Burglars Steal $20,000 In Bikes From Cycle Smithy In Lincoln Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- At high speed, and on a mission, some very determined thieves have been targeting high-end bicycles in Lincoln Park.
Around 4:30 a.m., burglars broke windows to get inside Cycle Smithy near Clark and Fullerton. Once inside, they cut the locks off the bikes, getting away with about $20,000 in merchandise.
Cycle Smithy owner Mike Mattei said this is the second time he's been hit, and he believes it's part of a large ring behind dozens of burglaries.
"It wasn't just, 'Oh, we're picking daisies,' and walking out the door. They cut my security bars, locks, broke the glass, came in, and then cut more locks on bikes I had inside that were locked up," Mattei said.
On Friday, thieves targeted Well Fit Performance in West Town, stealing a total of 11 bikes, ranging from $3,500 to $10,000 each. It was the third break-in at the cyclist training center in recent months.
The manager said she thinks the same three men are responsible. The store has added extra security, including bars on the windows, and locking bikes to the ceiling, but it hasn't been enough.
"Our owner's going to have to sleep here. I mean, that's the only way that we can really secure the location. It's really frustrating, because we're a small business and this is really hurtful to our customers," manager Erin Hutt said.
Employees at Well Fit said they hope hearing the burglars will help police trying to solve the case.
