Counterfeiter says keep the change | Forest Park police reports, Nov. 25-Dec. 3

Counterfeiter says keep the change

A Forest Park man handed a delivery driver a fake $100 bill and refused to pay for his meal after being called out that the currency was fake. A delivery driver from Luo’s Peking House, 113 N. Marion St. in Oak Park, arrived at a Forest Park address about 8:20 p.m., Nov. 28, according to police. A man about 20 years old and standing about 5-feet-10, opened the door and accepted the food delivery, valued at $49.99. The man handed the delivery driver a $100 bill printed with the words “For Motion Picture Use Only” on the front and back and with a consistency that did not feel like real currency. The driver told the customer he knew the money was fake. The offender then asked, “What are you going to do about it?” then told the driver to keep the change before walking away.

Wallet stolen

Someone attempted to use a man’s debit card, after his wallet was stolen from the break room in Walmart. At some point between 4 and 10 p.m., Nov. 28, someone stole a Chicago man’s black Polo-brand wallet from an employee break room at 1300 Desplaines Ave., according to police. The wallet was placed under a jacket in a cubby. Inside, it contained a Chase debit card, Money Network card, First Financial Bank credit card, Illinois state identification and driver’s license, and a Ventra card. 

At 10:10 p.m., the victim received a text message from Chase Bank alerting him that fraudulent charges had been made at Super Save, 101 Madison St. in Maywood; M&M Citgo, 715 Roosevelt Road in Maywood; Falcon Fuel, 201 Roosevelt Road in Maywood; and an AT&T bill payment. Chase declined all charges.

10-person fight

A fight between at least 10 patrons armed with pool sticks left the front window at Mugsy’s Tavern broken. Officers arrived at 7640 Madison St. around 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 29, responding to a call about a fight and observed several bottles on the floor and broken glass near the back of the bar by a pool table. An officer talked with the bartender, who told police she had no idea how the fight started. She just turned toward the pool table, saw several people fighting with pool sticks and called 911. She then left the scene until police arrived and had no idea how the front window of the restaurant had been broken. 

A man sitting at the bar, who said he is a regular patron, said he saw a man, described as heavy-set, black, bearded, about 300 pounds, 6-foot-2, wearing a skull cap, black hoodie and jeans, break the front window. The bar patron said the offender was joined by about four other people whom he had never seen at the bar before. The customer said the group started a fight with three regulars who were playing pool. After the fight, everyone left the bar. That’s when the man broke the front window, the customer told police. He then got into a black Dodge Charger and drove off with a heavy-set Hispanic woman, the patron said. The two fled in an unknown direction. 

12 laptops stolen

Two men recently stole 12 laptops from Walmart. Employees discovered the theft at 1300 Desplaines Ave. during an inventory check, Nov. 29, according to a police report. They reviewed security footage and found that around 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 28, two black males, both heavy, stole 12 HP Chrome laptops, worth a total value of $2,988. One subject took five laptops from the shelf, pushed his cart to the Garden Center and then left the cart against the fence. Shortly after, the other subject reached through the fence from the outside, took the laptops and put everything in a champagne-colored GMC van. The two left the scene, direction unknown.

Theft, possession of meth

A man reportedly tested positive for meth after allegedly stealing from Walmart. A Walmart loss prevention employee watched a man put various items in his cart at 2:23 p.m. on Dec. 1, according to police. He pushed his cart to the Self Check Out and started scanning some items but not all. The total value of the unscanned items was about $85. Walmart employees stopped the man and called police. After running his name through the police computer database, officers found an active warrant in Cook County. After searching the man at the police station, officers uncovered two small bags containing about 2.8 grams of a white crystal substance, suspected to be methamphetamine, in his wallet, along with several debit cards. The man said he didn’t remember having “that” in his wallet. An officer field tested the man for meth, and the man tested positive for the drug. Police booked him on possession of a controlled substance.

Car stolen

A woman’s car was stolen after she took a trip to Chicago. The Union City woman parked her Kia Sedan on the 500 block of Ferdinand about 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 and took the train downtown, according to the police report. When she returned on Dec. 3 about 2:15 p.m., her car was gone. Chicago police ran the Kia’s license plate twice Dec. 2, at 11:01 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. The vehicle has been reported missing. 

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Nov. 25-Dec. 3, 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 Nona Tepper