40 years old, and standing between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet 2 inches tall. They are often seen wearing all-black clothing and occasionally don fluorescent work vests to blend in with construction environments.
Anyone with information about these incidents is urged to contact Area 3 detectives at 312-744-8263 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com using reference number 25-CWP-032.
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