A Desplaines Avenue home was burglarized last week and among the items reported stolen was the wedding ring of the resident’s deceased wife.
According to a police report, the suspect was able to enter the home at 132 Desplaines Ave. through an unlocked back door while the occupant was away. The alleged crime occurred sometime between 1 a.m. and 2 p.m. on June 21. The victim in the case, whose name was withheld by police, said the perpetrator rifled through the master bedroom and took his late wife’s wedding ring, worth an estimated $5,000. Using a duffle bag found in the home, the burglar also made off with a television, video games and other electronic items.
From a desk in the home, the suspect is believed to have swiped a set of car keys for a 2002 Cadillac and a credit card.
Investigators were unable to recover any fingerprints from the crime scene, according to the report.
On the same date several hours later, a rail passenger who parked at the commuter lot on Desplaines Avenue returned to her vehicle shortly before 7 p.m. to find it had been broken into. According to a department report, the front passenger window of the woman’s 1996 Nissan Sentra was smashed.
No suspects were identified in either case.
DUI suspect blows .19
A 44-year-old village resident was charged with driving under the influence after a breathalyzer revealed his blood-alcohol content to be more than twice the legal limit.
Edin Hodzic was allegedly seen speeding along Harlem Avenue without his headlights on at about 1:20 a.m. on June 20 when a patrolling officer caught up with the suspect at an area gas station. Hodzic was unable to provide proof of insurance and police could smell alcohol on the man’s breath, according to a report. While standing outside of the vehicle, Hodzic was reportedly swaying back and forth.
Hodzic denied having consumed any alcohol, however, a blood-alcohol test conducted at the station revealed a BAC of .193. The legal limit in Illinois is .08.
The suspect was also charged with driving without his headlights, tailgating and lack of insurance.
Woman caught with heroin
At a hot spot for drug activity, police arrested 20-year-old Rebecca Hipshur of west suburban Winfield for heroin possession on June 18.
Police spotted Hipshur exiting the restroom at Thornton’s gas station on Harlem Avenue shortly after 10 a.m., looking “ill, pale; sweating with an unsteady gait” and struggling with the passenger door of a nearby car, according to a police report. An officer approached the young woman to check on her condition. On Hipshur’s arm, police allegedly noticed a fresh injection mark and what appeared to be an impression left by a belt.
On the front passenger seat of the vehicle was a small mirror smeared with a white powdery substance. In the car, police reportedly found a burnt spoon, a lighter, two syringes and five doses of heroin in small bags.
According to the police report, Hipshur said she has been addicted to heroin for roughly six months and usually purchases the drug on the West Side of Chicago.
Suspect says he’s self-medicating
On June 22, also at Thornton’s gas station on Harlem Avenue, police allegedly caught 21-year-old Eduardo Manon of Chicago with five grams of marijuana.
Police reportedly became suspicious of Manon when they spotted his car parked in a corner of the lot and could see Manon leaning forward in the driver’s seat around 6:30 p.m. Upon questioning, Manon told police he was “just getting gas,” though he was parked away from the pumps, according to a report.
When asked to step out of the car, a baggie containing marijuana allegedly fell off his lap onto the floor of his 2003 Dodge Neon.
At the police station, Manon reportedly said he had been in a car accident several years ago and was no longer able to participate in the sport of boxing, which helped him control his anger. Since then, Manon said he had taken to smoking marijuana several times a day to keep his anger in check.
Public urination frowned upon
A number of citations for ordinance violations were issued by police recently, including two tickets for “unlawful deposit.” At 3:30 a.m. on June 23, John E. Simmons, 23, of Forest Park, was cited for urinating on a sidewalk in the 7500 block of Madison Street. Roughly 23 hours later in the 7400 block of Madison Street, 29-year-old Forest Parker Stefan K. Zaman was cited for the same offense.
Also, between June 16 and June 23, four motorists received tickets for playing their car stereos at an excessive volume, in violation of a local noise ordinance.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between June 16 and June 23, 2007 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
