WICKER PARK — A thief was caught on video smashing a storefront window of a new hobby shop for drone enthusiasts and making off with at least one "quadrocopter" — a flying robotic camera called a "Phantom" — before fleeing as alarms blared.
The incident took place early Tuesday morning at 312UAV, 1261 N. Paulina St.
312UAV's owner, Stan Miskiewicz, who provided DNAinfo Chicago with footage of the crime, said he thinks police "might already have a lead on who it might be."
"It's Chicago. Things like this happen," he added.
Alisa Hauser says it's the first drone robbery she's heard about:
Miskiewicz is sharing video footage of the theft, hoping that someone can identify the crook. Around $2,000 worth of inventory, including a Phantom quadrocopter and a few other items, were taken, he said.
Early Thursday, Officer Jose Estrada, a Chicago Police Department spokesman, was not immediately able to provide an update on a description of the burglar, but he confirmed that Shakespeare District police responded to a burglary alarm at the storefront around 5:40 a.m. Tuesday.
Miskiewicz, who was a professional photographer in the 1980s and had a studio on North Avenue before leaving Chicago to live in Europe for several years, said "back in the day, there was quite a bit of crime, but the area has turned for the better."
"The reception to the store has been wonderful so far from local neighbors. Wicker Park is a great neighborhood," he said.
312UAV, a new hobby shop for drone or quadrocopter enthusiasts [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
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