Thieves steal ATM from gas station

By Tara Molina, Jeramie Bizzle

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A search is under way for a group of men who yanked a security gate and front door from a Grand Crossing neighborhood gas station convenience store using a pickup truck, and then stole an ATM.

The burglary happened just before 2 a.m. at the Quik Mart at the Citgo station at 7600 S. South Chicago Ave. Chicago Police said five men used the pickup truck and chains to circumvent big barricades set up in the front—and rip down the security gate and front door of the convenience store.

Once they got inside, they took an ATM with an unknown amount of money inside. It only took minutes.

The burglars then entered a black SUV, possibly a GMC Denali, and fled southbound.

The store’s owner said despite adding extra security measures, this is the second time his business has been hit—and the second time the thieves took the ATM. The owner said this time, he will have a hard time recovering.

“It happens in seconds,” said the owner of the Quik Mart, Ali. “By the time the police arrived, they’re gone with the ATMs—and they did all this damage to the gas station.”

After five months upgrading security following the last theft, all of Ali’s hard work went down the drain in just seconds.

Late Thursday, security grating with a yellow sign reading, “ATM available” was being hauled away after being damaged in the theft. Ali said an ATM will not be available at Quik Mart anymore.

“I’m going to put a big sign on the door, ‘No ATM,’ you know?” said Ali, who did not want to share his last name. “I mean, this is exactly what’s going to happen, and this is getting out of control.”

Ali said he doesn’t have unlimited resources.

“We go by the dime—trying to feed family, trying to, you know, employees that feed families too,” said Ali, “and it’s just not easy.”

Not only is this the second burglary of Ali’s Quik Mart, it is also the fourth ATM burglary this week in the city. All have involved crews of men, according to Chicago Police.

“ATMs and banks are always thought of as being places where there’s money,” said CBS News Chicago security expert Phil Andrew.

Andrew said such opportunity-style crimes typically have specific crews behind them.

“When you start seeing them in a series of these robberies, you have to really pay attention to the MO—the modus operandi—that’s how they’re doing this,” he said, “and that can often provide some insights and some clues for investigators.”

However, police will not say whether there is one crew believed to be behind the spree. Police also would not talk about what tactics are being used to prevent such crimes as more of them are seen across Chicago.

“It’s very difficult for the police to track these crimes and to make an arrest,” said criminologist and Loyola University professor Arthur Lurigio.

Lurigio said it is important to keep in mind these crimes don’t only impact small business owners.

“Smash-and-grab of the ATM, stealing the money, damaging the property is going to set that owner back,” Lurigio said. “That owner may have to increase prices.”

Calumet Area detectives continued to investigate the burglary late Thursday. Police, again, are not presently connecting it to any other incidents.

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