In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the quiet of Chicago’s South Side was shattered when a group of brazen burglars used a pick-up truck to smash into Express Food Market on East 87th Street. This was not just another break-in; it was a repeated assault on a family-owned business that’s now teetering on the brink of closure.
Mike Abuhamdeh, the manager of the market, stood amidst the wreckage, his voice heavy with disbelief and frustration. “It looks like a tornado hit us honestly,” he remarked, surveying the damage. The facade of the building was torn away, and inside, chaos reigned where once there was order.
This incident marks the third time this month that the store has been targeted by thieves. Just two weeks ago, a similar crime occurred, and now, with the latest burglary, the owners are at a loss. “Again?” Abuhamdeh questioned, his tone laced with despair. “How many times is this going to happen? Find something else to do.”
The method of the thieves was as audacious as it was destructive. Surveillance footage captured the moment the pick-up truck was used to rip into the building, followed by the use of a chain to yank out an ATM. The video shows one of the suspects limping away, perhaps injured during the heist, while his accomplices struggled to load the ATM into the truck. In under ten minutes, they fled with an ATM containing nearly $100,000, which had ironically been replaced just the day before due to previous attempts.
The repeated attacks have left Abuhamdeh contemplating the future of the business. “Alarms are not enough, Chicago Police Department is not enough. What else do we need?” he asked, his voice echoing the helplessness felt by many small business owners in similar situations.
The owners of Express Food Market are now facing a grim decision. “We’re considering shutting down and leaving Chicago,” Abuhamdeh revealed, a statement that underscores the profound impact of crime on local businesses. The community could soon lose a staple if the situation doesn’t improve, a loss that extends beyond the immediate economic impact to the fabric of neighborhood life.
This story is not just about a burglary; it’s a narrative of resilience tested, of a community’s heart being strained by the actions of a few. As the owners board up their store, the question lingers in the air: What will it take to make businesses like Express Food Market feel safe again in their own city?
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