Facebook page IDs driver of fleeing SUV
A woman’s open Facebook page, left behind on a cellphone in an abandoned SUV, helped police identify Edwin Medina, 30, of Berwyn, after Forest Park Police chased a 2003 brown Chevy Trail Blazer into Berwyn and later found it crashed into a Cicero building at 58th Court and 16th Street. Forest Park police observed the Trail Blazer speeding eastbound on Roosevelt Road around 12:50 a.m. on Dec. 22 and followed the vehicle as it turned south on Harlem and then into Berwyn, where the driver turned off headlights, according to reports and then twisted through back streets and alleys until it lost the Forest Park squad car chasing it. Cicero police later found the empty vehicle, crashed into the wall of a building. Witnesses reported seeing a man and woman exit the SUV and flee. But a cellphone in the car, logged onto the woman’s social media account, helped police identify Medina, who appeared in photos on the Chicago woman’s Facebook page. The woman was on parole and the SUV was registered in her name. Empty and unopened beer cars were also recovered from the car. Medina was charged with speeding, attempting to elude police officers, driving without lights, operating an uninsured vehicle and driving without a driver’s license.
Vehicles violated
A 1999 Jeep parked in the 1100 block of Ferdinand had a catalytic converter sawed off overnight on Dec. 19. The same night, the owner of a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass, parked behind a resident in the 7400 block of Washington, reported that persons unknown removed a black, 2600-watt Brutus-Hifonics amp worth $500 from his car.
Forest Park police arrested Terrence Davis, 37, and Antron Person, 38, both of Chicago, after witnesses allegedly saw the two removing a catalytic converter from a white Chevy box truck in the 1300 block of Harlem around 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The two men attempted to flee in a blue Oldsmobile, but police curbed the car in Oak Park and recovered two catalytic converters and an electric sawing device from the car. The men were charged with felony theft.
A man in the 300 block of Elgin also reported the catalytic converter had been cut off of his Honda overnight on Christmas Eve.
iPad stolen from library
Two men checked out an iPad from the Forest Park Public Library, allegedly concealed it in a backpack and fled around 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 21. Police reports did not mention if names could be traced to a library card. The loss was estimated at $500.
New employee caught stealing iPhones from Walmart
A 19-year-old Chicago resident who was hired at Walmart and started working in November was observed on store security videos unlocking the store cases where iPhones were stored then entering the men’s bathroom. After the behavior was observed three times by security, Forest Park police were summoned around 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 21. They arrested Oshawn H. Henderson, who reportedly admitted stealing three iPhones worth $1,800 by going into the men’s washroom, removing the phone from the packaging, and stuffing the box inside the toilet paper holder in the bathroom stall. Henderson told police his cousins said he “could make some easy money” if he got them some Apple iPhones. He reportedly said he received $350 for one and $250 each for the others. He told police he bought the coat he was wearing with the money. He was charged with felony theft over $300.
Christmas Eve shopping spree with stolen credit cards
A woman told police that, after dining at Jimmy’s Place in the 7400 block of Madison Street on Christmas Eve, she found her silver purse, which had been placed over her chair, unzipped and a silver wallet with credit cards, ID and $40 cash was missing. Police found that the credit cards had been used within an hour to buy more than $1,000 worth of merchandise at Best Buy in North Riverside and Walmart in Forest Park.
Apartment burglarized
A second-floor apartment in the 400 block of Elgin was burglarized, the evening of Dec. 22, while some of the roommates were out of town for the holiday break. The side door was observed by police to have been pried open and the hollow door of the unit had a large hole kicked through it. Missing were several gaming systems, including two Xbox 360s and a Playstation 3.
These items were obtained from the records of the Forest Park Police Department, Dec. 21-25, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anyone named in the report has only been charged with a crime.
