2 Gladstone Park businesses burglarized on Christmas Eve, as more than 10 hit last few days in 16th District 

by BRIAN NADIG

Two Gladstone Park businesses, Elly’s Pancake House and New Paradise Bakery, were burglarized and a third was vandalized early on Christmas Eve, bringing the total number of break-ins or attempted ones to at least 11 since Dec. 21 in the 16th (Jefferson Park) Police District.

Since the summer some businesses in the district have been burglarized two or three times. Efforts are being made to have more patrols in the commercial corridors, and anyone with information about the recent break-ins are asked to contact the district at 312-742-4480, police said.

New Paradise, 5742 N. Milwaukee Ave., and Elly’s, 5310 N. Milwaukee Ave., were reported burglarized a little after 3 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24, after thieves apparently used a brick to break a glass door, according to police. The offenders fled in a black sedan, police said. 

A register was reported stolen from the bakery, police said. Additional details on the break-in to the restaurant were not available. 

In addition, Brandy’s Gyros, 5777 N. Milwaukee Ave., was reported vandalized on Dec. 24, police said. 

Also, Park Ridge Police are investigating a smash and grab burglary that occurred at 2:48 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24, at the Triple Scoop’d Ice Cream Shop, 801 Devon Ave.

Video surveillance cameras captured three male offenders dressed in dark clothing with hooded sweatshirts and dark face masks break out the front door window with a brick. The three offenders then entered the store and proceeded to take the cash register and immediately ran out of the store, police said.

Meanwhile, last weekend the Chicago Police Department Area 5 Bureau of Detectives issued a community alert regarding a string of business burglaries on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the 16th District. In these incidents a group of men in a dark sedan force their way into businesses by smashing a window or the front glass door and take cash register drawers containing cash, police said

The burglaries were reported at 3:35 a.m. in the 5800 block of West Higgins Avenue, 3:40 a.m. in the 4200 block of N North Milwaukee Avenue, 3:42 a.m. in the 4000 block of Milwaukee, twice at 3:44 a.m. in the 4800 block of Milwaukee, at 3:50 a.m. in the 3900 block of North Cicero Avenue, and again at 3:51 in the 3900 block of Cicero, according to police.

The three to four men were described as wearing masks, dark clothing, and gloves.

Most of the victimized businesses were restaurants or bars. A smoke shop in the district was burglarized two days ago, according to police, but additional details were not available.

The number of burglaries reported in the district this year was down 8 percent, from 314 to 289, through Dec. 15 when compared to the same period in 2023, according to police.

The offenders have been wearing face masks and often drive stolen vehicles, or cars with stolen plates, making it difficult to identify them even when surveillance footage of a burglary is available.

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