Men caught on video stealing catalytic converters in broad daylight in Chicago's West Ridge neighborhood
A group of men was caught on camera Sunday taking catalytic converters in broad daylight in Chicago's West Ridge neighborhood.
A woman who lives on the block said it all happened on Talman Avenue near Glenlake Avenue, at the back of Green Briar Park. She took video of the men driving off.
Neighbors say such crimes happen all the time in the area — but this one was especially brazen.
In the video, the men are seemingly unbothered — even when neighbors say they are going to call police.
A group of three men wearing masks get into a car and drive off — but not before one of them puts what looks like a catalytic converter in the trunk with a huge thunk.
That man is then seen closing the trunk and getting in the passenger seat. Before he does so, he puts up his middle fingers to flip the bird at the neighbor who explained that she is calling police.
"Boom, boom, boom, one, two, three — and that was it," said Sara Coronado.
Coronado has lived on the block for three years, and said she has seen such thefts numerous before around her block. But she has never seen it happen at 10:30 a.m.
"Usually happens in the middle of the night — 3,4 in the morning, sometimes as early as 6," she said.
At first, Coronado thought the noise of the catalytic converter theft was related to an ongoing construction project.
"They went in, they sawed it, because it was really loud," she said. "We thought it was construction, because they've been doing construction here."
She went on to find out it was the same crime she has witnessed many times before.
"You just don't trust anybody anymore," Coronado said, "no matter where you park your car."
Earlier this month, Chicago Police warned of catalytic converter thefts miles to the south in Wicker Park and Humboldt Park. In West Ridge, neighbors say they report the thefts.
But Sara Coronado said nothing is being done to help fix the problem.
Neighbors were also concerned that such a crime happened alongside a popular park on a busy Sunday morning.
Nearby Green Briar Park is a small neighborhood park with a historic fieldhouse featuring a gym and an auditorium, as well as basketball and tennis courts, two junior baseball fields, and a playground and spray pool. The park offers an assortment of programs from athletics to music lessons and lapidary.
But Coronado said such a busy environment does not stop thieves from stealing catalytic converters in plain sight right alongside the park.
"There's frustration, because nothing's obviously being doing about it. This continues to happen," Coronado said. "As busy as the park may be, it really doesn't happen — so that's the frustrating part."
CBS News Chicago asked police what happened when they showed up to the scene Sunday, but they said no report was generated and the case was closed on scene.
