On Nov. 30, police observed a man, later identified as Darren H. Griggs, asleep in the driver’s seat of a 1988 Pontiac Sunbird on the 7600 block of Madison Street. The license plate on the car, according to police records, belonged to a Saturn.

When they woke Griggs by knocking on the window, he seemed disoriented and told police he was waiting for his wife. When officers asked him where he was, he said he was on Lawrence Avenue in Chicago. When told he was actually in Forest Park, Griggs told officers that he didn’t even know where that is.

A database search of Griggs’ name showed a criminal record that included homicide and robbery. Griggs gave officers consent to search his car, and they found three syringes and an aluminum spoon commonly used to cook controlled substances. He was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and was later bailed out by his wife.

Soon afterward, police responded to a call of a fight in progress, and found Griggs standing by the window of his wife’s car yelling at his wife. Officers escorted Griggs away from the car, and were later told by his wife that he had threatened to “cut off her head and leave it on the porch for the kids to see.” She said she was afraid he would hit her as he has in the past.

Griggs’ car was searched again, and this time several prescription pills apparently belonging to a family member were found. He was taken back into police custody.

Suspected robber has plastic gun

On Nov. 29, police spotted a man who fit the description given of a suspect who allegedly robbed the White Hen Pantry on Madison Street at gunpoint last week. The man was holding a shopping bag that he appeared to be attempting to conceal from officers.

When he was stopped by police while riding a bike on Madison Street, he appeared nervous and did not listen to police requests to stop taking his hands in and out of his pockets.

He allowed officers to search him, and was placed in handcuffs when an officer felt an object shaped like a handgun by his front pocket. The gun was later revealed to be a realistic looking plastic toy.

The police also found a crack pipe on the man, and he was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia. He also had a small handheld computer for which he did not know the password, two cellphones and a walkman.

Police found the cellphone owner’s phone number stored on the phone, and the man who answered said his phone was stolen several weeks ago in southern Indiana.

The pipe, toy gun and phone, as well as the man’s bicycle, were inventoried by police.

Battery at CTA station

Police responded to a battery call on Dec. 3 and were met by a woman with scratches on her face and a bloody nose who said that a female in a black jacket and purple pants had beat her up.

Officers found a woman later identified as Clara Pugh who fit the description walking southbound on Desplaines Avenue by the Eisenhower Expressway. The woman told police she had asked Pugh politely to move out of the way so she could get on a bus.

Pugh allegedly responded by saying “don’t **** with me, I’ll **** you up,” and punched the woman in the face. The victim said she also felt Pugh kicking her after she fell to the floor.

After she identified Pugh as the woman who assaulted her, Pugh was transported to the Forest Park police station for processing.

Fight on exit ramp

Several Oak Park and Forest Park police officers responded to a battery call on Dec. 3 reporting a fight in progress near the Eisenhower exit ramp at Harlem Avenue. Upon arriving, police spoke to two women who were involved in the altercation.

The first said that she was on the I-290 exit ramp in the left-turn lane, and had turned left onto Harlem Avenue from the wrong lane because a vehicle was stalled in the turning lane. She said the other woman then got out, walked up to her car, kicked the driver’s side and slapped her in the chin. At that point, she said, she left her vehicle and threatened the other woman with a large piece of wood.

The other woman denied getting out of her vehicle first, saying that the conflict began when she gave the woman the middle finger. She said that the woman approached her, threatening her with the piece of wood, and they both slapped each other in the face during the argument. Both parties declined to pursue charges.

These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between Nov. 28 and Dec. 4 and represent only a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in this report has only been charged with a crime. The cases have not yet been adjudicated.

“Compiled by Seth Stern