Chicago Police Link Series of Scooter Thefts on North Side
Police say the suspect carves out scooter ignition systems to ride them away; investigators are asking residents to report tips to Area Three detectives.
Overview
- Chicago police issued a community alert tying seven electric-scooter thefts across North Side neighborhoods to a single suspect and asking the public for information.
- Officers say the thief disables or carves out scooter ignition systems to bypass key starts and then rides the scooters away during daytime or early evening hours.
- Thefts listed by police span Lake View East, Uptown, Roscoe Village and two recent incidents in Lincoln Square between June and August.
- Police described the suspect as a white man in his 50s seen wearing a white shirt, blue shorts and a fanny pack and asked anyone with information to call Area Three detectives at 312-744-8263 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com using crime pattern number P26-3-028.
- Local reporting says reader-submitted incidents suggest the pattern may be broader, and outlets note a 2025 prosecution of a repeat scooter thief as context for recurrent micromobility thefts in Chicago.