CHICAGO — Another high-end North Side retailer was the victim of a smash-and-grab robbery Saturday afternoon, police said.
Burglars have targeted a number of stores in Old Town, Lincoln Park, the Gold Coast and Streeterville in recent weeks.
The most recent incident occurred Saturday afternoon in Gold Coast, according to Officer Jose Estrada, a Chicago Police spokesman.
Around 12:30 p.m., police responded to a call of a theft at a high-end retailer in the 800 block of North Rush Street, Estrada said.
Two men and two women stole several high-end watches from a glass case before fleeing the scene, Estrada said. The watches were reportedly worth $250,000.
Last Monday, purses worth approximately $100,000 were stolen from another high-end retailer, Estrada said, citing preliminary information.
Around 5 a.m., police responded to a burglary alarm in the 1600 block of North Wells Street in Old Town and found signs of forced entry and broken glass, Estrada said.
No one is in custody for either incident, and investigations are ongoing.
There have been at least four other incidents since the beginning of August, according to a news release. All of them have occurred during early hours when stores are closed.
On September 20, a theft was reported in the 300 block of North Clark Street around 7:15 a.m. A day earlier, there was a theft in the 1800 block of North Clybourn Avenue around 6:30 a.m.
On September 15, a theft was reported in the 0 block of East Oak Street at 3:49 a.m., and on August 21, another one was reported in the 800 block of North Michigan Avenue at 4:27 a.m.
The thieves have reportedly used a mid-1990s brown or gold Cadillac, a maroon Pontiac minivan and a red minivan, among other cars, according to the release.
Police are encouraging businesses to install good quality burglar alarm systems and glass treatments like break-resitant acrylic and polycarbonate plastic to prevent burglars from forcing entry.
Those who may have witnessed a crime like this should contact Area Central detectives at 312-747-8384.
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