The owner of a 2006 Dodge sedan was surprised to find his car sitting on blocks recently, with all four wheels having been stolen from the vehicle.
According to a Feb. 25 police report, officers responded to the area of 1037 Desplaines Ave. at about 7 a.m. when the department received a phone call from a nearby resident. The resident had apparently peered out her window and saw the blue car sitting there, propped up by several rocks.
Police searched the area and found a stray lug nut, meanwhile an evidence technician dusted portions of the car for fingerprints. Roughly an hour after police arrived, the owner of the vehicle confirmed that the wheels were likely stolen during the early morning hours. His apartment overlooks the area where the car was parked, and he told police that he had looked out his window at about 2:30 a.m. and was relatively sure the car was still whole. The missing wheels were of the stock variety, he told police, and were not an aftermarket purchase.
Alleged batterer resists police
A 46-year-old Forest Park man was arrested on domestic battery charges Feb. 23 after police learned that the man had allegedly pushed his girlfriend around their apartment, striking her several times.
Quintin D. Johnson was taken into custody shortly before midnight after authorities arrived at the 413 Marengo apartment he shares with his girlfriend. According to the alleged victim, Johnson had asked her to have a few drinks with him, but she was reluctant because he has a history of violence when he drinks. The man promised he would behave, and she obliged. Later, while she was on the phone, Johnson became aggressive and pushed her head into a wall, according to a department report.
Several moments of continued grappling resulted in the woman sustaining a visible bump on her forehead and scratches on her neck and shoulder. The woman was able to flee the apartment and called police from a nearby store.
When authorities attempted to take Johnson into custody, the man resisted and it took two officers several moments to force the man’s hands behind his back so he could be handcuffed. The suspect suffered some bruising and swelling around his eye and one of the officers sustained injuries to his wrist as a result of the struggle, according to the report.
Air freshener leads to drug arrest
A driver was arrested on drug related charges Feb. 25 after police allegedly discovered a syringe and other items often associated with injecting heroin.
Victor Diaz, 31, of East Chicago, Ind., was stopped shortly before noon while driving along the 1300 block of Harlem when an officer spotted an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. Diaz allegedly told the officer he did not have insurance for the vehicle, and police observed that the man appeared quite nervous. Instead of a driver’s license, he handed over a state ID card.
A records check on Diaz revealed that he did not have an Illinois driver’s license, and the man was asked to step out of the car. It was at this point that Diaz allegedly admitted to having a syringe in his coat pocket, which was still in the car.
The needle was found alongside a small foil packet, according to police.
Diaz was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with an obstructed windshield, driving without a valid license and driving without proof of insurance.
A passenger in the car was not charged.
Alleged theft caught by surveillance
Two Bellwood men were arrested on felony theft charges after they were allegedly caught trying to steal several MP3 players from Kmart on Roosevelt Road. According to a department report, the items carried a retail value of more than $600.
It was shortly before 5 p.m. on March 1 that police were called to the store by security personnel. The two suspects, 25-year-old Jesse Rubio, and 23-year-old Luis Becerra, had already been detained by store employees.
Becerra reportedly took four music players and several hand tools from the shelves, according to police. The items were valued at $344. Rubio allegedly tried to swipe two MP3 players, some electrician’s tools and other items with a total value of $298. The entire incident was allegedly recorded by the store’s surveillance system, as well.
Both men are facing a single felony charge.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between Feb. 23 and March 2, 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
