A handful of pawnshop receipts from Melrose Park Gold & Silver Exchange, Cash America in Franklin Park and Bucktown Pawn in Chicago were in the backpack of a man Forest Park police arrested following a break-in attempt Monday in the 7600 block of Jackson Boulevard.
A woman heard a crash in her kitchen around 7:30 a.m. and walked toward the sound, while dialing 911 on her cellphone. She said that the back door of her apartment had been forced open and the door frame torn apart. The door’s deadbolt was caught up in the broken frame and she saw a man reach inside and unlock the deadbolt. When the man unlocked the door and swung it open, he saw the woman and allegedly said “excuse me,” and fled down the back stairs into the alley.
Responding police found a man fitting the alleged burglar’s description running near the CTA bus depot at 711 Desplaines and west through a parking lot. The responding officer reportedly ordered the man to stop, which he did, after the officer unholstered his Taser X26. Police arrested Deon Logan, 21, who had addresses in Maywood and in the 400 block of Desplaines.
In Logan’s backpack were a hammer multi-tool, black knit gloves, two cellphones, miscellaneous papers and pawnshop receipts. Detectives visited the pawnshops and found electronic items stolen from two earlier burglaries in Forest Park: On March 21, someone broke into an apartment in the 500 block of Desplaines by breaking in the rear kitchen door and stole a laptop, iPod, several cameras and other electronic and jewelry items. Police dusted for fingerprints but collected no evidence. On April 16, police reported a burglary from the 7500 block of Jackson Blvd., where the back door of an apartment had also been broken in. Stolen were Nintendo video games, a gaming console and videos. Pawn shop receipts showed the dates of March 21 and April 16.
Logan was shown the receipts and video footage of himself pawning electronic items.
The Cook County State’s Attorney bumped charges to felony burglary and felony attempted burglary.
