Crash-and-Grab Crew Rams SUV Into Western Avenue Vape Shop, Steals ATM
A dark SUV crashed into a Western Avenue vape shop early Sunday, letting thieves steal the ATM and flee in a second vehicle.Summary
At approximately 3:53 a.m. on Sunday, a dark-colored SUV rammed through the front entrance of a vape shop in the 800 block of North Western Avenue. Multiple suspects then removed the store's ATM and escaped in a second SUV, with no injuries reported. Chicago police are investigating the burglary, reported by ABC7 Chicago. This incident closely mirrors a similar crash-and-grab scheme in Irving Park just five days earlier, where suspects rammed SUVs into multiple businesses including a gas station to steal an ATM before escaping in a second vehicle. Vape and smoke shops along North Western Avenue have been targeted before, including a May 2024 incident at Smoke N Snack in Logan Square. The article also notes that in December 2025, police issued a community alert for Wicker Park and Logan Square after a crash-and-grab crew targeted businesses including a Carhartt storefront. Chicago has installed over 40 protective steel bollards along Michigan Avenue, but such protections have not reached every corridor. Under Illinois law, commercial burglary causing property damage is a Class 2 felony carrying three to seven years in prison. Chicago Police Department CompStat figures list 7,865 motor vehicle thefts year to date. It remains unclear whether the SUV was stolen, and no arrests had been announced as of Sunday.
(Source：Hoodline)
