Repeat Offender Arrested Again for Slot Machine Burglaries

Yong Suk Lee, a 36-year-old man from Palatine, finds himself back in police custody after a brazen attempt at burglary landed him in handcuffs once again. This time, Lee was caught walking out of a Little Village gas station with a crowbar in one hand and a slot machine cash box in the other—right into the waiting arms of officers who had stopped by for a drink.

What makes this arrest even more shocking is the fact that Lee was already on pretrial release for similar charges. It seems that Lee’s affinity for slot machine burglaries knows no bounds.

The incident occurred near 28th and Pulaski, where patrol officers pulled into a Mobil station for a quick break and witnessed Lee exiting the store with the stolen loot. Lee made eye contact with the officers, seemingly unfazed by his incriminating possessions.

When questioned by the officers, Lee reportedly remained silent and offered his wrists for handcuffing without protest. Inside the store, Lee admitted to taking the cash box from one of the slot machines, which was found with its screen bent down to access its internal components.

Lee now faces two counts of burglary and one count of felony criminal damage, adding to his already lengthy rap sheet.

But this latest arrest is just the tip of the iceberg for Lee. He was previously charged with a series of similar offenses, including breaking into gaming machines with a crowbar and making off with thousands in cash. Last fall, Lee allegedly stole $1,800 from a bar slot machine on North Pulaski and over $5,000 from a gas station slot machine on West Belmont.

In a separate incident, Lee was involved in a group burglary at a Shell station on North Sheridan, where he and two others used crowbars to break open gaming machines and steal $4,000 in winnings. Police were able to apprehend all three suspects, including Lee, at his residence.

Currently held at Cook County jail for violating the conditions of his pretrial release, Lee’s penchant for slot machine burglaries has once again landed him in hot water.

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