A pair of suspected burglars was caught in the act by police who, on a hunch, were waiting for the alleged criminals to strike a Jackson Boulevard home. It was the third consecutive day that the home had been burgled, according to police.
At about 3:30 p.m. July 30, Detective Nick Petrovic was sitting outside the property on the 7200 block in an unmarked car when he reportedly saw Darryl Fields and Booker Spence, both of Chicago, taking items from the home. According to an officer with the department, the suspects went so far as to steal a pair of ornately fashioned cabinet doors. Petrovic remembered seeing the doors only a day earlier when he was inside the house investigating one of the earlier thefts.
According to authorities, the same pair of men had broken into the house on July 28 and July 29.
“Call us brain surgeons, but we thought maybe we should sit over there,” Sgt. Michael Keating said of the developing pattern.
Allegedly stolen from the house was a 50-inch plasma television, four wristwatches, cell phones, ammunition and a host of other items. Surveillance tapes from an area pawn shop allegedly show Fields and Spence selling the television, said Keating, and one of the suspects was wearing a stolen watch when he was arrested.
Both men were charged with three counts of burglary and a single count of felony theft. Spence, a convicted felon, was also charged with unlawful possession of ammunition.
Kissing stranger says he was lost
A man residing on the 7500 block of Jackson Boulevard called police at 3:30 a.m. Aug. 9 to report that an unknown man crept into his apartment and had kissed and bit his neck while he slept.
The victim arrived home at midnight and fell asleep on his couch with his front door unlocked, according to a department report. He awoke later with a man, now identified as Thomas Pries, of Forest Park, allegedly lying on top of him, kissing and biting on his neck. Pries explained to officers that he thought he was going into his own apartment, which was on the next floor. Pries was transported to the police station and charged with battery and criminal trespassing.
Roadway, window used as toilets
Early in the morning, on consecutive days, police cited two men for urinating in public in Forest Park.
Gregory Vent of Westmont was allegedly seen relieving himself in the middle of Beloit Avenue on the 400 block shortly before 3 a.m. on Aug. 9. An officer noticed Vent trying to urinate on the yellow line in the middle of the road as cars drove by.
The next morning at almost the same time, Matthew Slobodkin of Oak Park was reportedly observed urinating on a Starbucks window at 7231 Madison St.
Both men were cited for public indecency.
Shoplifter charged with possession
After allegedly being caught walking out of Wal-Mart with $10.97 worth of stolen merchandise, Shantall Stribling, a Chicago resident, was arrested and given a felony charge after a search of her bag turned up 43 bags of marijuana.
On Aug. 10, at 6:10 p.m., a Wal-Mart security guard reportedly saw Stribling walk out of the store with a couple bracelets concealed on her body. After escorting her back to the security office, the guard allegedly discovered the 43 small plastic bags, each with a devil head printed on it, while searching her purse for additional stolen goods.
Stribling informed Forest Park police that the marijuana belonged to her ex-boyfriend, whose bag she was holding for a short time. She was charged with possession of marijuana.
Bored, woman pours chocolate
Sarah Brink-Kemmerling was arrested Aug. 8 at 9:30 a.m. after criminally trespassing on property located on the 7200 block of Harvard Road, according to police.
Brink-Kemmerling, who is homeless, allegedly entered the victim’s garage through a broken window and had been using it for shelter. While in the garage she reportedly damaged all of the items inside by pouring different fluids, including motor oil and liquid chocolate, on several tools, a coffee maker, and lawn equipment. Brink-Kemmerling explained that she did this because she was bored.
n Anyone with information regarding the cases mentioned in this report, or on another matter, is encouraged to contact the department’s hotline at (708) 615-6239. Information may be left anonymously.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between July 30 and Aug. 10, 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 Jacob Boyer
