Steve Stepian, 27, of Forest Park was arrested at Shortstop bar, 7425 Madison St., after allegedly engaging in a fight with another bar patron in the early hours of March 18.
Rather than simply trading blows, though, Stepian allegedly opted to grab a neon beer sign adorning the bar’s window and attempted to use it to strike the other individual. Wielding the sign like a weapon, Stepian’s alleged bludgeoning attempt was fortunately unsuccessful – he ended up missing his target and breaking the sign.
Both Stepian and the other subject involved in the skirmish were kicked out of the bar; however, Stepian was held by Shortstop employees until Forest Park police arrived and he was subsequently arrested. Stepian denied any involvement in both the fight and the destruction of the sign. Nonetheless, he was charged with one count of criminal damage to property.
Man urinates, resists arrest
Early March 18, Forest Park police spotted Erick Renteria, 23, of Franklin Park, urinating in the doorway of a building on the 7400 block of Madison St. When approached by an officer, Renteria took off running. A foot chase ensued and as another office drew closer on Renteria from behind, Renteria swung his elbows into the chest and neck area of the officer to avoid arrest. A struggle then occurred and Renteria eventually pushed the officer down which resulted in scratches and scrapes to the officer’s knees and right elbow. Renteria was eventually cornered and apprehended, despite refusing orders to submit to an arrest. Renteria was charged with battery to a police officer, resisting arrest and was given two tickets for urinating in public.
Bootlegger caught on DesPlaines
On the morning of March 18, Anthony Brown, 47, of Broadview, was arrested by Forest Park police near the DesPlaines Ave. CTA Blue Line station. Police received an anonymous call stating that Brown had been seen selling cigarettes and what appeared to be bootleg DVDs of movies. On his person, police found 38 CDs and 86 DVDs (all of them pirated), one carton of cigarettes and $225.49 in cash. Brown was taken into custody and charged with theft.
Hubcap thief apprehended
Forest Park resident Dwayne Rodgers, 40, was charged with three counts of misdemeanor possession of stolen property on the morning of March 16. Earlier that morning, police spotted Rodgers walking on the 0-100 block of Elgin Ave. with a blue latex glove on. Aware of four recent reports of burglary to motor vehicles from the River Forest Police Department, an officer stopped Rodgers and found pliers in his back pocket. He informed police that he was taking his “nightly walk” and that he was fixing his toilet and forgot to leave the pliers and latex glove at home. Police then went to Rodgers’ father’s home (where Rodgers stays), were given consent to search the residence and found hubcaps in multiple places. Rodgers was apprehended and a number of persons that had recently filed complaints of stolen hubcaps were called in to look at what was recovered from Rodgers. Positive identifications were made in all cases. Rodgers, however, claimed that he had not actually taken anything, but acknowledged willfully attempting to sell items that he knew a friend had stolen.
Offenders pose as police officers
A home invasion involving three offenders posing as police officers occurred on the 7400 block of Randolph St. early March 16. Three men stormed into the victim’s bedroom – one of them wielding a gun – and stood over the bed demanding the victim relinquish marijuana or face arrest. The offenders then applied zip-ties (plastic handcuffs) to the resident’s hands and began searching the apartment, all the while threatening an arrest. After no marijuana was located, the offenders settled for a Nokia cell phone, a black leather wallet, the victim’s house keys and roughly $9 in bills and change. They then left in an unknown direction. The victim eventually was able to squeeze out of the zip-ties and call Forest Park police from a phone at the nearby Pioneer Tap.
Man arrested with cannabis
On the eve of March 15, Jonathon Parker, 26, of Lisle was pulled over at the intersection of Ferdinand Ave. and Roosevelt Rd. for a traffic violation. The officer reported detecting a scent of “fresh” marijuana in the car, at which point Parker was ordered out of the car and voluntarily handed over five grams of cannabis. He was arrested and issued a local ordinance violation for unlawful possession of cannabis.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between March 14 and March 21, 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 Nicholas Moroni
