5 East Hyde Park businesses hit by burglars in 3 hours on Chicago's South Side
Chicago police are investigating a string of five burglaries just hours apart at businesses in the East Hyde Park neighborhood, four of them on the same block.
The burglaries happened between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Tuesday; four of them were on the 1600 block of East 55th Street, and the fifth was in the 1600 block of East 56th Street.
Surveillance video shows what appears to be three young men wearing hoodies, masks, gloves and using flashlights as they make their way to the register inside Huaraches Mexican Restaurant on 55th Street.
"They were here about 3:04 and then before 3:05 they were gone. It was like 50 seconds," owner Andres Rangel said.
During those 50 seconds, the trio also entered the office area. Finding nothing, they headed to other businesses.
In all, police said the crew was responsible for five burglaries in about three hours on two blocks of Hyde Park.
At The Security Shop, the burglars were interested in taking safes that were for sale. Apparently one of the safes became too heavy.
"The police found it somewhere either under the viaduct or Lake Park, so it was damaged. We can't do anything with it," The Security Shop manager Phares Davis Jr. said.
The thieves also hit Thai 55 Restaurant, stealing $100 in cash, and causing $2,000 in damage to the glass doors.
The crew also broke into Kikuya Japanese Restaurant, a fixture in Hyde Park for more than two decades.
"We were shocked! For how many years we've been here, it happened like that," Eusebia Wejakij said.
The burglars took about $800 from the register and a cash box.
"We try our best every day to do that, our business," Wejakij said.
Racquel Fields, owner of the brunch all day restaurant, Dawn, echoed that sentiment. Burglars left that business with just $200.
"We all feel like this is one of the jewels of the city, and we want everyone to continue and perceive it as such, and come out and dine with us, and support us with their time and their efforts, and shop with us," Fields said.
The victims of the burglaries said they really hope the young people involved in these crimes find something to do with their lives.