Chicago police investigating three overnight burglaries at pharmacies in Ravenswood, Bronzeville, Lakeview East
Three Chicago pharmacies were hit by burglars overnight. Police have not yet connected the three burglaries, but small business owners said this crew has hit them more than once and cost them thousands in damage. One owner said it's the third break-in at their business this month.
Dr. Ashok Shah, a physician at Montrose-Ashland Medical Center in Ravenswood, said burglars broke through the glass door and were in and out within three minutes.
In business for 35 years, Shah said they had never dealt with a break-in or a burglary until last month, and now their family-owned pharmacy has been hit three times in less than a month.
"As soon as I got the police call, I knew what happened. So this time, I was not surprised," he said.
Burglars also broke into a Mariano's grocery and pharmacy on King Drive in Bronzeville. Police said a man pried the door open around 5 a.m. Friday.
Thieves also broke into AHF Pharmacy on Halsted Street in Lakeview East, breaking the front glass door to get inside.
In the burglary at Montrose-Ashland Medical Center, the crew caught on camera didn't get away with any controlled drugs, stealing only over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol and cough medicine.
"They don't have any controlled substance," Shah said.
Loyola University professor and criminologist Arthur Lurigio said, like shoplifting, burglaries like these impact more than the businesses hit.
"I have discussed this with Walgreens administrators as well as administrators at other pharmacies," he said. "Over the years they've increasingly put locks on goods that were more likely to be shoplifted; also, for them to stop selling certain medications or other products."
Shah said, after three burglaries, they have already replaced their glass and now they're upping security measures to prevent this from happening again as police investigate.
"Hopefully, that will discourage them to get into the pharmacy," he said.
Police didn't have anyone available to speak about the targeting of these pharmacies, but said they're actively investigating all three of the incidents overnight.