Burglars Devastate Lakeview Eyeglass Store
CHICAGO (CBS)—Burglars devastated a Lakeview optometrist's office early Monday, leaving thousands of dollars of damage in their wake.
Surveillance footage shows the thieves busting through the glass of Halsted Eye Boutique on the 2800 block of North Halsted around 5:30 a.m. on the morning of July 30.
The burglars tear up the shop in a matter of seconds, swiping as many frames and electronics as they can get their hands on.
Owner Joanna Slusky and her office manager, Jeimy Feliciano, told CBS 2's Jeremy Ross the thieves targeted the glass case that housed the luxury high-priced designer frames.
"You can kind of see how violent they were," Feliciano said while re-watching video of the crime. "They're just grabbing as many as they can."
After cleaning out the glass display cases, the suspects started ripping rows of display glasses off the walls and merchandise started flying around the shop.
During the short time the pair of thieves spent in the shop, they managed to grab $20,000 worth of merchandise.
Feliciano and Slusky told CBS that the thieves took high-end designer frames from brands like Tom Ford and John Varatos—specs that can cost $600 and more.
The crime left the women feeling violated. The sense of security Slusky used to feel as a Lakeview business owner has been replaced with doubt and fear.
She said it felt like her heart had shattered when she discovered her business torn apart on Monday morning.
"They just didn't just take our frames—they took our sense of security here," Slusky said.
Feliciano and Slusky believe at least one of the burglars scoped out the shop before the crime.
"That guy was here—he knew exactly where things were," Slusky said. "That just puts chills down my body."
Police say Lakeview has seen a 36 percent increase in burglaries compared to this time last year.
"You think you can protect yourself because you have a security system, yet somebody just decides to take you out in 35 seconds," Slusky said.
The investigation is still ongoing.
