North Riverside man receives DUI
Police arrived at 142 Desplaines Ave. around 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 22, about a call that a driver who fell asleep had struck a parked vehicle.
Officers approached the Lexus, which had rear-ended a parked car and driven over the curb, and observed a North Riverside man asleep at the wheel. The Lexus was still in drive. Officers banged on the door, but the driver did not respond. Eventually the Forest Park Fire Department arrived, pried the door open and the man awoke.
He refused to exit the car. Only after paramedics said they needed to check him for injuries did he emerge. Firefighters pushed him onto a stretcher and the man was transported to Loyola Medical Center, where he refused to submit to a blood test or answer any questions.
“I don’t want to talk; I need my lawyer,” he said. Later, hospital officials told police the man had a blood alcohol reading of 0.297, which is more than three times the state’s legal limit. The man was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol, improper lane usage, failure to reduce speed, obstructing justice and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
DUI near the Green Line
Police spotted a Toyota traveling at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of traffic, nearly strike the viaduct at the CTA Harlem and Lake stop, 400 Harlem Ave., around 12:07 a.m. on Dec. 25.
Officers curbed the vehicle and asked the driver for his license and insurance. The Chicago man struggled to find them but eventually provided the documents to police. He said he had been drinking a few beers at a family Christmas party earlier in Berwyn.
The man was transported to the Forest Park Police Department, where he blew a blood alcohol reading of 0.178, which is more than twice the limit of 0.08. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, improper lane usage and traffic signal violations.
Fire at Exit Strategy
A minor fire occurred at Exit Strategy Brewing Co., 7700 Madison St., about 7 p.m. on Dec. 22, according to owner Katherine Valleau. She said about 100 people were forced to evacuate the establishment, after a box fan sparked in the basement. No injuries occurred.
The restaurant was closed for remediation and sanitization on Dec. 23, and has since re-opened for business as usual, she said.
Cash stolen from Blue Max
Sometime between 3:50 p.m. on Dec. 22 and 6:10 a.m. on Dec. 23, someone stole two cash registers from Blue Max Coffee, 26 Lathrop. Police discovered that the business’ back door had been pulled open. The registers contained $800 cash and four credit cards, all from customers who accidently left them at the business.
Car stolen near Madison Street
A man parked his Toyota Camry at the intersection of Beloit and Madison about 1:20 p.m. on Dec. 27. He said he left his car keys in the ignition, while he went inside a restaurant for a few minutes to pick up his lunch. He returned to the spot where he parked his car about five minutes later, and the Camry was missing.
iPad, jewelry lifted from apartment
Sometime between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 27, someone stole an iPad and jewelry from an apartment on the 1500 block of Harlem Avenue. The apartment’s front door was wide open and there were pry marks on the back door.
Car broken into
Around 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 27, a man noticed that the window of a Chrysler Town and Country, parked on the 700 block of Lehmer, had been pulled from its frame, and the car’s ignition barrel was placed on the center console.
Purse stolen from bar
Sometime between 5 and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 23, a woman’s purse was stolen from Fat Duck Tavern & Grill, 7210 Madison St. The purse contained credit and bank cards, $200 in cash and $75 worth of Visa gift cards.
Nearly $5K of lawn, golf supplies stolen
Sometime between 7 p.m. on Dec. 26 and 7 a.m. on Dec. 27, someone stole a leaf blower, lawn mower and golf clubs from a garage on Lathrop Avenue. The items were valued at a total $4,680. The property owners said they thought they had secured the garage’s utility door but could be mistaken.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Dec. 20-26, 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
