A woman was attacked on the 1000 block of Desplaines on Jan. 20 at 2:50 p.m. The victim said she left the rear of her residence and was walking to her car holding her keys when two black males between the ages of 15 and 17, both were wearing dark hooded sweatshirts, grabbed her from behind, and knocked her to the ground. One of the offenders covered her mouth with his hand, and the assailants demanded her keys. She refused to let go of her keys, at which point one of them bit her hand. When she started screaming, two witnesses approached the scene and the offenders fled. Police reported the victim had a bleeding nose and scratch/bite marks on her hand. The witnesses believe the offenders boarded a southbound Desplaines Avenue Pace bus. A surveillance camera may have captured the event.
Multiple vehicular break-ins
A car parked in the rear of the residence on the 1000 block of Beloit was ransacked during the overnight hours of Jan. 20-21. The owner of the car didn’t notice anything missing; in fact, her debit card was still in the vehicle. She called to cancel it just in case.
Another overnight burglary from a vehicle was reported on the morning of Jan. 21 on the 500 block of Marengo. The owner of the car, which was parked on the apron next to the garage, remotely started her vehicle at 6:15 a.m. When she went out to the car five minutes later, she discovered items normally kept in the glove box and center console were strewn about the vehicle. Missing from the car were 20 pairs of Victoria’s Secret underwear, approximately $3 in coins and a USB phone charging cable.
Another car on the 500 block of Marengo was burglarized between 2 and 6 a.m. on Jan. 21. The owner discovered the driver and rear driver’s side doors ajar and items from the glove box and console strewn about the interior. Stolen was a navy-blue bag with shoulder straps and an orange interior containing paperwork and $215.
A car on the 7300 block of Harrison was burglarized during the overnight hours between Jan. 20 and 21. The owner, whose car was parked at the rear of his residence, found personal items scattered throughout the car. His wallet and some USB cords were missing. A bag of Coffee Delight candies from his car was left directly behind the vehicle. In the alley he found the cords and his wallet, which was missing a credit card, debit card, and some identification cards.
A car was burglarized between 8 p.m. on Jan. 20 and 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 21 on the 7600 block of Monroe Street. The inside of the car had been ransacked; stolen were one bottle of water, one black and silver iPhone 6S, one bottle of Burberry cologne and one bottle of Lacoste cologne.
Rifle stolen from garage
A garage on the 7200 block of Dixon Street was burglarized sometime between 2 p.m. on Jan. 21 and 5 p.m. on Jan. 23. The garage had been left unlocked, and several items were stolen, including: a Sony Bravia 36-inch flat screen TV (valued at approximately $500), a Bosch Drill (unknown value), a Siglent Digital Oscilloscope (valued at approximately $300), a Samsung 34-inch curved monitor (valued at $871.08), and a Springfield Armory M6 Scout firearm with four shotgun shells and a dozen .22 Hornet rounds (valued at approximately $1,000).
Jewelry stolen
An apartment in a building on the 200 block of Desplaines was burglarized between 5:15 a.m. and 5:40 p.m. on Jan. 23. The resident returned home and called 911 when she noticed her apartment door appeared to be broken. It was slightly ajar, and damage to the frame prevented it from being opened. Responding officers forced it open and cleared the apartment. One bedroom was ransacked. Drawers from the hutch and numerous storage containers and jewelry boxes had been emptied onto the bed. Although the resident was too upset to account for all missing items, she estimated that at least $1,400 in jewelry had been taken.
Cemetery garage burglarized
A burglar forcefully entered a garage at Woodlawn Cemetery, 7750 Cermak Road, during the overnight hours, Jan. 23-24. Two Stihl chainsaws, valued at $500 each, were stolen and extensive damage was done to the garage door.
Pace passenger assaulted
A passenger on a Pace bus was hit three times in the head by an assailant on Jan. 24 at 11:42 a.m. Police were called to the bus at 1 S. Harlem Ave. A man got into a verbal argument with the bus driver because the offender didn’t have bus fare. The victim stated he attempted to calm the assailant down. When the bus pulled to a stop, the subject exited the bus, but not before approaching the victim, telling him to mind his business and hitting him. The subject entered the Green Line station and got onto a train headed for Chicago.
Car stolen while taking out garbage
A car was stolen from the 200 block of Marengo on Jan. 22 at 6:32 a.m. when a woman got into her car, realized she was still holding a garbage bag that needed to go into the trash, and left her car running to go to the alley to throw out the bag. When she walked back to her car, she realized her car keys had fallen off her lap and onto the ground. As she walked back to her car, she saw it heading southbound on Marengo. The possible suspect, as described by the woman, is a black male, around 6 feet tall, with a dark puffy jacket, dark jeans and black shoes.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Jan. 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 Maria Maxham
