Crash-and-Grab Burglars Ram Avondale Gas Station to Steal ATM

CHICAGO, IL — In the early hours of April 15, 2026, a crew of burglars targeted a gas station convenience store in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood, using a sport utility vehicle as a battering ram to breach the building and steal an automated teller machine (ATM).

According to Chicago police, the incident occurred at approximately 2:50 a.m. in the 3300 block of North Kimball Avenue. Surveillance footage showed a dark-colored SUV backing into the storefront's glass entryway, shattering the windows and destroying the metal frame. Three masked individuals emerged from the vehicle, rushed inside the minimart, and worked quickly to dislodge the ATM from its anchors.

The suspects loaded the machine into the back of the SUV and fled the scene before police officers arrived. The entire heist took less than three minutes to complete. This burglary was part of a double-strike incident that morning and followed another similar crash-and-grab targeting a BP station in River North less than 24 hours prior.

Business owners in the Avondale area have expressed rising concern over the damage caused by these ramming attacks, which often cost more in repairs than the value of the stolen cash. Area Five detectives are currently investigating the incident and looking for connections to a broader commercial burglary ring operating in the city.