Surveillance video captures thieves breaking into Chicago Lawn smoke shop
Surveillance video captured thieves breaking into a smoke shop in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.
Video from inside Riggity Wrecked Smoke Shop and Novelty at 59th Street and Francisco Avenue shows two people in masks breaking into the front door using bolt cutters around 3:30 a.m.
Once inside, the suspects smashed video poker machines with a sledgehammer and pried open an ATM, but did not leave with any money.
They ran out of the business to a white SUV with a driver waiting inside. Police pull up. The suspects jump into the backseat.
The video then shows a police car pulling up as the suspects get back into an SUV. An officer opened a door to the SUV as the suspects drove off.
Riggity Wrecked owner Eduardo Zamudio said he's frustrated police did not chase the burglars despite officers pulling up as they were fleeing the scene.
"CPD can't chase them, can't even try to grab them or anything because of the city rules," he said. "They're not able to go chase the robbers. They're not able to do a car chase or anything, so they let them go in front of them as you can see in the video."
Zamudio said the same crew broke into his shop three days ago, getting away with money in that burglary.
"The cop tells us, 'Hey, we're getting close to catching them.' You had them in front of your face, why you didn't catch them? He said that he let them go, because they called it off on the radio, because they can't chase them in the car no more. They can't do none of that stuff," Zamudio said. "The police officers were mad, because they seen them in front with the weapons, with the bag, you know, trying to steal."
In response to this the Chicago Police Department referred to their motor vehicle pursuit policy, which requires officers to balance the need to immediately catch a suspect against the danger a chase could pose to the public.
"The city, man, the mayor, they need to do something about this, these aldermen, put some new rules and regulations. Let these police officers do their job," Zamudio said.
