A maintenance engineer at First United Church of Christ, 1000 Elgin Ave., told police that when he arrived at the church on Jan. 23 he found that two copper gutters measuring approximately 30-feet were missing.

Just two weeks ago, the church’s president reported to police that two copper gutters and downspouts were missing from the building. He told police at the time that a section of downspout had also been taken from the church about three months ago, but that he had not reported the theft at the time. He estimated that the stolen property was worth over $1,000.

Residential burglary

A resident reported a burglary at his apartment on the 1000 block of Desplaines Avenue on Jan. 25. He told police that when he returned home from work, he noticed the basement was much cooler than the rest of the apartment. He went downstairs and found the in-ground window smashed and shattered glass on the floor. Both the front and back doors remained intact, and police did not find pry marks.

The victim said that his two safes were still in the apartment, but that several items were missing, including passports, 220 silver American Eagle collectors’ coins, $60 to $70 in cash and a credit card. Credit card records showed three items purchased with the card on the date of the burglary. The thief apparently used a key that was in a desk near the safe to gain access, though the victim said he did not know anyone who knew where the keys are.

The victim later filed a supplementary report noting that a pair of tennis shoes, three DVDs, a pair of wrestling shoes, and a safety deposit box key were also stolen.

Apartment vandalized

An unknown person entered an apartment on the 500 block of Desplaines Avenue between Jan. 20 and 26, apparently punching holes in the apartment walls and writing the word “goofy” across one wall.

A maintenance worker, who discovered the damage, told police that the apartment’s previous tenant was recently evicted, and the lock had been changed. He said he suspected that the offender entered through a window which he found open in the morning. The building’s owner said that the previous tenant was evicted Dec. 9 and moved out Jan. 3. There was no damage to the apartment when the tenant moved out.

Armed robbery on Randolph

A man told police that he was approached by two individuals who appeared about 15-years old while walking from the Forest Park CTA station to his home on the 7000 block of Randolph Street. One of the offenders grabbed him by the neck from behind, while another displayed a black revolver and pushed him to the ground.

The offenders demanded money, but fled the scene when a car pulled up. The man said he believed the offenders, who were last seen running north in the alley at Elgin and Marengo Ave., had followed him home from the train station.

Drunk driver disobeys stop sign

A police officer saw a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am speed past a stop sign at Beloit and Adams Street early on Jan. 24. The officer pulled the car over. The driver, Marc Leon, 24, of Berwyn, said he had just left Mugsy’s Tavern and was heading to a friend’s house.

The officer noticed a strong odor of alcohol on Leon’s breath. He was asked to exit the car, and failed a field sobriety test. He was arrested for driving under the influence, and during a vehicular search, police found a half open bottle of Miller Lite. “I probably should have killed that before you got me,” Leon told police. He later admitted to drinking, but refused to take a breathalyzer test. He was charged with four citations for driving under the influence.

Cell phone stolen

A resident of the 7400 block of Washington Boulevard entered her apartment building with her black Nokia cell phone on Jan. 24, but noticed it was missing when she got to the apartment. When she called the phone, she told police, a woman answered and said she found the phone by the mailboxes in the lobby, and agreed to bring it to the woman’s apartment. The unknown woman never came, and the next call to the phone went straight to voicemail.

These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between Jan. 22 and Jan. 30, 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