Video captures burglars breaking into video gambling machines at Lincoln Park liquor store
Chicago police are investigating a burlgary targeting the video gambling machines at a liquor store in Lincoln Park early Tuesday morning.
Chicago police said three people broke the front glass door of Lincoln Park Food and Liquor, in the 2400 block of North Clark Street, just before 3:15 a.m.
Surveillance video of the burglary shows the suspects attempting to open a video gambling machine to get to the cash inside while the others stole cigarettes, liquor, and lottery tickets. Debris was left throughout the store.
Police said the group took merchandise and money before fleeing in a white sedan.
The business' video gambling machines were virtually brand new, and owner Anil Patel, said they won't be staying after the burglary.
"This may be the target," he said. "So, that's what we just rid of this now. We don't want these machines."
Patel said it was the third burglary or burglary attempt at the store in the past three months, each time causing thousands of dollars in damage. In March, thieves stole an ATM from the store.
Area Three detectives were investigating.
Burglary crews have been targeting video gambling machines across the city suburbs for months – with thefts in Cicero, Oak Lawn, Dolton, Elmwood Park, and the South Loop.
Cicero police have dedicated a special unit to the problem.
"We've been addressing them both within the Cicero Police Department as well as regionally in cooperation with other outside agencies," Cicero Police Supt. Thomas Boyle said last month.
Cook County Sheriff's police said they have participated in two joint operations with suburban police departments this year targeting burglaries involving video gambling machines.
"The Sheriff's Office became involved because of an apparent connection between gaming machine theft and retail theft based on information gathered by our Organized Retail Crime Unit. As a result of these operations, 10 individuals have been arrested for crimes related to burglary, including two for the burglary of a gaming machine location in Midlothian," Sheriff's office spokesman Matt Walberg said in a statement. "Additionally, Sheriff's Police detectives opened investigations into 16 burglaries at gaming machine locations in unincorporated Cook County since late 2024. Detectives were able to secure charges in one case, and the remaining 15 investigations are ongoing."