A woman who lives on the 1100 block of Elgin called police on Jan. 16 to report an attempted break-in that was foiled when the would-be prowler was confronted by the woman. No arrest was made in the case, according to an officer’s report, nor were the residents of the home injured.
It was shortly before 5 p.m. when the woman was upstairs in her home and heard a loud crashing noise coming from the front door, according to a department report. She hurried downstairs to see what had happened and saw a man standing on her porch. She yelled at the suspect, who fled on foot to a nearby black Pontiac Grand Am driven by a second suspect. The car headed south on Elgin, but police were not able to locate the vehicle when they searched the area.
Police inspected the damage to the front door and noted that the door was split just above the door knob, which caused glass panels in the door to shatter. The door was still shut, however, and it did not appear that the suspect ever entered the home.
Stolen toothpaste results in felony
A suspected shoplifter was taken into custody Jan. 11 after police allegedly caught the man trying to steal more than $30 worth of toothpaste from the CVS at 7216 Circle. William Jones, 59, was arrested shortly before 1 p.m. when a store manager allegedly caught him trying to steal the items, and then followed him into the street just as police were arriving.
Jones, a Chicago resident, was wearing a long black jacket and hid six packages of toothpaste in his coat pockets, according to police. The items had a total retail value of less than $32, but because of a previous theft conviction in 2002, Jones was charged with a felony.
Police warn senior of begging
An 82-year-old man whom police have repeatedly discouraged from panhandling in Forest Park was issued a citation the morning of Jan. 11 for allegedly begging for change outside of a coffee shop. Louis Bova, of Melrose Park, was holding a garbage bag and asking customers of the nearby Dunkin Donuts at 7200 Circle for money, according to police. Bova was not arrested for the alleged infraction, but instead issued an ordinance citation.
Single parent charged with theft
A 26-year-old woman employed as a cashier at Kmart on Roosevelt told police that she reached into the register to steal money from the store because she’s trying to support her six children, ranging in age from 5 to 12 years old, according to a department report.
Tenisha Shields was suspected by management of stealing from the store when her register came up short. Video footage taken by the retailer allegedly showed Shields took more than $350 on Jan. 5, and another $38 on Jan. 6. According to police, Shields admitted that she had stolen from the register on two separate occasions, but that she believed the total amount to be around $200. The father of her children is incarcerated, she told police, and she took the money to cover an upcoming rent payment.
She was charged with a felony for the alleged theft.
Drug helps with daily grind
A Riverside man who was arrested on a drug possession charge allegedly told police that he was using cocaine Jan. 14 to help himself get through a grueling day.
“Today is my long day,” Douglas Forsyth, 30, said. “It’s like, 12 hours.”
According to police, Forsyth was sitting in a tan Dodge Stratus in the parking lot of the CTA station at 711 Desplaines when a patrolling officer cruised through the area. As the officer pulled through the lot, Forsyth allegedly began making furtive movements and appeared to be hiding something in the car. When the officer got out of his car and began walking toward Forsyth’s, he allegedly saw two small plastic bags often used to hold drugs. He asked Forsyth what was in the bags, and the suspect reportedly responded that he had cocaine.
In all, Forsyth was charged with holding a gram of the narcotic.
Teen nabbed on warrant
An Oak Park teen who missed a court date for an alleged assault was handed over to local police Jan. 13 after she was arrested by state police.
According to a department report, Alexis Williams, 18, was brought to the Forest Park Police Department by the Illinois State Police. Williams had an outstanding warrant for skipping a court hearing on the alleged assault. Details of that incident were not made clear in Williams’ latest arrest report, but she was held overnight and taken to bond court the following day.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between Jan. 10 and Jan. 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
