Early Thursday morning, a crew of burglars targeted six small businesses along the 2100 block of West 95th Street in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago. Police say the suspects smashed front glass doors or windows between 3:46 a.m. and 4:08 a.m., entered the stores, and in several cases removed cash from registers before fleeing.
Businesses Affected
The establishments hit include Southtown Health Foods (2100 W. 95th St.), Jayde Beauty Supply (2110 W. 95th St.), Essential Creations (2112 W. 95th St.), Alexander Carter Corp. (2108 W. 95th St.), Kolors Chicago (2144 W. 95th St.) and Dez Deme House of Styles (2142 W. 95th St.). Some owners reported only property damage, while others, such as Southtown Health Foods, also suffered cash losses.
Impact on Small‑Business Owners
“If you have to replace your front window or front door, that’s thousands and thousands of dollars for a small‑business owner,” said Alderman Matt O’Shea (19th Ward). He noted that many of the affected shops are still recovering from the pandemic, and an unexpected expense of a few thousand dollars can threaten their ability to stay open.
Katie Speh, general manager of Southtown Health Foods, said this was the fourth time her family’s store has had a window broken since 2020, but the first instance of burglars actually taking money from the cash registers. “You basically have to build it into your business plan, which is really sad,” she added.
Essential Creations owner Sandtricia Andrews‑Strickland, who has run the shop for 13 years, estimated the break‑in will cost her more than $1,000 in repairs and lost cash. “It’s gonna take a minute for recovery time; the stress and being violated, it’s really difficult,” she said.
Police Response and Arrests
Police cameras captured a vehicle leaving the scene shortly after 3:40 a.m. Surveillance footage shows at least four individuals exiting the car, breaking windows with a hammer, opening cash registers, and pocketing cash before returning to the vehicle and driving west on 95th Street. The crew then circled back within minutes to hit additional stores.
Following the incident, detectives identified a vehicle believed to be involved and pursued it early Friday morning. Multiple persons of interest were taken into custody, though the Chicago Police Department has not released further details about the suspects.
Alderman O’Shea said he hopes the arrests will lead to charges, but cautioned that the legal process may take time. The police department issued a community alert on Thursday, warning residents of similar burglaries that have occurred across the Northwest Side this week.
Community Reaction
After the break‑ins, the affected business owners gathered outside their storefronts in the early morning hours. Andrews‑Strickland described the scene as “devastating,” adding, “This has got to stop; this is all over the city. We are just small businesses trying to be a beacon in the community, and we are just being violated like this.”
Local officials and neighborhood groups are urging increased police patrols and faster response times to deter future smash‑and‑grab crimes that threaten the livelihood of small‑business owners in Beverly and surrounding neighborhoods.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
