Police: Thief Targeting Near North Side Parking Garages
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Dozens of cars parked in public garaged within blocks of each other on the Near North Side have been broken into, and police believe one man is behind it all.
CBS 2's Mai Martinez reports the thief hit a parking garage in the 700 block of N. Rush Street twice in two weeks, breaking into more than 30 vehicles and making off with cash and valuables. The suspect wasn't caught in the act, but he was caught on camera.
At first glance the young man looks like he might just be walking to his car in this parking garage, but an hour later, he appeared again--on foot--and calmly walks out.
What you can't see are the contents of his backpack--which likely include whatever tool he's using to break into vehicles and the valuables he's stealing from them.
Andrea Sinacola and other drivers who use the garage are now being warned to keep an eye out for the man.
"My first reaction was 'oh my gosh did my car get broken into?' What do I have in my car? How much is it going to cost to repair it?'"
Her car wasn't hit by the thief, but about three dozen others in the garage were, about eight on February 7 and the rest on February 19. Both times
the suspect was caught on camera entering and leaving the garage.
No surprise to Lynda Stein who lives in the building and uses the garage.
"You have easy access from the street, just walking in here," she said. "These doors are closed so anyone can literally walk up there."
Stein and other residents received an alert about the thief from building management, and Chicago Police sent a similar alert to other parking garages in the area.
"I'm not overly concerned, just more cautious and making sure that we do lock our cars and don't keep anything of value there," she said.
According to Chicago Police, in all of the incidents, the thief hit during the early morning hours.
