Warrant for his (evil?) twin
Forest Park police thought they had a warrant for a man they stopped as a passenger in a gold 1999 Cadillac Deville with Minnesota plates around 9 p.m., Feb. 3. A burnt-out rear plate light and a passenger without a seatbelt prompted the stop, according to reports. The driver, a 42-year-old man from Minneapolis, was found to be driving with an expired Illinois license and a revoked Minnesota license. When police ran the passenger’s license number, they found a Cook County Sheriff’s warrant for a man with the same last name, birth date and address. But the 32-year-old Chicago man said he had an identical twin, for whom the warrant was intended. Police confirmed this fact. He did have a crack pipe in his back pocket, however, which was recovered during a safety check. He was given a local ordinance citation for possession of drug paraphernalia and seat belt violations.
Scratch ticket lingerer
Police responded to a call from 7-Eleven employees at 205 N. Harlem Ave. around 2:30 a.m., Feb. 4, because a man was in the store for a long time and wouldn’t buy anything or leave. Police arrived and found that the 32-year-old Chicago man, who appeared intoxicated, had just purchased lottery tickets and was scratching off the tickets, leaving them in a pile on the counter in front of the register. Officers told the lottery hopeful he’d have to move elsewhere to scratch his tickets, since other customers might need to buy gas or pay at the register. At that point, the man selected a bottle of juice and then refused to allow the bottle to be scanned by the clerk. Police informed him he would be arrested if he did not leave, but he began to yell and swear at the clerk. As the officer put his hand on the subject to maneuver him out of the shop, the man pulled away and retreated to the center of the store. Officers told him he was under arrest, and after a struggle, two officers took him to the ground and handcuffed him. At the station, the man was reportedly belligerent and non-cooperative. Though he refused to give his name, police found his identification and charged him with criminal trespass, two counts of resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct.
Thefts
A catalytic converter was removed from a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am parked in the Forest Park village lot at Madison and Lathrop, the morning of Feb. 2. Loss was estimated at $150.
A light blue Sears bike was removed from the unsecured storage unit of a building in the 7200 block of Randolph Street, Dec. 8. The victim reported the theft Feb. 7.
Apartment sitting
Police came to an apartment building in the 1100 block of Desplaines Avenue after the building manager said he heard a television in an apartment that was vacant because the tenant was in jail. After knocking and receiving no answer, police drilled out the door lock and encountered two women in the apartment, both 27, who said they were friends of the tenant and had been told they could stay. One woman, from New Lenox, was found to have an outstanding warrant from DuPage County for drugs and another from Will County for prostitution. The building manager declined to sign complaints and one woman was released without charge. The other was held on warrants.
Hotel stiffer arrested at Mugsy’s
Police arrested a 29-year-old Elmwood Park man after he pulled his 2005 Chevy Blazer into the Mugsy’s Tavern parking lot at 7640 Madison St. Officers running a random registration check noticed he had an outstanding warrant for “defrauding an innkeeper” from December 2013. He was arrested for the outstanding warrant, paid $500 bond and was released.
Sibling fight
Two men in their 40s yelling at each other and making violent gestures in a parking lot near Harlem Avenue and Lexington Street caught an officer’s attention around 2 a.m., Feb. 8. When the officer approached, both men put up their hands in a submissive gesture. One explained, “We are brothers. We’re not fighting; we’re just having a heated discussion about our mother.” One brother was found to have an outstanding arrest warrant from his hometown of Hanover Park. He was arrested and held for pickup by Hanover Park police. His brother was released without charge.
Cellphone drivers
Police arrested a 23-year-old woman from Berkeley who was observed speaking into a cellphone while driving her 2004 Mercury Mountaineer at 2:18 a.m., Feb. 8, and was also found to have a suspended driver’s license. She was charged with unlawful use of an electronic communication device and driving on a suspended license.
Police observed a male, texting in his 2007 Chevy Malibu, drive up onto the curb at Harlem Avenue and Madison Street. The driver attempted to back off the curb but was unable to. Police approached and observed an open can of Coors beer in the cup holder and saw several hypodermic syringes and a metal Altoids tin with a burnt bottom in the passenger seat. The driver, a 21-year-old male from Lockport, reportedly volunteered to police, “I just shot up.” Police recovered from his jacket pocket 13 yellow bags containing a off-white powdery substance which later tested positive for heroin. He allegedly told police he bought the drugs from “some guy around here.” He was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Three-car accident on Roosevelt
Police were summoned to the intersection of Desplaines Avenue and Roosevelt Road around 11:30 a.m., Feb. 9, responding to the report of an accident with injuries. Two vehicles with heavy front-end damage were smashed into snow banks and an empty, red Chevy Venture van was turned the wrong way in the snow, with keys still in the ignition. Witnesses said the speeding red van had run the red light, striking the two other cars. Paramedics determined a woman and her children in one vehicle and the driver of the second car were OK and not in need of medical attention. Police canvassing the area met a witness who was removing snow and said he saw a man running near the building at 7901 Roosevelt. Police later found a 23-year-old Forest Park man who admitted he was the owner and driver of the van. The man told police he was speeding because a Honda Civic had closely followed him from the parking lot of Ultra Foods and struck his van. He told police he was afraid the other driver might have a gun. He was charged with driving with license suspended, disobeying a red light, failure to reduce speed, failure to give information and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident.
These items were obtained from the records of the Forest Park Police Department, Feb. 2-9, 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.
—Compiled by Jean Lotus
