On the night of Aug. 28, Eric Perry, of Chicago, supposedly told a friend who had been arrested by the Berwyn Police Department and subsequently had his car impounded, that Perry could “get the car out.” In doing so, he allegedly stole the car from a police impound lot.
Perry was initially spotted driving at a high rate of speed on Harrison St. near Circle Ave.
Upon identifying the vehicle, Forest Park and Oak Park units gave chase to Perry, who refused to relent.
The vehicle came to a halt in an alley near the 700 block of Maple St. At this point, Perry fled on foot, but was ultimately apprehended by an Oak Park officer in the yard of home on the 600 block of Elgin St.
Perry was charged with fleeing and attempting to elude an officer, having an expired driver’s license, failure to yield from a stop sign, speeding, and reckless driving. Felony charges were not approved because the matter was a continuation of a Berwyn Police Dept. case.
Odd items found in car
An officer that observed a vehicle halted for an extended period of time at a gas pump at Thornton’s gas station at 601 N. Harlem Ave. on the night of August 23, found various items that are tools commonly utilized in armed robberies.
When the officer made contact with the driver, John Palmer, 20, of Addison, Palmer did not have his driver’s license on him, nor could he offer any proof of insurance.
In addition to these infractions, the officer also found a marijuana cigarette in the ashtray; a BB gun, a hooded sweatshirt, a bag of green rubber gloves, an empty backpack, and a blue winter skullcap.
Drunk driver ruins Elite Tire’s landscape
A Forest Park man who police believe was “highly intoxicated” was arrested early Aug. 23 after allegedly driving a car on the lawn of an auto shop on Harlem Ave.
According to a police report, 23-year-old Mark Arzuaga destroyed two trees, a section of the grass, and flowers in front of Elite Tire on 35 Harlem Ave., as he drove a vehicle off the road.
Police gathered a description from several on-scene witnesses, who also claimed that, after the crash, Arzuaga exited the car and walked away.
After Arzuaga was positively identified as the suspect involved in the crash, he was taken to police headquarters.
He ultimately received a number of charges, among them: DUI, driving with a suspended license, leaving the scene of an accident, driving with no insurance, driving over the sidewalk, failure to give information, and failure to reduce speed.
Teen arrested for drunk driving
A teen from Berwyn was arrested in the early morning hours of Aug. 29 and charged with an array of offenses – among them drunk driving.
After the 18-year-old’s vehicle was seen swerving a number of times by a patrolling officer, the teen was curbed on Harlem Ave. near Lexington St.
The driver admitted to being at a party and said he had two beers – beer was also found inside the car – and that he had been swerving because of a passenger that was vomiting in the rear of the vehicle.
The officer then asked the teen driver to submit to field sobriety tests, which he agreed to do, but failed. At this point he was arrested and taken to the station where he was charged with DUI operating an uninsured motor vehicle, improper lane usage, transportation of alcohol, failure to signal, illegal consumption by a minor, and not having a driver’s license on his person. The passenger, also underage, was released from the scene.
Domestic battery
Eric Perez, 24, of Forest Park had a domestic violence charge brought against him after he allegedly beat his girlfriend early Aug. 27 for sleeping with his “best friend.” Police responded to a call at an apartment on the 1100 block of Hannah Ave. and reported hearing a woman scream, a slap, and Perez shout “Shut Up!” When the officers entered the unit – albeit with some hesitation toward compliance on the part of Perez – Perez’s girlfriend was reportedly on the sofa crying. In an interview with police, Perez’s girlfriend stated that Perez had struck her in the midst of a spat, and officers reported observing redness and swelling on her face. Subsequently, Perez was arrested; and, on the way to the station, he supposedly informed officers that he had hit her because she claimed his friend was a better lover than he.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between Aug. 22 and Aug. 29, 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 Nick Moroni
