Police break up mob at CTA stop
Forest Park police were summoned to the CTA Blue Line station at 711 Desplaines Ave. around 5:30 p.m., March 10, to quell a fight among 20 male juveniles who were scuffling on the north side of the terminal. Police arrested four 16-year-olds and issued local citations for public fighting. They were released to their guardians.
Fed Ex package pilfered
A man in the 200 block of Lathrop Avenue told police a package delivered by Fed Ex went missing from his porch after being delivered, March 8. No value was specified.
Bike stolen
A Roadmaster bicycle was removed from the bike rack at the CTA Blue Line stop at 711 Desplaines between March 8 and 10. The victim said it was his second bike taken from that location.
Van disappears
A man said his 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan disappeared from where it was parked, overnight March 9-10, in the 900 block of Ferdinand Avenue. The silver van needed a new alternator, the victim told police. But thieves evidently were able to make off with it anyway.
Rental car stolen
Even though the Hertz rental company was still allegedly removing money from his account, a 21-year-old Chicago man was technically driving a stolen 2012 Nissan when he was pulled over by Forest Park police the afternoon of March 11. The vehicle was rented from a location at 265 N. Western Ave. in Chicago. The 21-year-old was charged with criminal trespass to a vehicle.
Catalytic converter coveted
Someone tried, and failed, to remove the catalytic converter from a 2004 Honda Accord parked in the 900 block of South Elgin Avenue, overnight March 12. Cutting damage was done to electrical wiring and the car’s exhaust system.
Paperhanger or pigeon drop?
A 20-year-old woman arrested at the Forest Park Walmart for trying to cash a bad check told police she was told she’d receive a check made out to cash in the mail for $5,563 by an acquaintance and that she would get to keep between $1,500-$2,000 if she cashed it. She was arrested by Forest Park police and charged with felony deceptive practices.
Canadian pharmacy
A 20-year-old Melrose Park man was allegedly ordering illegal drugs through the mail and having them delivered to a house in the 1500 block of Elgin Avenue, police said. The man was seen pilfering the mailbox of a neighbor around 7 p.m., March 12. The neighbor noticed a package made out to her address but labeled with the name of the Melrose man. Police said the package contained mini-baggies consistent with drug packaging. Officers determined the pills were Ecstasy, delivered illegally from Canada. The neighbor was located and told police he regularly ordered illegal drugs online. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance.
Pitching a fit at Thornton’s
A 22-year-old Chicago man left Thornton’s gas station, 601 Harlem Ave., after he began yelling at the register, pushed over a sunglasses display case and throwing newspapers on the floor. He was taken into custody after he fled in his car and was charged with one count of disorderly conduct.
Road rage incident
Police said a 19-year-old Aurora man driving a 2004 white Ford Explorer got into a verbal altercation with a 28-year-old female driver near the intersection of Harlem Avenue and Roosevelt Road. Witnesses in the vehicle behind the Explorer said they saw the driver get out and punch the woman several times in the face through her open window. They followed the SUV into North Riverside, where they called police and reported the Explorer driver. The woman and her passenger said the man had punched the victim, but when questioned, the man said he had shaken a finger at her, much as a parent scolds a child. He was charged with battery.
These items were obtained from the records of the Forest Park Police Department, March 10-17, 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
