Car rams into another Chicago sneaker store in attempted smash and grab robbery
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two very similar crime scenes at two high-end sneaker shops, were rammed by SUVs Thursday morning.
The alarming trend has made its way to West Town as part of the latest in a string of smash-and-grab burglaries involving cars across the city. CBS 2's Shardaa Gray reports from West Town.
Police said burglars used five cars to break into five different high-end stores over the past three days.
Boneyard has been added to the smash-and-grab list.
"We don't want any trouble. We just wanna protect what we've worked for."
Yet Boneyard in West Town has been added to the growing list of smash and grabs seen in the Tri-Taylor neighborhood and River North.
Jacob doesn't want to say his last name, but he owns the shoe and streetwear store on North Ashland.
"This pretty much happens every season around this time. They go around to all of the sneaker resale stores and they try and get what they can," he said.
Jacob said they took extra precautions because of recent burglaries.
"We had a security guard out last night. He was parked in front of the store. They surrounded his car and implied that they had guns. I mean, I know they did have guns because I saw it in the security footage," Jacob said.
On surveillance video, a black SUV belongs to a security guard. The burglars pull up behind a sedan and a second black SUV. People from the sedan walk on both sides of the security guard.
"He said that they waved a gun at him from both sides and told him to pull off. So he took off. The security guard is just another deterrent. I don't expect him to have a gunfight right here in front of the store," Jacob said.
They then ram the SUV into the building. Unable to get inside, they hop into a waiting car and leave.
Jacob said in 2021, just like Thursday morning, thieves used a car to try and get into his business but were unsuccessful.
He didn't want it to happen again, so look at the dramatic step they took two years ago adding big concrete barriers.
"We put some barricades in front of the store. We spent $2,500 to put concrete barricades in front of the store and the alderman had a problem with that," Jacob said.
The city ultimately took those barriers away.
Now some two years later, although the thieves didn't make it inside this time, Jacob said he'll have to pay at least $30,000 to fix his store.
"Insurance will cover something, but it's like any other insurance. Our rate will go up. We'll probably get dropped. We'll have to go to another company. Ultimately we come out of pocket," he said.
Jacob said they opened a smaller store a couple of blocks down and they broke into that one. He said they'll continue to increase security to protect their hard work.