Alleged drug dealer arrested in Forest Park
Piotr M. Zak, 37, of Berwyn, faces felony drug charges after Forest Park police discovered more than two pounds of cannabis and 120 grams of psychedelic mushrooms inside a backpack and plastic case found in his 2004 BMW X3, which had been pulled over for a routine traffic violation on Dec. 11 about 3:30 p.m.
Police conducting surveillance at Thornton’s gas station, 610 Harlem Ave., reported observing Zak’s BMW leave the gas station without signaling. The vehicle was pulled over on westbound I-290, and police reported smelling a strong odor of fresh cannabis coming from the vehicle.
A search of the car revealed the cannabis, said police, along with materials used to package cannabis for delivery and $200 in cash.
Police attempted to obtain permission to search Zak’s residence but were unable to do so. He was charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance as well as possession and delivery of cannabis.
Zak is being held on $10,000 bond at Cook County Jail. He had a preliminary hearing date Tuesday at the Maybrook courthouse.
‘Come get them’
The night manager for Ultra Foods, 7520 Roosevelt Road, reported to police on Dec. 8 that he observed a person exiting the store with a shopping cart full of items he did not pay for.
The store manager followed him out of the store and saw him approach an older, four-door black Honda Civic with a taped-up driver’s side rear window.
When the manager yelled for the man to return the items, the suspect reportedly responded, “You want them? Come get them.” Pushing the cart, he started running northeast through the parking lot.
The manager ran back into the store to call police. When he returned to the lot, the man, shopping cart and Honda were gone.
Vehicle break-ins
A resident of the 7400 block of Madison Street called police to report that someone had broken out the rear window of a vehicle parked in the rear lot of the building and removed about $700 of alcohol from the rear cargo area, overnight on Dec. 8 and 9.
The liquor reportedly was left over from the victim’s wedding reception, according to police.
A woman called police on Dec. 9 at 8:30 a.m. to report that someone had just removed her purse from her unlocked vehicle during just a short period of time while she was in her apartment as she unloaded groceries in the 1100 block of Elgin Avenue.
The victim stated she had left the purse on the passenger side floor of the vehicle. She brought one load of groceries inside the house, but when she came out to get another load about three minutes later, the purse was gone.
It contained IDs, credit cards and a cellphone.
A resident of the 7600 block of Monroe Avenue contacted police to report that someone broke into his 1995 Toyota, which was parked on the street, between 3:30 and 9 p.m. on Dec. 10.
The victim told police he observed that the driver’s door handle was broken. Taken from the vehicle was a bag containing an Apple Macbook computer and two checkbooks.
Forest Park police responded to the 7300 block of Roosevelt Road on Dec. 13 about 8:40 p.m. after a resident reported hearing his car alarm sound and seeing someone running from the area through the alley between Marengo and Circle avenues and entering a waiting vehicle, which fled the scene.
The victim said his vehicle was parked in the rear of the property and he was inside his apartment when he heard the car alarm sound. He walked to the window and observed the front driver’s side door open and a man exiting the vehicle.
Entry was gained by the intruder punching out the door lock. Police reported finding a flat-head screwdriver inside the vehicle. The radio was missing from the dashboard.
Coins taken from machines
A Forest Park public works employee contacted police on Dec. 9 to report that someone had tampered with eight parking meters in Village Lot 14 behind the 7200 block of Madison Street and removed an unknown amount of change.
According to the police report, the locks were drilled out to gain access to the change box inside.
A maintenance man at an apartment building in the 400 block of Beloit Avenue contacted police to report that someone had pried open the change machine inside the building and removed about $450 in coins.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Dec. 7-13, 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 Bob Uphues
