Suspects targeting gambling machines burglarized a bar near Lake Villa and then tried to burglarize a second bar in Lake County but were interrupted by police, who they fled from at 100+ mph Tuesday morning.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 2:54 a.m. Tuesday to The Fogcutter, 36021 Route 45 in unincorporated Lake Villa, for a report of a burglary in progress.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said the 911 caller reported the offenders had already fled the scene.
They fled in a black Infiniti Q50 that had no license plates on it.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and found the video gaming machines inside the business had been burglarized.
Evidence was recovered and is being processed, Covelli said, adding that he did not know how much in cash was stolen.
A regional broadcast to law enforcement agencies was issued regarding the incident and the fleeing vehicle.
Covelli said a Lake County sheriff’s sergeant was watching a different bar and lounge that has gaming machines in unincorporated Deerfield.
The Infiniti pulled into the parking lot and the sheriff’s sergeant began approaching the vehicle.
The offenders saw the sergeant and fled at a high rate of speed, Covelli said.
The Infiniti drove at speeds well over 100 mph on Milwaukee Avenue and then Lake Cook Road.
The car eventually got onto Interstate 294 and traveled toward Chicago.
Covelli said the offending vehicle was traveling so fast that the sheriff’s sergeant and an officer from the Riverwoods Police Department lost sight of it.
It is unclear whether the offenders are the same ones who committed an armed robbery at the Gas N Wash in Green Oaks on September 9.
The clerk in that incident reported that five offenders were using sledgehammers and crowbars to break into gaming machines inside the gas station, which is open 24/7.
The suspects were all wearing masks and gloves and a sixth suspect remained outside in a black SUV.
Covelli said the offenders quickly broke into several gaming machines and a cash register drawer before fleeing the scene.
The SUV was last seen fleeing at a high rate of speed southbound on Interstate 294.
A private security guard hired by the gaming company was also present at the business throughout the incident, Covelli said.
A witness said the suspects jumped over the counter, threatened the clerk and threw a glass bottle at him as they began removing the cash register.