Masked Burglar Covers Cameras While Stealing Thousands From Tinley Pub

are looking for a burglar who wore a ski mask and covered two cameras with a towel before stealing thousands of dollars from Tinley Park Pub and Eatery this week.

The owner of the Oak Park Avenue bar called the cops Monday after an employee said a roll of quarters was all that remained in a cash box that previously contained $400 in small bills, according to the police report. When he went in to investigate, the owner found that his office door had been forced open.

Two envelopes of cash—one with $1,000 in it and the other, $4,500—were missing from "under a green hand towel on a shelf in the bathroom in his office," the report said.

The owner told police that he recently installed a digital video security system that includes 16 cameras, all with infrared capability.

The footage shows a closing bartender leaving the Tinley Pub, 17020 Oak Park Ave., , at 1:35 a.m. Monday and locking up after two patrons, the report said. Wearing a light-colored ski mask, the offender emerges at 1:40 a.m. from the kitchen area and heads behind the south bar near the cash box.

He or she walks toward the back of the business at 1:43 a.m. and uses a towel to cover a camera that has a view of the hallway. At 1:54 a.m., the towel comes off, the report said. The burglar covered a second camera at 1:55 a.m.

The offender was wearing a light-colored pullover sweatshirt, long pants, white shoes and possibly, white gloves, according to the report. Patrons told police they didn't recall anyone wearing a similar outfit.

The bartender working that night noted that she couldn't see people's pants and shoes while behind the bar, but that none of her customers were acting suspiciously before the theft.

Police collected the towel, cash box and other evidence from the scene, according to the report. The case remained under investigation Wednesday. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 708-532-9111.

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