BUCKTOWN — Wednesday's rainy and dreary afternoon did not stop three young men from popping in and out of Damen Avenue shops and, in one case, allegedly stealing a phone from a worker.
Around noon on Wednesday, a man came into Vintage Charm with two friends and asked a worker about necklaces.
"I assumed he was looking for something for a girlfriend. Guys come in here a lot for that. So I asked him, 'What are you looking for?' and he said something casual," said the worker at the shop at 1735 N. Damen Ave.
As she showed necklaces to the man, the two other men he arrived with were in a different part of the shop.
"All of a sudden he said 'OK, bye,' and they all walked out quickly, just as my co-worker was coming back from the bathroom, and she looked at the table [behind the counter] where she left her phone and said, 'Where's my phone?,'" the worker said.
The 25-year-old worker called police and reported that her iPhone 7 Plus, in a gold-colored case, had been stolen.
An officer from the Chicago Police Department's Office of News Affairs confirmed the incident and said an investigation is ongoing and there is no one in custody.
After the alleged theft was shared on a Neighborhood Facebook Watch Page by someone who saw the three men leave the store, Emily McKenney Happ, owner of Havlan & West, a boutique at 1870 N. Damen Ave., posted a photo captured on her store's security system of three men who had been in her store around 11:50 a.m. Wednesday.
"They came in; one walked to the back while the other two were picking up jewelry. I was trying to keep an eye on all of them. I'm not sure if they took anything," Happ said.
The worker at Vintage Charm said she recognized the three men by their outerwear — a gray sweatshirt, a tan jacket and a bright blue jacket. The worker said they were all about 18 to 20 years old.
Happ said that along with posting a photos of the three men on a Facebook page for Bucktown residents, she sent an email alert to shop owners on Damen Avenue.
"We are very aware and always communicating with each other on what's going in," said Happ, who said she has experienced thefts at her store in the past.
Happ added, "I'm unfortunately prepared. It's sad I have to have Mace and a panic button."
