WICKER PARK — A thief kicked in the locked basement door of a popular Wicker Park coffee shop on Sunday and stole several hundred dollars in cash tips and two laptops, according to Travis Schaffner, owner of The Wormhole.
"Hey everyone, our shop was robbed today and we'd like your help. Along with some employee cash, our two shop computers were taken,'' Schaffner wrote.
He described one stolen laptop as a Macbook Air with a sticker of the cartoon character Bender from the TV show "Futurama" and the other as a Macbook Pro with various stickers.
"We are scouring for pictures to post, but right now we just need some love. Obviously there will be a reward for anyone that helps us get our stuff back," the cafe posted on its Facebook page on Sunday night.
Schaffner said the theft occurred between 4:15-4:55 p.m. Sunday at the cafe, 1462 N. Milwaukee Ave. when it was packed with customers.
"My employees are missing tips from a very, very busy weekend and I have multiple laptops gone," he said.
Though police came to the shop, Shaffner said they refused to take fingerprints.
The officers said "it doesn't fall into the range of that," Shaffner said. He later clarified that the police said, "Since you were here the entire time we don't and cannot send the evidence team."
Officer Bari Lemmon, a Chicago Police spokeswoman, was unable to comment on the fingerprint claim but confirmed a theft took place.
"A person entered through an unlocked door through the back [gate] and took property and fled. There is no description either" of the suspect, Lemmon said.
Schaffner said there are video cameras in the store and he is looking at footage to try to see the suspect. In the meantime, he is asking people to be on the lookout for the shop's two laptops.
"We'd be forever in your debt for any information leading to the recovery of our belongings. You will have (TASTY) coffee for eons and rewards shall verily be paid," Schaffner posted on Facebook.
According to Schaffner, the back gate behind the store was left unlocked but the basement door was locked and kicked in.
He said the tips amounted to a few hundred dollars and belonged to a couple of employees while the two computers and software were worth a few thousand dollars.
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