Southport Corridor Burglaries: Chicago PD Issues Citywide Alert 2026

Key Points

• The Chicago Police Department issued a city-wide bulletin following the occurrence of no less than 17 smash-and-grab burglaries in less than an hour at daybreak on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
• The majority of the crimes took place at businesses along the Southport Corridor (Lakeview/Wrigleyville) and at Elston Plaza (Avondale), with other break-ins reported at Bucktown and McKinley Park.
• The suspects would break into the shops by smashing the windows or the glass doors of the stores, entering and, in some instances, stealing the cash registers, as was seen at Bombastic Café where it took only 20 seconds.
• Five suspects dressed in dark clothing were seen making their way in a small grey sedan and information can be submitted to CPDTIP.com under reference 26-CWP-024.
• Owner of business, Candyality, Nayeli Robertson-Garcia and owner of Chesa’s Bistro, Chesaree Rollins detailed damages and losses and stated that some registers were empty while others were taken.

Southport (Liverpool standard) September 02, 2026 – Chicago police issued an alert after a coordinated string of smash-and-grab burglaries hit multiple North Side businesses within about an hour early on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, with the Southport Corridor and Avondale’s Elston Plaza among the hardest-hit areas. In each incident, suspects broke windowpanes or glass door inserts, entered retail stores, restaurants or bars, and attempted to take money or cash registers before fleeing, according to police and business owners.

How many businesses were hit and where did the burglaries occur?

Police listed 17 incidents across several neighbourhoods, with clusters in Lakeview’s Southport Corridor and in Avondale near Elston Avenue and Addison Street, and additional break-ins reported in Bucktown and McKinley Park. CBS News Chicago documented eight break-ins on a two-block stretch of Southport Avenue between Byron Street and Waveland Avenue, while the police account referenced six on that same stretch, indicating some variance in counts across sources.

In Avondale, three businesses at Elston Plaza were targeted between 1:45 a.m. and 1:53 a.m., including O’Reilly Auto Parts, Chesa’s Bistro and Bar, and Jimmy John’s, according to owners and police. ABC7 Chicago and WGN-TV both published police timelines showing incidents in the 2700 block of North Elston Avenue, the 3200 block of West Addison Street, the 1400 block of West Irving Park Road, the 3700 and 3800 blocks of North Southport Avenue, the 3200 block of North Clark Street, and the 3100 block of North Halsted Street.

What do surveillance videos show about the break-ins?

Surveillance footage from Bombastic Café at 3732 N. Southport Ave. showed a thief entering, grabbing a cash register and leaving in about 20 seconds, illustrating the speed of the operation. At Toons Bar & Grill, 3857 N. Southport Ave., video captured three suspects approaching the front, one using an object to smash the glass door, entering, emptying the cash drawer and departing. ABC7 Chicago reported that at one Lakeview location, masked individuals threw a hard object at a window, ran off when an alarm sounded, then returned with a table to break through the glass before one person went straight to an open but empty register.

Which businesses were targeted along Southport Avenue?

Along the Southport Corridor, businesses hit included Bombastic Café, Blue Bayou (3734 N. Southport Ave.), Candyality (3737 N. Southport Ave.), Kai Sushi (3819 N. Southport Ave.), Tamed Salon (3821 N. Southport Ave.), Byron Cleaners (3855 N. Southport Ave.) and Toons Bar & Grill, according to CBS News Chicago and other outlets. Candyality owner Nayeli Robertson-Garcia told CBS News Chicago the burglary was a first for her shop; thieves broke in and tried to empty the register but left it behind. The Music Box Theatre and the Mercury Theater are also located on that stretch, though reporting focused on the retail and hospitality venues struck.

What happened at Elston Plaza and other locations?

In Avondale, a manager at O’Reilly Auto Parts said thieves got away with cash, while Chesaree Rollins, owner of Chesa’s Bistro and Bar, said suspects smashed windows and took an empty cash register. ABC7 Chicago and WGN-TV both listed three incidents in the 3200 block of West Addison Street at 1:51 a.m., 1:52 a.m. and 1:53 a.m., consistent with the Elston Plaza cluster. Social media documentation also showed Modern Grill at 3171 N. Halsted St., at Belmont Avenue, was hit during the same early morning window.

Who are the suspects and how are police investigating?

Chicago police described the burglars as five people wearing dark-coloured clothing who fled in a small grey sedan, a detail repeated across multiple outlets. As reported by Victor Jacobo of CBS News Chicago, police urged anyone with information to contact Wentworth Area detectives at 312-747-8384, Belmont Area detectives at 312-744-8263, or Grand Central Area detectives at 312-746-7394, or to submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com using reference #26-CWP-024. ABC7 Chicago and WGN-TV similarly directed tips to Area One, Area Three and Area Five detectives, reflecting the multi-district nature of the investigation. No arrests were announced as of Tuesday afternoon, and police said property was taken from at least one location, with some break-ins resulting in damage but no theft.

Background: What is the recent pattern of commercial burglaries in Chicago?

The latest alert follows a spring and summer run of overnight commercial burglary sprees on the North Side, with the 19th District (which covers Lakeview and the Southport Corridor) issuing multiple formal alerts in March, April, May and June, according to Hoodline. Separately, Chicago police have issued repeated warnings about a different suspect linked to store robberies on the Northwest Side since late July, including a third community alert on August 25 that added suspect images after additional holdups, per CWBChicago. The coexistence of these patterns underscores ongoing pressure on small businesses from fast-moving, opportunistic thefts and more targeted robbery sequences across different parts of the city.

Prediction: How could this development affect North Side businesses and residents?

If the spree signals a repeatable tactic, North Side businesses may face higher insurance premiums, increased spending on reinforced glazing, alarms and after-hours staffing, and potential knock-on effects on late-night foot traffic if patrons perceive elevated risk. For residents, the immediate effect is likely to be heightened vigilance and more police visibility around commercial corridors, while longer-term outcomes will depend on whether investigators link the incidents to a specific crew and secure arrests that disrupt the pattern.