(Above) Businesses in 300 block of North Clark Street. (Google Maps Street View.)

September 23, 2014 – Retail stores on the Near North Side are being warned of a series of early morning burglaries in September and late August.

According to a business alert issued by Chicago Police Department on Monday, burglars who gain entry by breaking the front door glass are targeting retail stores on the Near North Side. The incidents occurred early in the morning before the store opened.

Five businesses were hit between August 21 and September 22, including one in River North. An unidentified business in the 300 block of North Clark Street was broken into on September 20 at 7:16 a.m.

Police have a description of vehicles used in the burglaries. They include a mid-1990s brown and gold Cadillac, maroon Pontiac minivan, and red minivan.