Early morning fire burns Lathrop Ave. home
No one was injured in a house fire in the 100 block of Lathrop Avenue that started around 8 a.m., June 7. When officers arrived, smoke and flames were showing in the northeast corner of the house, and fire had started to spread to the roof. An electrical cable line connected from the transformer in the alley caught fire, popped and collapsed onto the ground, according to reports. The fire melted aluminum siding on the house and damaged the roof. Police entered the house in the rear. The first floor was uninhabited, but several family members lived upstairs on the second floor. All escaped to safety. One homeowner told police he tried to put out the fire with water, but the smoke became too much. He said his hair was singed by the flames. The Forest Park Fire Department struck the fire and the Red Cross arrived on the scene to offer victim assistance.
Pontiac driver in crash had no license or insurance
Police arrested the driver of a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix after it was discovered the 22-year-old Chicago man was unable to produce a driver’s license after smashing his car into another vehicle at the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Hannah Avenue at 6:42 a.m., June 3. He was charged with failure to reduce speed, improper turn, no proof of insurance and a revoked license.
Unsecured trek bike races off
The owner of a Trek racing bicycle, worth about $1,200, told police he only left the bike unlocked outside a 7-Eleven for a “minute” while he ran into the convenience shop around 9:55 a.m., June 3. When he exited the shop at 205 Harlem Ave., the fancy bike was gone. Surveillance video showed a man walking west near the car wash on Randolph Street who crossed the street into the 7-Eleven parking lot, hopped on the bicycle and fled westbound on Randolph Street.
Two arrested in apartment burglary
Police arrested a Forest Park man, 23, and a woman, 18, in connection with a burglary in the 7200 block of Jackson Boulevard that took place sometime June 4-5. Officers had been at the apartment the night of June 4 to assist a tenant who was suffering from a heroin overdose. The next morning, a neighbor heard breaking glass around 11 a.m. Police, performing a premise check on the apartment upstairs, observed that a television and laptop, which had been there the previous night, were missing. The poor condition of the burglarized condo made the Forest Park Health Department declare the premises unfit for human habitation. Officers said in the report it was difficult to collect evidence in the unit because of the mess. However, police managed to recover a hammer, T-shirt and hat from the scene.
Phone stolen
Someone lifted an iPhone from the employee break room of the CW Price Shop, 7530 Roosevelt Road, sometime around 3:42 p.m., June 5. Value was given at $500.
Gaming gear swiped
Someone removed a Sony Playstation gaming console, controllers and games from a residence in the 900 block of Marengo between 7 a.m. and noon June 5.
Fence smash-and-drive
A woman using the Laundromat in the 7200 block of Roosevelt Road told police around 6 p.m., June 6, she saw a man back his dark green Ford pickup truck into a fence in the 1200 block of Marengo Avenue, causing damage to the face boards and wooden frame board. The man drove away, and officers
canvassing the area did not spot the vehicle.
These items were obtained from the records of the Forest Park Police Department, June 1-5, 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
