Chicago's air bag theft problem

Chicago Sun-Times — Jun 12, 13:00 PM

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Good morning, Chicago. ✶

🔎 Below: Air bag thefts are booming in Chicago, but police have made only one arrest.

🗞️ Plus: Feds drop charges in a hospital fraud case, our sports columnist visits Hammond and more news you need to know.

📝 Keeping score: https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-y/" target="_blank" >The Cubs beat Colorado, 9-3.

The White Sox game washttps://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-j/" target="_blank" > rained out and postponed to Aug. 20. https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-t/" target="_blank" >The Sky fell to Indiana, 114-106.

📧 Subscribe: https://newsletter-hub.suntimes.com/" target="_blank" >Get this newsletter delivered to your inbox weekday mornings.

⏱️: An 8-minute read

TODAY’S WEATHER ☀️

Sunny with a high near 82.

TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎

Maeve Priestley, 26, sits in her Honda with the Club over her steering wheel after having her airbag on Monday, June 9, 2026, in the Dunning neighborhood.</p><p>Manuel Martinez/WBEZ — Maeve Priestley started using a bar to protect the steering wheel of her Honda Civic after her air bag was stolen.

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-h/" target="_blank" >1,200 crimes, 1 arrest: Chicago police fail to address boom in air bag thefts

By https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-k/" target="_blank" >Zoe Singer, https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-u/" target="_blank" >Keenan Chen and https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-o/" target="_blank" >Sophie Sherry

Air bag theft surge: Chicago saw more than 1,200 air bag thefts reported in the first four months of this year.

Between 2023 and 2025, there were only 70 such thefts, according to police data.

Thieves smash car windows, swipe air bags and sell them on the black market for a few hundred bucks. Amid this year's surge, the Chicago Police Department has suspended air bag theft investigations more quickly and virtually all of the cases have gone unsolved.

1 arrest: The one man charged with stealing air bags this year has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, meaning he won’t be convicted if he meets conditions imposed by the court. A police spokesperson says theft investigations "often take time and can be difficult to solve without video or forensic evidence."

Where it's happening: Lake View has seen the most air bag thefts.

Together with West Town, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, Humboldt Park and Avondale, just six neighborhoods accounted for 42% of all reported thefts citywide.

The reason for the surge is not yet known, but it's clear Hondas are the primary target.

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-b/" target="_blank" >READ MORE

COURTS ⚖️

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-p/" target="_blank" >Feds drop charges in case tied to Loretto exec

By https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-x/" target="_blank" >Jon Seidel

Avoiding trial: One day after a federal judge https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-m/" target="_blank" >threatened to hold a hearing that could have put Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros on the witness stand, Boutros’ office moved to permanently drop charges against two defendants in a massive $300 million fraud prosecution.

Key context: The development means damage from the https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-c/" target="_blank" >tainted “Broadview Six” case, which nearly went to trial as a misdemeanor matter, has now officially spread to a far more serious prosecution involving former Loretto Hospital chief financial officer Anosh Ahmed.

Exec still charged: The feds are not dropping charges against Ahmed, who has been held in Serbia and is fighting extradition.

Rather, they moved only to drop charges against two co-defendants who once worked for him: Mahmood Sami Khan and Suhaib Ahmad Chaudhry. Still, Boutros' office now appears to be dropping criminal charges to avoid sworn testimony about the scandal that has rocked the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-q/" target="_blank" >READ MORE

HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT 🏠

Exterior of Starling, a community space in North Lawndale — The North Lawndale community space Starling.

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-f/" target="_blank" >Chicago has made progress on transit-oriented development, report says

By https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-v/" target="_blank" >Abby Miller and https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-e/" target="_blank" >Amy Yee

Policy pushed progress: Five years after adopting a plan to encourage more development near public transit in the South and West sides, Chicago has made substantial progress, according to a report from Elevated Chicago, a coalition of community-based organizations, artists, developers and civic leaders.

Key context: In 2021, city leaders created an Equitable Transit-Oriented Development plan.

The city had long pushed for transit-oriented development near CTA bus or rail stops, but shifted its framework to ensure more development in historically disinvested neighborhoods.

What it looks like: The North Lawndale community space Starling is one of several equitable transit-oriented developments that received city funding in part to its proximity to bus lines. Duo Development acquired the former vacant lot and transformed it into a hub for community events, a coffee shop, a co-working space and more.

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-s/" target="_blank" >READ MORE

POLITICS ✶

Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a news conference, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. — Gov. JB Pritzker in February

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-w/" target="_blank" >Pritzker decries cross burning: Speaking at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition's annual conference Thursday, Gov. JB Pritzker said the burning of a cross this week in Grant Park was a sign of how far-right leaders have enabled hatred in the U.S.
https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-yd/" target="_blank" >Illinois GOP gala speaker: Far. right influencer Nick Shirley has filmed himself interviewing Alex Jones outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, called street vendors in New York City "dangerous migrant scammers" and described a "Somali takeover" in Minnesota. Illinois Republicans will feature Shirley Friday as a keynote speaker at their fundraiser in Elk Grove Village.
https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-yh/" target="_blank" >Video gambling stance: Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday plans to ask a City Council committee to repeal video gambling in Chicago, an issue that has divided alderpersons.
https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-yk/" target="_blank" >Mayor’s human relations chief pick: Civil rights attorney Kenneth Gunn, Johnson's pick for Commission on Human Relations chief, was confirmed by a City Council committee Thursday, setting the stage for a final Council OK next week.
https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-yu/" target="_blank" >Mendoza’s pension promise: Mayoral challenger Susana Mendoza vowed to use the financial acumen she has gained as state comptroller to rein in city spending and reckon with union leaders to solve Chicago’s $36 billion pension crisis.

MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️

Family members of Rafael Cruz unveil honorary signs renaming a portion of California Avenue at Evergreen Avenue for Julio Osorio and Rafael Cruz, who were shot and killed by a Chicago police officer in June 1977 during what has become known as the Humboldt Park Riots.</p><p>The ceremony was held in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on Thursday, June 11, 2026. — Family members of Rafael Cruz unveil honorary street signs on Thursday.

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-jr/" target="_blank" >Honorary street signs unveiled: New signs in Humboldt Park honor Rafael Cruz and Julio Osorio, who were fatally shot by police in June 1977 during what has become known as the Humboldt Park Riots, sparking decades of activism within the city's Puerto Rican community.
https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-jy/" target="_blank" >Country Club Hills shooting: An undercover Chicago police officer chased and shot a person after a group tried to rob a car full of undercover Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents this week in Country Club Hills, according to Chicago’s police oversight agency.
https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-jj/" target="_blank" >State sued over right-to-die law: Disability rights and patient advocacy groups in Illinois have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new law that allows terminally ill patients to seek medication to end their own lives.
https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-jt/" target="_blank" >St Mary’s nurses strike: After six nurses at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital were recently fired ahead of a union vote, nearly 200 nurses and supporters held a one-day strike outside the Ukrainian Village facility Thursday. "I am not scared, I’m not backing down," one nurse told the Sun-Times.
https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-ji/" target="_blank" >Pain at the pumps: Amid spiking gas prices and inflation, some Chicagoans say they've given up bargain hunting. "I don't even look at [the cost of gas].
What else am I gonna do?" one driver told us at an Old Town Shell station.
https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-jd/" target="_blank" >Things to do June 12-17: Andersonville Midsommarfest, Puerto Rican Fest, Old Town Art Fair, a Willem de Kooning exhibit and the start of Millennium Park's Summer Music Series are just some of the things to check out in the week ahead.

ON WBEZ 91.5 FM 📻

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-ju/" target="_blank" >In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.

Weekly news recap: WBEZ's Alden Loury, Chicago Tribune's Dan Petrella, and AXIOS' Carrie Shepherd break down the week's top stories.

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-tl/" target="_blank" >Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.

Should the Supreme Court be reformed?: Constitutional law expert Steven Schwinn, of the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, joins the show for a discussion about the U.S. Supreme Court.
Callers weigh in.

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-tr/" target="_blank" >LISTEN LIVE 🎧

FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏈

Steve Greenberg, sports columnist for the Sun-Times, at Wolf Lake, Ind.

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-tj/" target="_blank" >From Soldier Field to Hammond and back: A journey like no other

Column by https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-tt/" target="_blank" >Steve Greenberg

Trip to Hammond: It has been a week since the Bears announced they were "advancing" their stadium project in Hammond, Indiana.

Our sports columnist Steve Greenberg took a trip to see, and smell, the site for himself.

Key quote: "I write to you from a territory worlds apart from our fair city of Chicago.

A travel-weary visitor, having journeyed here without sustenance or rest, can only wonder if he has reached the metropolitan rim of Indianapolis.

Colts country, this must be. Let a preposterous scribe take you along on his expedition to Hammond, will you?"

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-ti/" target="_blank" >READ MORE

WATCH: OUR MAN IN HAMMOND ▶️

CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭

Today's clue: 1A: Common sight in a Chicago alley

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-tk/" target="_blank" >PLAY NOW

BRIGHT ONE 🔆

Cole Bennett stands on the roof of his office building on the Southwest Side, Monday, June 8, 2026. — Cole Bennett, founder of the Lyrical Lemonade multimedia empire

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-il/" target="_blank" >Cole Bennett, co-founder of major music fest and onetime music video prodigy, is pressing on

By https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-ir/" target="_blank" >Erica Thompson

Most people hope for a moment that changes their life.

Even better if it impacts the culture around them.

By the summer of 2016, Cole Bennett had at least three such moments.

Barely out of his teens, the burgeoning director had garnered 1 million views with his music video for Chicago rapper Famous Dex.

He booked Philadelphia rapper Lil Uzi Vert’s first Chicago show, which sold out Metro in Wrigleyville.

And he co-founded the Lyrical Lemonade Summer Bash, a precursor to https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-iy/" target="_blank" >Summer Smash — the premier hip-hop festival of the Midwest, which kicks off Friday at Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium.

Ten years, 500 music videos, eight festivals and one multimedia empire later, the thrill hasn’t faded.

This week at his Lyrical Lemonade headquarters in Chicago, Bennett raved about the lineup for Summer Smash 2026, his company’s festival that this year features headliners Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, Chief Keef, Baby Keem and Skrillex.

He also gushed about his newfound passion for shooting or transferring music videos onto tactile film. (The results can be seen in visuals for Justin Bieber’s "Yukon," Sienna Spiro’s "Die On This Hill" and more.)

The now-30-year-old entrepreneur is also venturing into full-length filmmaking with a documentary on Chicago rapper Chief Keef and a narrative movie that he is still writing.

"I always worried that, when I got older, my excitement, my passion and my imagination would wither," Bennett said. "But I feel like it’s more intact than ever, and that makes me really excited for the future."

More on Summer Smash:

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-ij/" target="_blank" >With Lil Uzi Vert, Chief Keef and more, Cole Bennett and Berto Solorio brace for the biggest Summer Smash yet
https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-it/" target="_blank" >After serious car crash, Chicago-born rapper Raq Baby gets ready for Summer Smash debut

https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whukthl-l-ii/" target="_blank" >READ MORE

YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️

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Tell us why.

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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Michael Lansu

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