A burglary crew consisting of approximately a dozen masked and gloved suspects forced entry into two businesses in Lake County, causing over $100,000 in damage and getting away with an unknown amount of cash.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded shortly after 4 a.m. Friday to Fatmans, 36309 Skokie Highway in unincorporated Gurnee, for a burglar alarm activation.
Surveillance video showed more than 10 offenders inside the business, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli.
The offenders forced entry through the front glass door and broke into several gaming machines and an ATM, Covelli said.
The sheriff’s office responded a short time later to a second commercial burglary in progress at the Gas N Wash, 14010 West Rockland Road in Green Oaks.
Covelli said surveillance video again showed more than 10 offenders inside the business.
They were armed with hammers and sledgehammers and were breaking into gaming machines.
Several tools and other items were left behind inside the business and in the parking lot, Covelli said.
Those items have been collected and are being submitted to the crime lab for analysis.
“We believe this group is suspected of being involved in dozens of gaming machine burglaries throughout the Chicagoland area,” Covelli said.
The incidents appear to involve a large group of offenders targeting businesses with gaming machines and using tools such as hammers and sledgehammers to break into the machines.
“We are hopeful the evidence recovered during the second burglary will provide additional information and help us identify those responsible, as well as potentially connect this group to other similar burglaries,” Covelli said.
Sheriff’s detectives are working closely with investigators throughout Lake County and the collar counties to share information and pool their resources.
Christian Khayat, an owning partner of Khayat Enterprises, which operates Fatmans, said 11-15 suspects who were wearing masks and gloves committed the burglary at his restaurant.
They had vandalized the entire gaming area inside Fatmans, including five gaming machines, an ATM and two computer stations.
Each video gaming machine is worth $25,000 and the ATM is worth $15,000. Khayat said the damage was likely just under $150,000, not including the cash stolen, as the machines are damaged beyond repair.
Khayat said that the burglary crew involved is fast, getting in and out of his business before police arrive. The first deputy arrived approximately seven minutes after the alarm activated.
No one has been apprehended and Khayat said he feels there needs to be something done to apprehend them, adding that investigators have linked the crew to approximately 130 burglaries.
Khayat blamed Illinois policies when it comes to not pursuing offenders involved in property damage crimes. “It does unimaginable damage to the business owners and their sense of safety in our community.”
Fatmans was previously burglarized earlier in the summer where they vandalized the bar area and computers. One person was questioned but released.