A Forest Park man was cited for several traffic violations, including driving under the influence, after authorities determined his blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.
Michael J. Gatlin, 25, allegedly made an illegal lane change while driving along Circle Avenue shortly before 1 a.m. on Nov. 2 and was stopped by the police. The officer at the scene reported smelling a strong odor of alcohol on Gatlin’s breath, and observing that the man’s eyes were bloodshot and his speech was slurred.
According to a department report, Gatlin first acknowledged that he had consumed one beer. Once outside of the vehicle, he allegedly told police he drank two beers. A breathalyzer exam administered at the police station revealed a blood-alcohol content of .197, according to the report. The legal limit in Illinois is .08.
In addition to the DUI charge, Gatlin was cited for driving without insurance and improper lane usage.
Burglar strikes quickly
After driving her parents around the area to help them with a few errands, a woman returned to find that her Lincoln Navigator had been broken into after parking in an alley for only 30 minutes. According to a police report on the incident, the woman’s purse, containing $600 in cash, was stolen from the backseat.
The alleged theft occurred between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Oct. 20 in the 800 block of Harlem Avenue. The woman had parked her car on the garage apron in a nearby alley outside of her parent’s home. When she returned to her car she found a rear window had been smashed, likely with a brick which was discovered inside the car. A quick search of several nearby trash cans revealed the woman’s purse, however, the money and several other items were missing, according to the report.
Graffiti suspect caught on tape
A 24-year-old Chicago man was allegedly caught in the act as he attempted to spray paint his tag name on the side of a CTA train car parked in a rail yard off Desplaines Avenue.
According to a department report, police received a call at 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 29 from a night watchman at the rail yard for a criminal defacement in progress. The suspect, Michael B. Kaput, reportedly entered the area by crawling through a hole cut in the north side fence adjacent to Concordia Cemetery. Three officers responded to the scene and were able to catch the fleeing suspect after a brief foot chase.
The CTA security guard reportedly caught the entire ordeal on video.
Once at the station, Kaput allegedly told police he had never tagged a rail car before and that his tag name is “Slur.” It was estimated the cost to repair the damage to the CTA’s property would be $1,900.
Litter bug cited on Madison St.
While on patrol along Madison Street during the early morning hours of Nov. 1, an officer overheard what sounded like glass being broken. As it turned out, an Oak Park man standing with a small crowd of people outside Molly Malone’s in the 7600 block had thrown a beer bottle into the street, according to a department report. Domingo Pierce, 30, was cited for littering after allegedly admitting to tossing the bottle. He also picked up the glass from the street.
Police serve active warrants
In the final days of October, local police served a handful of outstanding warrants after discovering the various suspects through routine patrols.
On Oct. 29, Jeffrey D. Kramer, 48, of Oak Park, was arrested on a warrant for violating the conditions of his bail after being charged with retail theft earlier in the month. He was also charged with damaging police property after he allegedly kicked the squad car, causing a dent to the rear fender.
Shaun D. Israel, 21, of South Shorewood, was picked up on Oct. 30 on a warrant from Woodridge for shoplifting. Israel’s warrant was discovered during a traffic stop.
Dvorak Worthy, 40, of Chicago, was arrested Oct. 31 on an outstanding warrant issued by the Forest Park Police Department for criminal trespassing.
Bag scheme foils suspected theft
A Chicago man suspected of shoplifting more than $300 worth of merchandise from a local grocery store was arrested after employees there grew suspicious when the man brought his own plastic bags into the store. According to a police report, security agents at the store said they watched as 23-year-old Frank B. Cosby walked through the aisles placing items into the bags and then attempted to leave without paying.
Cosby was charged with felony theft following the alleged Nov. 1 incident at Ultra Foods on Roosevelt Road. Once in police custody, Cosby declined to make a statement to police.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, 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
