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Burglar Strikes Torta Haus, Latest In Series Of Lakeview Break-Ins (VIDEO)

By Ariel Cheung | May 4, 2016 5:38am

LAKEVIEW — A burglary at Torta Haus early Tuesday might be connected to a slew of break-ins in south Lakeview.

The Mexican eatery at 926 W. Diversey Parkway was struck around 2:20 a.m., according to video surveillance footage of the incident. The video shows a person using an object like a crowbar to crack the front door's glass before kicking it out so he can climb inside.

SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH THE FULL VIDEO BELOW

He first attempts to force the door open with the crowbar around 2:14 a.m. before returning with a medical face mask a minute later and cracking the door's glass.

After glancing around, the man uses his foot to kick in the glass, making room for him to crawl into Torta Haus.

A burglar uses his foot to kick out the front door's glass at Torta Haus early Tuesday. [Screenshot]

A burglar grabs the cash register drawer at Torta Haus before making his exit. [Screenshot]

It takes less than a minute for him to grab the cash register drawer and run out at 2:21 a.m.

The Tuesday burglary is the latest in a series of incidents in Lakeview, police said Wednesday. Five commercial burglaries since April 26 involved offenders shattering glass windows or doors to gain access.

Two burglaries the night of April 26 took place in the 3400 block of North Clark Street and the 3100 block of North Broadway. After midnight April 28, a burglary was reported in the 4400 block of North Broadway. The fourth incident took place between 6 p.m. and 3:15 a.m. in the 2800 block of North Clark Street.

The Torta Haus burglar's clothing also matches descriptions of a burglar in the area who recently hit at least two other restaurants, police said. Detectives are investigating whether the incidents are connected.

In the video, the burglar is wearing a white baseball cap with a red brim, jeans with wide patches of distressing on the sides and a black jacket with what appears to be a PellePelle panther on the back.

The other restaurants have low-resolution, black-and-white video footage of the burglaries, but having color video cameras makes the job much easier for police, Torta Haus owner Robert Medina said.

"Don't just get cheap cameras," he advised other business owners. "I know it's an expense, but it's something you just can't overlook anymore."

Medina opened Torta Haus in January, switching from his former Mexican restaurant in Oak Park. Thinking he was in a safer neighborhood and annoyed by an overly sensitive door alarm, Medina said he let security slip in the days leading up to the burglary.

That'll be changing after Tuesday; Medina said he'll be installing more sensors around the door and adding an alarm that will made a loud noise during a break-in, which police advised him to do.

While he's still happy to be in Lakeview, Medina said the perception of the North Side can give people a false sense of security.

"I didn't expect [the crime] in this area, but then again, you should expect it because that's where the money is," he said.

Two weeks ago, someone broke into four cars, including Medina's, along Diversey. While his neighbor scared the perpetrator off, no one called 911.

"I know people don't want to get involved, but at what point do you say enough is enough?" Medina said. The burglar "knows nobody is going to come, and that's why he's so ballsy. People don't want to get involved."

Watch video surveillance footage of the burglary:

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