Chicago Duo Caught Burglarizing Two Restaurants in One Night

Two men accused of burglarizing a Loop restaurant together were caught doing it again - twice, prosecutors say.

Josiah Crout and Shawn Bowman Williams, both 19 years old, are back in jail after Chicago police officers allegedly caught them breaking into Cafecito in the early hours of August 10. Officers on patrol spotted two people with suitcases looking through the windows of the restaurant, according to a CPD report.

One of the cops recognized Crout from a previous burglary arrest and knew he had an active warrant. The officers circled the block and pulled through an alley, where they allegedly saw Williams hit the restaurant's glass door, causing a loud banging noise. Backup officers arrived, and they arrested both men.

A search of Crout's suitcase turned up a tablet, an ice-cold bottle of Coca-Cola, and an open bag of Jimmy John's potato chips, police said. Williams' suitcase allegedly held an ample supply of ice-cold Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Dasani bottles, along with multiple packages of sliced ham and cheese wrapped in clear plastic.

Officers contacted dispatch and learned that a burglar alarm had gone off moments earlier at a nearby Jimmy John's location, where someone had removed the front entrance door glass. Surveillance video from the store showed Crout and Williams breaking into the restaurant, police said.