chicago crime

Jeep slams into West Loop clothing shop in ‘crash-and-grab'; 3rd burglary at store in 3 weeks

According to SVRN store owners Robert and David Kim, it's the third break-in the store has seen in three weeks

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Chicago police are investigating after a Jeep plowed into the store front of a high-end clothing shop in the West Loop overnight, with several individuals burglarizing the store before fleeing the scene.

According to police, the incident occurred at 3:11 a.m. in the 100 block of North Aberdeen, when the driver of a Jeep with several passengers inside struck the security gate and front door at the clothing shop SVRN.

The individuals took an unknown amount of merchandise and then fled the scene in several vehicles, police said.

Store owners David and Robert Kim told NBC Chicago the break-in at their store is the third in three weeks.

"We've done everything we could," David said. "We put barriers up, gates. Hiding our inventory in our stock room. They are still relentless enough, and no one is doing anything to stop these across the city."

David added that the burglary at SVRN — the Kim family's small business — is at least the seventh or eight break-in in the past two years.

Photos and video from the scene show a Jeep smashed through the front entrance, with shattered glass and a mangled storefront.

"All this will be coming out of our pocket," David said.

The burglary is similar to other recent "crash-and-grabs" across Chicago, including one last month where suspects smashed into a River North store in an attempt to take an ATM machine.

In October, shocking surveillance video showed a stolen SUV crashing into a sneaker store in the Tri-Taylor neighborhood, with several suspects running into the store and grabbing merchandise before fleeing the scene.

"I love this city," David said. "I have a lot of pride for this city. But I think everyone in power needs to do a better job and look out for its community. This is pretty sad."

According to police, no one was in custody, and detectives were investigating.

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