Thieves caught on video ransacking liquor store on Chicago's Near North Side

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Thieves targeted a liquor store and deli in River North early Thursday, getting away with thousands of dollars worth of high-end liquor and other merchandise.

The owners posted surveillance video of the thieves on their Instagram page . Nine boys or men are seen exiting cars at 3:05 a.m. Thursday, and using crowbars and sledgehammers to smash their way inside the store at 71 W. Chicago Ave., at Clark Street.

Afterward, they leisurely took whatever they wanted.

Gold Coast Market co-founder Hani Falestine-Hurah said burglars have tried to break into the store before, but this was the first time a theft crew succeeded.

"It was devastating," Hani said. "It was very upsetting, to see our hard-earned money just spilled out on the floor, or, you know, just being, you know, ransacked by a bunch of little kids—taking things that we worked really hard to make; to earn."

Falestine-Hurah argued that one of the problems is the city does not have enough police—and is not deploying police where they are needed.

"You seem to see a lot of police working when there's, you know, whether it's a college protest or group gatherings, there's militarized police ready to go.  But for small businesses to protect what we have and what we've worked really hard to build, it seems that this is, you know, it's been ongoing for four years and we get the same story every time you know: 'We're working on it, we're working on it,'" he said. "It doesn't seem like anything's ever getting better."

Falestine-Hurah said police resources are devoted toward protecting high-end retail corridors like the Magnificent Mile, and asked for more resources to be devoted to small businesses.

He also said he wanted to know how many officers are working in the Gold Coast and River North areas on an average weekday night.

"The city has a lot of work to do, because businesses will start taking things into their own hands," Falestine-Hurah said.

Falestine-Hurah asked anyone who recognizes the thieves to call police.