Alcohol-fueled fight ends with knife threat
A night of beer drinking led two intoxicated men to into a physical altercation with each other, causing one of them to pick up a knife to attack the other man, say Forest Park police.
A 21-year-old man fled to the bathroom and locked himself inside while a 23-year-old man banged on the bathroom door with the knife in his hand, prompting the 22-year-old woman who lives in the apartment to call police.
Police saw two men running from the apartment when they responded to the disturbance call around 11:49 p.m. on Feb. 9 in the 300 block of Circle Avenue.
After questioning the suspects, officers determined both men were involved in the disturbance and detained them. When officers went inside the apartment, they noticed broken glass and furniture and talked to two witnesses.
No one was injured and the woman who lived at the apartment declined to sign complaints for damage to her apartment.
Officers recovered a small zip-top bag containing one gram of cannabis from one of the 23-year-old suspect, who was issued a local ordinance citation for possession of cannabis. He has a March 4 court date.
Burglary to a motor vehicle
Officers responded to a burglary to a possibly unlocked motor vehicle at 9:05 a.m. Feb. 10 in the 100 block of Elgin Avenue.
The owner parked his vehicle, a black 2014 Chevrolet Impala, in the back of his apartment building the night before. The next morning, he went to his vehicle and noticed CDs had been tossed on the passenger’s seat and papers had been taken out of the glove compartment.
Loose change totaling $1 was taken. A set of keys was left behind by the offender.
Tea Theft
A 20-year-old Forest Park woman was charged with theft on Feb. 11 after she reportedly walked out of Todd & Holland Tea Merchants, 7311 Madison St., with $200 worth of tea, two bowls and three teaspoons.
An employee of the store called police at about 4:05 p.m. after observing a woman with pink hair who appeared to be in the process of stealing items from the shelves. A police officer located a subject matching the description given to him by the employee nearby.
The officer reported seeing numerous bags of tea in a bag the woman was carrying, and he also observed two bowls sticking out of the woman’s coat pocket.
When confronted by the officer, the woman reportedly responded, “Can I just give them back?”
According to the police report, the woman entered the store and asked the employee about filling out a job application. She then began wandering around the store. The employee grew suspicious when she heard “clanking” sounds from the area where the woman was standing and suspected she was planning to steal items. When the employee began to approach her, the woman quickly left the store.
Later the woman allegedly told police, “I cannot help stealing. I’m a Gypsy and it’s in my blood.”
In addition, police reported recovering a metal cannabis grinder from the woman’s purse. In addition to theft, she was also charged with one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
DUI at 68 mph on Harlem
Forest Park police charged a 61-year-old Riverside woman with drunken driving after a police officer clocked her 2009 Honda Accord traveling 68 mph in a 30 mph zone while northbound in the 900 block of Harlem Avenue at 11:53 p.m. Feb. 11.
The officer caught up with the vehicle at Harlem and Roosevelt and spoke with the driver, who appeared to be intoxicated and reportedly admitted drinking before getting behind the wheel.
After failing sobriety tests, the woman was charged with driving under the influence and speeding. She reportedly refused to submit to a breath test to determine her blood-alcohol level.
Ticketed for selling cigarettes
A 29-year-old Chicago man was ticketed by Forest Park police for allegedly trying to sell cigarettes at the Harlem Avenue Green Line CTA station at 3:41 p.m. on Feb. 10.
A police officer noticed the man, about whom the department has received previous complaints, selling cigarettes in the station and harassing commuters. After seeing the man exchange an item with another individual by hand, the police officer approached the man, who tried to hide inside the terminal.
According to the police report, police recovered 12 packs of Newport cigarettes bearing tax stamps from Missouri and Nebraska from the suspect, who declined to say where he obtained them.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Feb. 9 to 15, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.
Compiled by Nick Samuel
