CENTRAL LAKEVIEW — A stranger wandered undetected through the Annoyance Theatre for about 10 minutes Saturday afternoon, caught only by surveillance cameras as he swiped two laptops before escaping.
Now, a place that once felt like home to its members "feels icky," said owner Jennifer Estlin. "We all sort of feel on guard, like somebody messed up this great place we feel homey in."
Estlin said the laptops cost about $3,500, equipped with software and technology necessary for the many productions that take place at the theater, 851 W. Belmont Ave.
The surveillance video shows the man entering the front door at 3:21 p.m. after an intern in an wheelchair is assisted by passersby. He then avoids the woman by taking the staircase and hiding in one of the theaters, pausing at the bar to check the cash register, which was empty.
The man then inspects the sound booths in two theaters, hiding one laptop under his shirt and grabbing another one before leaving, Estlin said. Although he left the lights off, the infrared cameras still caught him in the act, she said.
"I was just, at first, furious, and then I was freaked out because of that interaction with [the intern]. She was incredibly vulnerable. If he would have decided to hit her over the head instead of hiding in the theater, she was by herself and wouldn't have been able to escape," Estlin told DNAinfo Chicago on Wednesday.
The burglary is part of a recent spike in crime in Lakeview, including burglaries and robberies of businesses and people on the streets. Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) has promised increased police "resources," though he declined to be specific, and local businesses have been beefing up security due to the increased crime.
The theater is now taking extra precautions to avoid a repeat incident, monitoring the front door more carefully and changing its intern rotation to keep everyone safe, she said. Estlin filed a police report and is working on getting the video to detectives, but the process has been slow-going and "frustrating," she said.
The theater posted a clip of the footage on Facebook late Tuesday that was viewed thousands of times Wednesday. Estlin said she's hopeful someone will recognize the man and help bring him to justice.
"THIEF. Six degrees of separation says someone knows this guy that ripped us off on Saturday. I'd love to find out that's true. If you see him in the neighborhood, let us know!" the Facebook post said.
"That's one of the great things about social media. I'm really happy that people are motivated to try. I'd be really happy to have one less person out there we have to worry about," she said.
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