On one hand, you know times are tough when burglars are willing to brave man-eating tigers to pull off a low-end caper... On the other hand, WTF do you have to do to protect your stuff if you already have man-eating guard tigers and still suffer break-ins? That is the quandary for Lincoln Park Zoo officials after some seriously brave/stupid thieves broke into the Kovler Lion House early Saturday morning and assumedly (since nobody reported blood or chewed up limbs at the scene of the crime) lived to tell the tale. more ›

On Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, intruders broke into Silver Cross Field--home to the Joliet JackHammers, a Northern League baseball team--and stole 16 LCD flatscreen TVs that had recently been installed in the luxury suites. To get into the ballpark, the robbers cut surveillance camera cables and broke open a gate. more ›

A Sauk Village man was charged on Friday for a March 2009 burglary after police matched blood from the scene of the crime to his DNA, Chicago Breaking News reports. more ›

Police have arrested a man in connection with a Monday morning burglary that Sgt. Alan Haymaker was responding to when he crashed his patrol car and died. Larry Brown was arrested on one count of felony burglary but there have been no murder charges filed against Brown. Earlier this week, Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis mentioned murder charges would be considered in the case. But upon Brown's arrest, Cook County State’s Attorney spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said, "There is not sufficient legal basis to charge the offender...in connection with the death of Sgt. Haymaker. While we certainly understand the pain and anguish felt by the Chicago Police Department in the wake of this tragedy, we don’t have the evidence that would be required to meet the burden of proof to sustain a felony murder charge.” more ›

As the Chicago Police Department reels from the death of 21-year department veteran, Sgt. Alan Haymaker, CPD Supt. Jody Weis is mulling murder charges for burglary suspects who he suggest should be held responsible for Haymaker's death. Haymaker died early Monday morning when he lost control of the vehicle he was driving down Lake Shore Drive and slammed into a tree. He was responding to a reported burglary at a cell phone store in the 3100 block of N. Clark Street. Weis says that he's now in talks with the Cook County state's attorney's office about possibly charging the burglars with felony murder should they be caught. Said Weis, "Under Illinois statutes it appears they could be charged with murder... that is something I think that we'll be looking at with the state's attorney's office. But I think it's something that we certainly will consider." Experts the Tribune talked to seemed skeptical about the possibility such charges would stick because it would have to be proved "the burglar should have foreseen his actions could cause the death of a police officer responding to the burglary." more ›

The New York Times published an article today about people who don't lock their doors. Yes, there are still people in New York City and around the country who don't bother to carry keys or lock their doors. Many of them live in high-rise buildings with doormen or in small towns, but many are also just unconcerned. One San Diego resident quoted in the article says, "I don't feel locking the door would make a difference. They could get in through the windows." He makes a good point. more ›

Despite allegedly having a lead and even executing a search warrant in the case of stolen files from the offices of attorneys representing Rod Blagojevich, police turned up nothing in their search over the weekend. Well, almost nothing. After executing the search warrant on his apartment, police arrested 41-year-old Calvin Ware for unlawful use of a weapon, a misdemeanor. Police found a loaded sawed-off shotgun, which Ware admitted owning, along with additional rounds. Still, Ware was not charged with anything relating to the burglaries though his apartment was searched in connection with the crime. more ›

It seems as if some burglars in West Rogers Park had to make due with some shampoo after they failed to gain access to a jewelry store. Police investigated a burglary at Dilshad's Hair Design but discovered the thieves had tried to dig through the wall and into a neighboring jewelry store, N.P. Jewelers. One problem: they weren't able to get the hole big enough - only a few inches across on the N.P. Jewelers side - before an alarm sounded. Unlike the Lincoln Square burglars from last week, these guys seemed to sorta know what they were doing. Peter Chandani, owner of N.P. Jewelers, told the Tribune the hole opened up into the shop at one of the few places along the wall that weren't blocked: "They may have scoped it out. They must have done their homework." The Trib's report continues: more ›

A stolen semi containing more than 1,200 cases of liquor was found on the South Side on Monday. The truck was reported stolen around 12:30a.m. on Friday from a National Wine & Spirits in Indiana, according to Sgt. Matthew Mount. Two men allegedly wearing ski masks commandeered the delivery truck by gunpoint after attacking the truck's driver and handcuffing him and throwing him in an empty trailer of a parking lot. After the two men drove off, the driver exited the trailer and called for help. The truck was recovered over three days later at the 12000 block of South Avenue O in Chicago and two men were arrested. It is unknown if the liquor was still in the truck when it was found. Rumors have been circulating that the 1,200+ cases were headed to Chicagoist Editor-in-chief Marcus Gilmer's house for a Halloween party. more ›

Some criminals learned this lesson the hard way recently and wound up ditching their attempted loot because the safe they tried to swipe was too heavy. Police were called late last night to a Lincoln Square office building (5653 N. Lincoln Ave.) and found the front door of the business busted open and the office "ransacked." But, 40 feet away, the office's safe lay unopened on sidewalk. Fox 32 has the details: more ›

On July 9, an unidentified person called the victim and directed her to a building in the 200 block of South Michigan Avenue, according to a police press release. The victim notified police, who accompanied her to that location and recovered the violin. The case and bows were also recovered.

Local violinist Lori Ashikawa had her rare 18th century violin, two bows, and a case stolen from her home near the corner of N. Wayne and W. Foster on Monday night. The burglar used a key hidden in a planter outside the door - by the way, as soon as you're home, you should change where you're hiding your spare key - and crept up a couple flights of stairs to steal the violin, all while Ashikawa and her husband slept, which gives us the willies to think about. more ›

According to a story in the Huffington Post, the seemingly random home burglary in California of Republican Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon March 4 may have some Chicago ties - and some political ones as well. more ›