Recently in Theft / Robbery Category

Facebook is becoming a Chicago police officer's best friend. In the past, it has been used to identify battery suspects and has provided potentially self-incriminating evidence.

Now, Chicago woman Theresa Unkrur says the thieves who broke into her home four days before Christmas and stole several items, including a MacBook computer, may have unintentionally posted their photo on her daughter's Facebook page, reports the Chicago Tribune.

A 16-year-old is in critical condition after police say she and her two friends went on a joyride in a stolen Lexus SUV and crashed the car, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The alleged joyride occurred Tuesday morning when the owner of the Lexus reported seeing one of the girls driving his stolen car. The vehicle had already gone through a bumpy ride, reportedly crashing into a parked Bentley. During the police pursuit, officers say they saw the 24-year-old man get behind the wheel sometime before the vehicle crashed into a pole in River North.

Choosing to commit a crime is risky. Choosing to commit a crime against a mixed martial artist is just plain stupid.

Anthony Mirada’s face is now a testament to what happens if you try to rob a 6 foot 2 inch, 250-pound MMA fighter. Miranda reportedly tried to steal money from the fighter, identified only as “Justin,” while he was parked in his car, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Miranda is currently in jail on $350,000 bail for charges of armed robbery and aggravated discharge of a firearm. His mug shot, complete with bright purple bruises and two black eyes, has also been circulating as a warning to criminals who try to attack the wrong victim.

A South Side church priest known for his work battling violence and poverty in the community was beaten and robbed in his own rectory, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Reverend Daniel Mallette was attacked around midnight on Tuesday by two robbers reportedly dressed as ninjas. The 80-year-old priest was allegedly dragged out of his bed and beaten with a blunt instrument.

The robbers eventually fled with $600 after Mallette told them the location of a safe in his bedroom closet, leaving the elderly priest with broken bones and a swollen face, according to Tom Dart, Cook County Sheriff and a parishioner of Mallette’s church.

In the movie The Town, the bank robbers wore nun masks. In Point Break, they were the former Presidents. Now in Chicago, we have masked horror movie villains robbing tow truck drivers.

There have been two reported Michael Myers robberies this month in South Side’s Englewood neighborhood, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. If you don’t know, Michael Myers is the masked serial killer from the Halloween movies.

Chicago White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams returned home and noticed that someone had been living in his luxurious downtown townhouse. Similar to Godilocks, someone had slept on Williams’ bed. In addition, someone had ate his food, worn his clothes, and even defrosted a lobster for what would have been a special dinner.

After calling the cops, the police found a homeless man peering through the townhouse windows wearing a fur coat belonging to Williams, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. That man has been charged with residential burglary.

Paul Evans and three of his buddies apparently decided they needed something from Burlington Coat Factory. Unfortunately, they didn't have any money. So the group decided to rob and beat Evans' grandparents at their home in Crete.

For robbing his grandfather, the 19-year-old grandson will spend the next 12 years in jail, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Stupid criminals. Here is just one example: burglar laptop photo leads to arrest of 43-year-old Dominick Harvey.

Last month, a burglar broke into two homes in Riverside. The thief stole cash, jewelry, and computer equipment, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. The police did not have a suspect until they recovered an Apple Macbook Pro that the thief had stolen. And on the laptop -- a photo of the thief himself.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is calling on Chicago police to crack down on flash mobs responsible for five weekend attacks in the upscale Streeterville neighborhood. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, a group of 15 to 20 young men were responsible for a series of crimes that included beating and robbing victims, pushing cyclists into the lake, and dragging people out of cars and taxis.

Rahm Emanuel believes that these flash mobs are gathering via social networking tools like Twitter and text-messaging reports the Sun-Times. And while the social media phenomena of youths gathering together to commit some group activity like spontaneously dancing in a mall has existed for some time, the violent turn taken by the mob in Streeterville is particularly alarming.

Motor vehicle theft is up 23 percent in Chicago according to an FBI study, while all other crime is down. The FBI study which analyzed reported crime data showed a decrease in murders, robberies, assaults, property crimes, larcenies, and burglaries in Chicago from 2009 to 2010. Motor vehicle theft was the only category to have an upward trend.

The FBI study showed a continuing downward trend in Chicago crime over the past few years. Last year, Chicago police reported that overall crime decreased 8.8 percent from 2008 to 2009. Ironically, in last year's study, motor vehicle theft actually fell 18 percent.