Police are asking the public to remain vigilant after more commercial burglaries occurred in multiple Lake County towns early Tuesday morning amid an ongoing spree that has already affected a myriad of businesses.
The businesses burglarized in Tuesday’s spree include Fatmans, 36309 Skokie Highway in unincorporated Gurnee; Kasa Amigos Mexican Restaurant, 895 East Grand Avenue in Lake Villa; Dulce Margaritas, Subway and Rosati’s Pizza at the Country Faire Plaza at Route 120 and Route 45 in Grayslake; Wingstop, 813 East Belvidere Road in Grayslake; Panda Chinese Restaurant, 845 East Belvidere Road in Grayslake; Pizza Hut, 5326 Grand Avenue in Gurnee; and Subway, 5350 Grand Avenue in Gurnee.
The Khayat Family, who owns Fatmans, told Lake & McHenry County Scanner that their restaurant was ransacked at around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The burglars used a rock to smash the doors and a window on the west side of the building.
The group entered the building and stole two cash registers, which did not have cash in them.
Staff is continuing to determine what other merchandise was stolen, the Khayat Family said.
The restaurant’s burglar alarm went off, prompting the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to respond and find the restaurant burglarized.
Deputies notified the owners of what happened.
“The way they responded so quickly was very impressive,” the family said.
The family was thankful that none of their staff was hurt, adding that they usually arrive at the restaurant early in the morning to begin prepping for the day.
Staff at Fatmans were left feeling uneasy about what happened, but the business is continuing to keep its doors open.
The family said that if they had to close, it would carry a heavy burden not only for them but also for their staff who rely on Fatmans for income.
“It carries the weight there,” the family said.
Fatmans has previously been burglarized, but the family said it has been quite some time since that happened.
The family said the community has “wrapped their arms around us” with the outpouring of support so far on Tuesday.
Fatmans is the family’s longest-running business, serving delicious pizza, burgers, and wings for over 30 years.
The iconic restaurant is popular in the Gurnee area and offers a wide array of food and drinks mixed with entertainment like a volleyball court and a live music stage.
The restaurant just kicked off its opening week for volleyball. You can learn more on the restaurant’s Instagram page @fatmansgurnee and their Facebook page @fatmansgurneeil.
Martin Ruiz, who owns the Kasa Amigos Mexican Restaurant in Lake Villa alongside his wife, said two people, who appeared to be juveniles, broke into their restaurant at around 2 a.m. Tuesday.
The burglars pulled up in what appears to be a black 2011-2015 Hyundai Elantra, according to surveillance video provided by Ruiz
Police said that the Hyundai had already been reported as stolen from different areas of Lake County.
The pair used a rock to smash the front door and run into the restaurant.
One of them yanks the cash register, which had about $300 in it, while the other looks for items to steal, the video shows.
The burglars both appear to be younger male blacks wearing hoods, masks, gloves, black pants and black shoes. One of them was wearing a blue and black jacket, while the other was wearing an all-black jacket, the video shows.
“Welcome, please notice that the area is under surveillance,” the restaurant’s security system announced, which did not appear to faze the burglars.
The pair ran out of the store after spending around 15 seconds inside.
The one who stole the cash register sets it on the hood of the Hyundai before briefly checking his right shoe, while the other runs west towards the nail salon attached to the strip mall.
The pair then gets back into the Hyundai and flees the scene.
Ruiz didn’t learn about what happened until he woke up and saw video notifications on his phone from the restaurant’s security system. He then called the Lake Villa Police Department.
When Ruiz got to his restaurant, he saw that Lake Villa police officers were already processing evidence at the scene.
Ruiz said his restaurant was the only one burglarized in the plaza.
The restaurant’s floor was left damaged from the rock used to smash the door, and one of Ruiz’s point-of-sale computer systems and internet cables were damaged during the burglary, forcing the restaurant to remain closed on Tuesday.
Ruiz said he will reopen on Wednesday and has already received lots of support from the community.
Ruiz opened Kasa Amigos in June 2025, and the restaurant has never been burglarized before.
Kasa Amigos offers traditional recipes made from scratch ingredients that will “transport your taste buds straight to Mexico.” Some of the restaurant’s most popular items are their sizzling fajitas and their best-selling quesabirrias.
Everything is made fresh in the restaurant to offer an authentic Mexican cuisine experience, Ruiz added.
Lake Villa Deputy Police Chief James DeCaro confirmed to Lake and McHenry County Scanner that they are investigating the burglary at Kasa Amigos as well as a burglary early Friday morning at Sammie’s, 216 North Milwaukee Avenue in Lake Villa.
“Police investigators are working together to identify and arrest those individuals responsible. Area residents and business owners are encouraged to remain vigilant, report any suspicious activity, and ensure their properties are secure to deter potential burglaries,” DeCaro said.
Police are asking anyone with information about the burglaries to come forward.
Witnesses who observed suspicious activity in Lake Villa or have photos or video are encouraged to call the Lake Villa Police Department at 847-356-6106.
“We take these burglaries seriously and are committed to identifying those responsible,” Lake Villa Police Chief Rochelle Tisinai said.
“We urge business owners and community members to share any video or tips that could help our investigation,” Tisinai added.
Candy Albarran owns the Dulce Margaritas restaurant at the Country Faire Plaza in Grayslake.
Grayslake-Hainesville police officers on patrol noticed the burglaries at the shopping plaza, prompting them to call Albarran and other affected business owners at around 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Albarran rushed to the scene after receiving the call.
Two suspects in a Hyundai, who appear to be the same suspects from the other burglaries, used a rock to break into the restaurant through the front door, Albarran said.
The pair stole the cash register, which had an undisclosed amount of cash inside.
Albarran said that the burglars used the same rock to break into the Subway and Rosati’s Pizza in the plaza.
The restaurant is temporarily only accepting credit and debit cards and exact cash due to the burglary.
Albarran said the Grayslake-Hainesville Police Department has been “very attentive” and “working hard” on the case.
“When I arrived on the scene, they were very supportive,” Albarran said. “They walked me through my business to look around for further damage.”
The officers also helped Albarran clean up the broken glass and continued to increase their police presence in the plaza.
Despite the burglary, the restaurant is keeping its doors open and continues to serve authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
“We want to let our community know that we are OPEN and continuing to serve you. Your support means everything to us right now,” Dulce Margaritas said on their Facebook page @dulcemargaritas.
Albarran opened Dulce Margaritas 21 years ago in Grayslake.
They’re known in the community for their enchiladas verdes, baja and cali-style tacos, churro sundaes, and margaritas.
Tuesday’s burglaries come after at least eight businesses in Gurnee and Lindenhurst were burglarized over the weekend.
Those burglaries or attempted burglaries occurred early Saturday morning at the Grand Mill Plaza at the southwest corner of Grand Avenue and Route 21 in Gurnee and at the Lindenhurst Center off Grand Avenue and Sand Lake Road in Lindenhurst.
Legacy Salon.spa, Gurnee Donuts, The Honey Baked Ham Company and Bubble Tea Lab at the Grand Mill Plaza were broken into at around 4 a.m. Saturday.
At the Lindenhurst Center, Domino’s Pizza, Chopstix Chinese Restaurant and Subway were broken into at around 3 a.m. Saturday, while the burglars attempted to break into Lucia’s Taqueria but were unsuccessful.
In all eight instances, the burglar or burglars threw a rock or brick to force entry through the front doors and specifically targeted cash registers.
Lindenhurst Police Chief Melinda Linas confirmed to Lake & McHenry County Scanner that detectives are investigating the four burglaries in their town.
Police from Gurnee and Lindenhurst are working together to confirm whether the burglaries in both towns are related.
“LPD’s investigator has been in contact with Gurnee PD and continues to gather all evidence to thoroughly investigate and bring justice to our business community,” Linas said.
The Gurnee Police Department has not yet released information on the four burglaries at the Grand Mill Plaza and in other locations in the village as of Tuesday evening, but they are expected to issue a statement soon.
Surveillance video provided by Gurnee Donuts and Bubble Tea Lab shows a masked burglar throwing a rock or brick at the front doors of the businesses, running in, and attempting to steal the cash registers.
The burglar is seen in the videos wearing a mask, hood, green gloves, blue puffy coat, gray sweatpants and black shoes.
Another suspect, who also appears to be a male, is seen wearing all black. That suspect appeared to be acting as a “lookout.”
A car, which appears to be a sedan, was also parked outside as a getaway vehicle, surveillance video shows.
Kevin Lee, who is one of the owners of Gurnee Donuts, told Lake & McHenry County Scanner that the burglar went through their cash register, but nothing of value was stolen.
“We are upset, but good,” Gurnee Donuts said on Facebook.
Dozens of people from the community showed up to buy donuts on Saturday in a show of support, with some even signing the boarded-up door with messages of encouragement.
“We had lines out the door until noon with an outpouring of support from everyone,” Lee said.
Big Ed from Big Ed’s BBQ in Waukegan also showed up to pay for customers.
“He is a great human being and thankful to have him in this community,” Lee said.
The popular donut store first opened in Gurnee in 1994 and has been a staple in the area since, even enduring through a fire that caused significant damage in 2014. They are famously known for their award-winning “ube” donuts.
“It was really awesome seeing how much the community came out to show their support this weekend,” Lee said. “From the bottom of our hearts we just want to say thank you to everyone.”
The owner of Bubble Tea Lab, who goes by Sam, told Lake & McHenry County Scanner that he was notified of the burglary by a call from his neighbor, Majestic Dental.
“This is insane,” Sam said. “It’s not possible.”
Bubble Tea Lab’s surveillance video shows the burglar throwing a rock through the front door, running in, and spending a few seconds trying to take the cash register, before quickly running out when he was unsuccessful.
A couple of floor tiles were damaged by the rock that the burglar used to break the door.
Sam said that responding Gurnee police officers helped clean up the damage.
Sam, who also owns Kyoto Ramen three doors down, said his business has never been burglarized in the three to four years they have been open.
He said that the Gurnee Police Department has been proactive in conducting checks at the businesses and notifying owners if their doors are unsecured.
In addition to Gurnee, Bubble Tea Lab has locations in Libertyville and Mundelein.
They offer around 250 selections of delicious bubble tea and a wide array of smoothies, teas, and coffees. Bubble Tea Lab is independently owned.
Libertyville was Sam’s first bubble tea store. He said he helped bring a special tiger sugar ingredient from Taiwan to bubble teas in Chicagoland, which quickly gained popularity.
Joe, who is one of the owners of Legacy Salon.spa, told Lake & McHenry County Scanner that he was surprised when he got a call in the morning of the burglary.
The burglar or burglars stole two of the salon’s cash registers, totaling about $3,000 to $4,000 dollars.
“It’s a shame,” Joe said, adding that the shopping plaza has always been a successful place where businesses come together.
Legacy Salon.spa opened in Gurnee a little over six years ago, and the salon is independently owned. Their skilled stylists offer a wide range of salon services, like haircuts, hair treatments, perms, retexturing, and nail care.
Joe has been active in the hair salon industry in Lake and Kenosha counties, helping manage The Salon Professional Academy in Kenosha.
Joe added that he is most thankful that no one was hurt in the burglaries.
“Thank God no one was hurt,” he said.
Joe appreciated the Gurnee Police Department for helping his store board up the damage.
Lake & McHenry County Scanner reached out to the managers at Honey Baked Ham, but we have not yet heard back.
It’s unclear what exactly was stolen from Honey Baked Ham, but one of their front doors was broken into.
Brian Moran, the owner of Lucia’s Taqueria at Lindenhurst Center, said his business was lucky because their door did not completely break when the burglars threw a rock at it, preventing them from entering.
Moran thanked the Lindenhurst Ace Hardware for boarding up his restaurant and the other three in the plaza for free.
Moran said he opened the Mexican restaurant about nine months ago with the goal of crafting quality and healthy food in-house, even if it costs him more to make. The kitchen uses fresh lemons, limes, oranges, and other ingredients.
The restaurant offers a host of authentic Mexican dishes, from tasty tacos, fajitas, and slow-roasted carnitas to their popular churros.
The rock that was supposedly used to try to break into Lucia’s Taqueria was left at the scene.
Management at Chopstix, Subway and Domino’s did not provide details of the burglaries to Lake & McHenry County Scanner on Sunday evening.
It’s unclear what exactly was stolen from Chopstix, Subway and Domino’s, but the front doors to all three businesses were broken into.
A myriad of businesses in Lake County have been burglarized in recent weeks so far.
On April 14, five businesses were broken into at a strip mall in the 3900 block of Washington Street on the east side of Gurnee.
The burglars in those instances also targeted cash registers.
In Waukegan, burglars used bricks to break into the front doors of numerous businesses, also targeting cash registers.
In Round Lake Beach on April 16, multiple suspects smashed the front door of Moshis Tobacco and Vape off Rollins Road and stole merchandise.
It’s unclear how exactly the string of burglaries is related to each other, but the majority involve suspects using rocks to force entry into businesses, with a specific target on cash registers.
Several police agencies in the county are continuing to investigate the burglaries.
Lake Villa Police recommend that business owners take the following precautions to enhance security:
- Preserve and share any surveillance footage of the dates and times of burglaries
- Review exterior security camera angles and increase retention if possible
- Secure cash with safe drops or remove cash from registers when closed
- Install or reinforce glass protection
- Ensure alarms and lighting are functioning, and consider audio or visible alarm warnings
- Immediately report any suspicious activity to 911
“As a reminder to the public, if you come across a crime, do not approach, confront, or block their exit. Immediately maintain a safe distance, call 911, and report their location, appearance, and vehicle details to police,” Lake Villa Deputy Police Chief James DeCaro said.
Lake & McHenry County Scanner has reached out to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Gurnee Police Department and Grayslake-Hainesville Police Department for additional details on the burglaries in their respective jurisdictions.
If you are a business owner who has been affected by the recent burglaries in Lake County and would like to be featured in upcoming news stories, please email [email protected].