Rising ATM Thefts in Chicago: West Town Exchange Targeted in Latest Burglary

An exchange in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago was targeted by two thieves who broke into the business and stole an ATM around 2:30 a.m. on Friday morning. The incident occurred in the 1500 block of West Division Street, and witnesses reported seeing unknown perpetrators breaking glass to enter the building, taking out the ATM, placing it in a white van, and then fleeing the scene. This burglary is part of an alarming trend of ATM thefts in the area, as another exchange was broken into for an ATM earlier this year when thieves drove a Jeep Cherokee through the front window near Roosevelt and Jefferson streets. Another exchange on the city’s near West Side was also recently targeted by burglars who smashed the business’s front glass door to take a machine containing an unspecified amount of cash. The owner of this exchange noted that these break-ins have happened multiple times and it is unclear if they are related. No one is currently in custody in connection with the West Town ATM burglary, and Precinct 3 detectives continue to investigate the incident.