Burglars break into Chicago business twice in the same night

CHICAGO (CBS) — A South Loop business is searching for solutions after it was hit by the same break-in crew twice in one night, a brazen crime that was caught on video.

The break-ins happened at the South Loop Market on Michigan and Cermak.

A manager told CBS News Chicago the thieves broke one window, then another, and worked their way down and pulled merchandise out from the street. The business is out thousands of dollars.

“You know that feeling when somebody just punches you in the stomach?” said Kamila Kaf, the director of food service at South Loop Market. “That’s how it feels.”

The group broke in after 4 a.m. on Tuesday and stole as many alcohol bottles from the shelves inside as they could carry to their waiting cars. But before police arrived, they returned with a second car to do it again. They even climbed on the wall to reach the top shelf liquor.

Officers talking about the burglary on police radio traffic were concerned about where the crew might hit next. They warned units in the area to check other tobacco shops or currency exchanges to “show a little presence in the areas that they might be targeting tonight.”

The owners of the South Loop Market said they are considering installing aluminum shutters, a process that includes a lot of paperwork and a significant cost to them.

“This has been recurring,” Kaf said. “It’s not the first time they broke in here, and I’m sure it won’t be the last time.’

The damage was not confined to the market’s Michigan and Cermak location. The manager said their Van Buren shop was hit three times recently in a span of six weeks.