Smash And Grab Thieves Target Uptown Deli; Owner Says Same Crooks Have Broken In Before

CHICAGO (CBS)--An early morning smash and grab burglary at a North Side deli was caught on camera, and the owner believes it isn't the first time the thieves have targeted the store.

The owner of the deli is speaking out only to CBS 2 about the damage to his business.

Two thieves used a brick to smash through the door of Uptown Deli in the 4700 block of North Sheridan Road just before 4 a.m.

The owner told CBS 2's Meredith Barack he believes the duo has been here before, committing the same exact crime.

"The first time was the most shocking," Mo Abuhashish said.

The deli owner said, after getting a phone call from a Chicago Police sergeant about another break-in, he's now more annoyed than anything.

"No one wants to deal with it, but it seems like it's part of it now, it's part of the job now," he said.

Especially because he believes the men seen in surveillance video of the burglary are the same people who broke into his deli on June 16.

The video shows one thief rush behind the counter to grab things from a shelf behind the register. Then both come back to load even more things into bags.

Abuhashish said they took off with several packages of cigarettes.

"They just come and break the door, and then take what they want," he said.

Abuhashish said he hopes this video is what leads to their arrests, because he fears they will strike again.

"I've got a good feeling they'll get caught this time. I mean, this time, one of them had no mask; I mean a really stupid criminal. The first time he was a lot smarter. This time, I was like, oh wow, they do get dumber. They do get dumber," he said.

No one was in custody late Friday morning. Anyone who recognizes the thieves is asked to call Chicago police.