A 43-year-old man who owns a vacant property in the 1000 block of Thomas Avenue contacted Forest Park police on Oct. 20 to report that the home, which was recently rehabbed but unoccupied at the moment, was burglarized about two days earlier.

Police responded to the home and reported observing “extensive” damage to walls on a stairway and in an upstairs bathroom. Among the items reported missing from the home were the gas furnace, water heater, an air-conditioning unit, kitchen cabinets and windows.

Vehicle break-in

A 63-year-old woman complained on Oct. 21 that while she was filling up her car with gas at Thornton’s, 601 Harlem Ave., around 8 p.m. someone entered her car and stole a laptop computer from the front passenger seat.

The victim said she went inside the minimart to pay for the gas, leaving her car unsecured. The Toshiba Satellite computer was valued between $800 and $1,000.

Theft

A 29-year-old woman contacted police to report that her wallet was stolen while she was shopping at Ultra Foods, 7520 Roosevelt Road on Oct. 21 about 4:30 p.m.

The victim stated she placed her wallet down to grab some tomatoes from the display. But when she went to retrieve it, the wallet was missing. The wallet contained IDs, two debit cards, a credit card and $100 in cash.

A resident of the 700 block of Dixon Avenue contacted police on Oct. 21 to report that someone had taken a package from her home’s front porch earlier that day.

The victim told police she received a call from a business at 9:22 a.m. that her order of fruits and vegetables had been delivered. When she returned home, the package, valued at $25, was gone.

Forest Park police reported that a 27-year-old woman was at McDonald’s, 420 Desplaines Ave., on Oct. 20 about 3:40 p.m., when she placed her cellphone on the counter and left it there for a short time.

When she went to retrieve it, it was gone. An employee pointed out two subjects inside a vehicle in a parking lot as the ones who took the phone. The victim went to confront the subjects and a verbal altercation ensued. A 27-year-old man, seeing his friend in the argument, went outside to assist and ended up getting punched in the arm and face.

The offenders then drove away eastbound on Madison Street.

Odd encounter

Two men were walking in the vicinity of Lathrop and Washington avenues on Oct. 24 about 12:40 a.m. when a newer Honda CRV pulled alongside them. The driver reportedly said to the men, “Whatever you do, don’t move or y’all gonna die. I’m telling you right now, if y’all move you will die.”

The two victims immediately ran up onto the front porch of the nearest house and began ringing the doorbell and knocking on the front door. The vehicle sped off southbound on Lathrop Avenue before making a U-turn, heading back north and then eastbound on Randolph Street.

Garage doors forced open

Three people, one each in the 800 block of Elgin Avenue, the 800 block of Marengo Avenue and the 800 block of Circle Avenue, reported that their garage doors had been forced open during the overnight hours of Oct. 21-22. However, in each instance nothing appeared to be missing from the garages.

In each case, the doors or locks were clearly damaged, either by someone kicking them in or using a tool to pry them open.

Car stolen from gas station

A 27-year-old man called police on Oct. 23 about 10:35 p.m. to report that his silver 2003 Buick had been stolen from the 7-Eleven gas station at 7749 Roosevelt Road.

The victim told police he left the keys in the ignition when he exited the vehicle to go into the minimart. When he returned a short time later, the vehicle was missing. A witness reported seeing a tall man enter the vehicle and drive off.

A 37-year-old Chicago woman called police about 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 to report that someone just tried to steal her car, a black 2016 Infinti, while she was pumping gas at Thornton’s, 601 Harlem Ave.

The woman said that while she was pumping gas, a male subject entered the front driver’s side of the car. She yelled at the subject, who then exited and entered a black Mercedes SUV, which fled northbound on Harlem Avenue.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Oct. 17-24, 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