A Chicago woman is facing a first-degree attempted murder charge for allegedly stabbing her ex-boyfriend with a kitchen knife during a confrontation at his Circle Avenue apartment.
Erika M. Lee, 29, was arrested Sept. 7 after police received a 911 call from Lee’s alleged victim, 27-year-old Omari Gilliam. According to copies of a police investigation, Gilliam returned home to his second-floor apartment on Circle Avenue that evening and found Lee had let herself into the residence. Lee was wearing surgical gloves, Gilliam said, and did not say anything before spraying him in the face with Chemical Mace.
Gilliam was treated for at least six stab wounds on his back and shoulder, according to the police report.
During an interview with police, Lee said she was upset that Gilliam was reluctant to take responsibility for an unconfirmed pregnancy, according to the report.
“(Police) asked Lee if it made sense that everything just came to a head today and she completely lost her temper,” according to the report. “Lee said that she did completely lose it today.”
Purse snatcher threatens gun
Two women walking in the 100 block of Elgin Avenue reported their purses were stolen by an unidentified man who claimed to have a gun.
Shortly before midnight on Sept. 9, the alleged victims had exited the Green Line station on South Harlem Avenue when the man approached them from behind, according to a police report. The assailant said “ladies, this is a robbery, give me your purses,” according to police.
Both women resisted and attempted to pull away, when the man allegedly threatened to use force.
“Just give them to me, I have a gun,” the assailant said, according to police reports.
Armed robbery attempt fails
Two unidentified teenagers were unsuccessful in their attempt to rob a 7-Eleven store in the 7700 block of Roosevelt Road, though the clerk said one of the alleged criminals brandished an automatic weapon.
At 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 13, the two males entered the store and threatened the clerk with a “small black automatic,” according to the police report, but did not receive any cash. The clerk was standing in the rear storage room and retreated further into the back of the shop, according to the report.
Both subjects fled the scene and the incident went unreported until after 1 p.m. The store’s manager turned over a video cassette.
Psych patient threatens bank teller
A 56-year-old Berwyn man was not charged for threatening employees at the Forest Park National Bank after police discovered he may need psychiatric help.
Shortly before 1 p.m. on Sept. 13 officers were called to the bank on Roosevelt Road where Stanley E. Schultz was demanding large amounts of money. Schultz did not resist police efforts to bring him into custody inside the bank lobby and police found several withdrawal slips in his possession. According to a police report, Schultz closed his account at the bank in September 2005, but was trying to make withdrawals for $36,000, $40,000, $120,000 and $375,000.
According to a bank employee, “he started to become aggressive with his tone demanding the bank give him his money,” the report stated. “?Schultz mentioned the word gun, and at this time (the employee) called for the police.”
A representative of Pro-Care evaluated Schultz at the police station and admitted him to Loyola Hospital for further psychiatric study, according to the report.
Runaway patrol car injures three
Two people were hospitalized after an out-of-control police cruiser crashed into them and five parked vehicles outside of a local car wash.
Shortly before 3 p.m. on Sept. 16, Forest Park police officers brought a marked sport utility vehicle to the car wash at 161 Harlem Ave. In keeping with their policy, a car wash employee was driving the police car out of the wash area to be dried in an adjacent parking lot when he lost control of the car, according to police.
Albert Barris, 52, of Chicago, pulled the car onto Harlem Avenue where he struck a southbound vehicle, then swerved back into the car wash parking lot where he hit at least five other unoccupied vehicles, according to police. Two car wash employees were struck, in addition to a police officer.
Barris fled the scene, according to police and was apprehended after a brief foot chase some two blocks away.
Barris is facing several charges related to the incident.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between September 9 and September 15, 2006, 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 been adjudicated.
Compiled by Josh Adams
