An ATM theft occurred in the West Town neighborhood in Chicago on Friday morning when two thieves broke into a currency exchange. The incident took place just after 2:30 a.m. in the 1500 block of West Division Street. Chicago police responded to a burglary report and found the front door of the business broken with shattered glass.
An eyewitness informed the police that the culprits broke the glass, took the ATM machine, carried it to a white van, and then fled the scene. This crime is part of a growing trend of ATM thefts. Prior incidents include a similar theft in January when an ATM was stolen from another currency exchange and last month when a currency exchange on the city’s near West Side was targeted. The owner of this latest burglarized business reported that it had happened five times before, with the thieves breaking the glass door and taking the machine containing an unspecified amount of money.
There is uncertainty regarding the connection between these burglaries. The suspects involved in the West Town ATM theft remain unidentified, and no arrests have been made yet. Area 3 detectives are currently handling the investigation. Jeramie Bizzle, a digital news producer at CBS 2 Chicago, reported on this incident.