Video surveillance captured thief during burglary
Crusader Staff Report
Josephine’s Southern Cooking in Chatham, formerly known as Captain Hard Times was burglarized early Tuesday morning December 11.
A man was captured on the restaurant’s video surveillance system. He ransacked a back office and stole cash, a computer, two flat screen televisions, and several bikes from the basement that were part of a holiday toy drive collection that has been held for years.
The video captured the suspect in the act for at least 40 minutes. On the video, the man is seen kicking in the back door of the business just before 2 a.m.
The robber did not cover his face at all times. He did hide behind a table napkin when he ransacked the back office.
“His face is not even covered and he’s trying to tie the napkin on and it’s not long enough to really make a tie,” co-owner Victor Love of Josephine’s Southern Cooking told ABC 7 Chicago. “He took his time and he was a one man show too, he did everything by himself too, no accomplices,” said Love.
Chicago police are investigating. They said they responded to a burglary in the 400-block of East 79th Street at about 3 a.m.
An employee of the restaurant told police he entered the business through a rear door that was open. Once inside, he discovered various items worth thousands of dollars missing. Love believes the robber is somebody they have helped over the years.
“We have fed this kid, we have given this kid money,” Love told ABC 7 Chicago.
“He lives in the neighborhood. He didn’t even have a car, he was literally able to walk everything to his house and come back to get the next load, and walk it back and come back to get the next load,” Love said.
In May, 2018 when it was known as Captain’s Hard Times Dining, Josephine’s Southern Cooking was burglarized and stripped of copper wiring. Last July, the restaurant unveiled a new interior makeover when it was featured on the Food Network series “Restaurant: Impossible.”
“It just hurts when, you know, you extend that kind of love and compassion on a person and they come back and do this to you,” Love told ABC 7 Chicago.
The restaurant was open when a Crusader reporter visited on Wednesday, but Love and Mother Wade were not there. The Crusader left Love a message but had not heard back as of press time that day.
