CHICAGO, IL – January 21, 2024 – A Northwest Side jewelry store was broken into early Saturday, Chicago police said. The crime was caught on surveillance video.
The burglary took place just after 1 a.m. Saturday. The subject broke through the front door of the business before going directly to the display cases, smashing through them with a hammer before getting away with tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry.
“I think he was ready,” said Wioletta Anikiej, Vice President at the jewelry business that was targeted. “He knows about the entire store.” You give your whole heart, and someone stole your stuff. It’s very heartbreaking” said Wioletta Anikiej, store owner
The burglary happened within seconds. The seemingly calculated crime left shattered glass throughout the floor and the store owners’ decades of hard work reduced to broken dreams within seconds.
“His first idea was straight to the watches,” Anikiej said. “He’s been in this store, definitely.”
Security video showed a masked subject break into the business. He was also seen rushing to and smashing through several display cases and loading up a black bag with expensive watches.
Police arrived to the scene roughly 30 minutes after the robbery.
The display cases were left empty following the most recent break-in, and the owners said similar incidents have happened before.
“We try and work so hard here, right? Seven days a week,” Anikiej said. “You give your whole heart, and someone stole your stuff. It’s very heartbreaking.”
The burglar left the store the same way he came in. “It’s hard to say why people are doing this,” Anikiej said. “We just questioned ourselves all day, and it’s not our first time we’ve gotten robbed. For the last six years, that’s already four times, so we just start asking ourselves should we continue this business.”
After he exited back through the front door, police said the subject ran north. Area 5 detectives continue to investigate. No further information was immediately available.”
Click here to view video footage and read the source for this post, written by Tre Ward.
If you have any information regarding this subject, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.