A homeless man was allegedly caught rummaging through a parked car on Nov. 15, and told police he was taking out his frustrations on someone else.
According to a department report, authorities spotted 20-year-old Lamont Jackson in the area of the 7300 block of Warren leaning into the backseat of a green Suzuki. When Jackson saw the squad car drive by, he reportedly stood up, collected his things and began walking away. Police stopped the man in the area of the 300 block of Circle and, at first, Jackson allegedly denied being in the car.
The owner of the car, also identified in the police report as homeless, agreed to sign a complaint against Jackson for burglarizing his car. The suspect was charged with a felony.
While at the police station, Jackson allegedly said that he had left an area shelter and was walking through the parking lot when he noticed the vehicle’s door was ajar. He claimed to know who the car belonged to and said he was “upset for what happened to him yesterday and was trying to get someone else upset.”
Drivers get last warning
A cab company that has allegedly been warned on several occasions to bring its vehicles into compliance with a local ordinance was cited Nov. 16 for failing to have one of its cabs inspected. According to a department report, a driver for Red Cab was able to prove that he is licensed to drive the car, but did not have a business license from the municipality. The officer reportedly explained that he has warned several drivers for the same company that the cabs must be inspected and licensed, but that he is now “citing all violators.” The driver was issued a citation and given a January date to appear for a municipal hearing.
Worker’s van looted
A condo resident on the 800 block of Desplaines Avenue was having a satellite dish installed on her balcony, and when she went outside to check on the AT&T employee’s progress, she allegedly spotted two men stealing items from the man’s company van.
It was shortly before 10 a.m. on Nov. 16 that the woman alerted the dish installer, and the man quickly ran down the stairs to stop the suspects. One of the alleged offenders smiled at the driver of the van, according to a department report, then snagged a cordless drill from the vehicle. The suspects then jumped into their own van and headed north.
Police responded but were unable to track the suspects down. It was unclear at the time of the report how many items may have been stolen.
Inquiry yields drugs, active warrant
A vehicle traveling south on Harlem with a “dangerously” loose rear bumper was stopped by police on Nov. 16 shortly before 11 a.m. While collecting the driver’s information, according to a department report, the officer smelled marijuana and realized that one of the passengers in the car was quite nervous.
Steven Beatty, a 29-year-old Brookfield resident, was wanted by DuPage County authorities for failing to appear in court in June. Beatty was arrested and a subsequent search revealed two grams of marijuana and a glass pipe, according to police.
Another passenger in the car, 19-year-old James Greco, of Berwyn, allegedly owned up to having the same items in his possession. Both men were cited for violating local ordinances, while the driver of the vehicle was released without charges.
Mother charged with felony theft
A Chicago woman was charged with felony theft and contributing to the delinquency of a child after she allegedly stole $380 worth of items from a store with her 16-year-old daughter in tow.
According to police, Maria Carbagal, 41, went to Wal-Mart at about 10 p.m. on Nov. 15 with her two daughters. Store employees said they watched the trio place several items into a car seat in their shopping cart, and then cover the car seat with a blanket. Carbagal then pushed the cart past the registers in an attempt to steal the items, according to police.
Authorities suspected the woman’s 22-year-old daughter was also involved in the scheme, but did not charge her because Carbagal was the individual responsible for pushing the loaded cart, according to a department report. Both of the woman’s children were released without charges.
Litter bug
A Chicago teenager was ticketed shortly after midnight Nov. 15 for littering on Madison. According to a department report, 19-year-old Daniel T. Vanoni tossed a couple of food wrappers onto the ground and, when confronted by an officer, said, “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have thrown it on the ground.”
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between Nov. 10 and Nov. 17, 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
