Oak Park man charged with firing gun in the air
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Oak Park resident Jon Winfert, 27, with reckless discharge of a firearm after he allegedly fired one round from a .45-caliber handgun into the air in the 7200 block of Adams Street on April 21 just before 4 a.m.
According to witnesses, Winfert and two other men were standing outside of a silver sedan parked on the street. One of the men opened the trunk of the silver car and Winfert allegedly reached in and grabbed the handgun and fired it into the air.
The two other men got into the silver vehicle and drove away, while Winfert entered a blue vehicle and drove off. A police officer located the vehicles at Adams Street and Harlem Avenue, where the silver car turned south and the blue vehicle turned north.
Police followed the silver vehicle and stopped it on I-290, where it was headed eastbound. In the trunk of the car police reported finding the handgun, which was loaded with six rounds, including one in the chamber. An empty shell casing found in the 7200 block of Adams Street reportedly matched the ammunition in the gun.
The driver of the silver vehicle, a 26-year-old man, was arrested for driving on a suspended license and ticketed for traffic violations. Two passengers were not charged.
Police took Winfert into custody at 8:30 p.m. that same day at his place of employment, a tavern in the 7400 block of Madison Street. He reportedly confessed to shooting the gun during an interview with investigators.
Armed robbery at CTA stop
A 56-year-old woman contacted police on April 19, the day after she said she was robbed while getting on a CTA Green Line train at the Harlem Avenue stop, 1 Harlem Ave.
The victim told police the incident took place about 1 p.m. on April 18. As she was getting on the train, she said she felt a hard object pressed into her back and heard a voice say, “Give me the purse, lady, or you’re dead.”
The offender then ripped the purse from her shoulder. When she turned around, she saw two men running down the stairs from the platform. The purse contained ID cards, apartment keys and prescription medications.
Vehicle theft
A resident of the 400 block of Ferdinand Avenue reported that between 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. on April 18, someone stole his 2013 Chrysler sedan from outside his home. The victim also stated he was missing the keys to the vehicle.
Vehicle break-in
A masonry worker reported to Forest Park police that sometime between 3 and 4 p.m. on April 19, someone stole two Stihl concrete saws from the bed of his 2008 Ford work truck, which was parked in the 600 block of Marengo Avenue, where he was working on a job.
Alleged meth dealer arrested
Chicago resident Christopher Raymond, 34, was charged with possession and delivery of methamphetamine and criminal trespass to a vehicle on April 22 after a police officer learned that the 2016 Kia Raymond was driving had been reported stolen.
The vehicle belonged to a Hertz car rental business, according to police. Officers reported recovering a plastic container holding a crystal-like substance, a scale, a small amount of cannabis and glass pipes of the type commonly used to ingest methamphetamine.
What the heck?
Officials at Ferrara Pan Candy Company, 7301 Harrison St., contacted police to report a suspicious incident that took place on April 19 about 1:50 p.m.
According to the police report, a company employee reported chasing an unknown man off the roof of a train car containing raw sugar that was parked outside the factory.
Surveillance cameras showed that the man exited a CTA Blue Line train, climbed down the platform, and then climbed a fence to gain access to the train car.
While on top of the train car, the man appeared to try to pry open the top access port with a pair of scissors. He was last seen running from the area, climbing the fence and making an eastbound CTA train stop so he could cross in front of it and climb back onto the platform to enter the eastbound train.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, April 17-23, 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
