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El Tapatio Hit For 1st Time in 42 Years as Lakeview Crime Moves West

By Ariel Cheung | March 1, 2016 6:02pm | Updated on March 1, 2016 6:28pm
 After 41 years at the corner of Ashland and Roscoe, Cafe El Tapatio is expanding into the storefront next door, a former computer repair store.
After 41 years at the corner of Ashland and Roscoe, Cafe El Tapatio is expanding into the storefront next door, a former computer repair store.
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DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung

LAKEVIEW — A spike in winter crime during a warm start to 2016 has spread west to a portion of Lakeview left largely untouched — including the popular Mexican restaurant El Tapatio.

On Tuesday, police alerted Lakeview residents to a pattern of robberies that took place last week. The first was near Wellington and Greenview around 1:30 a.m. Feb. 21.

On Thursday, robbers struck around 4:40 a.m. in the 2800 block of North Racine Avenue. A third incident took place in Wrigleyville around 2:30 a.m. Monday in the 3500 block of North Clark Street.

The offenders have used force to steal property before fleeing on foot.

RELATED: Lakeview Winter Burglaries Highest in Years

Meanwhile, west Lakeview staple Cafe El Tapatio was struck by burglars early Monday, said Mauricio Parra, who runs the restaurant his parents opened 42 years ago.

It's the first time the Mexican restaurant has been victimized, and burglars got away with an entire weekend of deposits, Parra said. Burglars slipped in through the next-door expansion and out the back door, he said. Surveillance camera wires were cut.

"It takes a certain kind of person to go ahead and enter and burglarize, whether it's a business or a home," Parra said. "Anyone could have come across them. They literally just walked out the back door of a multi-unit building."

EARLIER: 187 Shot in Chicago in February, Nearly Triple Those Shot in February 2015

Parra has upped security measures and told employees "they shouldn't feel so confident. They could be potentially targeted," he said. Lately, he said he's heard about more crime in the area, but said he hasn't noticed an increase in police patrols.

He hopes sharing the story will convince others "to be a little more vigilant," and not base behavior on the expectation that "it will never happen to you."

"I figured since Ashland is such a heavy-transit street, you kind of think you'd have to be very brazen to commit a burglary like that, but evidently not," Parra said.

Despite the serious financial blow, Cafe El Tapatio will be OK, and renovations will continue as scheduled.

"If anything, it just makes us stand stronger. We will not let this set us back," Parra said.

More coverage:

Feb. 24: Armed Robberies in Lakeview Prompt Warning From Police

Feb. 22: Lakeview Burglaries Spike After Decade-Low Winter In 2015

Feb. 19: Lakeview Burglary Spree Continues With Six Recent Break-Ins

Feb. 2: $10K Bail for Trio That Allegedly Stole $600 Worth of Taboo Tabou Wares

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