An armed robbery brought police to Boost Mobile, 7227 Roosevelt Rd., on March 24 at 5:30 p.m. An employee, hiding in the rear of the building, called police, who determined the offender was no longer on the scene. The employee stated that a black male wearing a surgical mask, blue latex gloves, a black winter hat with a brim, a dark blue hoodie, black pants and black Nike Air Force One shoes entered the store and displayed a handgun. He pointed the gun at the employee, demanding the employee put cash from the register into the offender’s backpack. The employee was then forced to go to the back of the store.

A second armed robbery at 7-Eleven, 205 Harlem Ave., occurred on March 24 at 10:53 p.m. The store clerk called police and reported that a black man, approximately five feet two inches tall and 25 years old, wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, gloves of an unknown color and no face mask, entered the store and pointed a handgun at the clerk.

The offender ordered the clerk to open the register, which contained no cash. The gunman then ordered him to open the safe under the counter. The clerk said he didn’t know how, and was ordered to open a second register, which contained an unknown amount of cash. The offender took the cash and fled the store. Forest Park, Oak Park and River Forest police began searching the area, but the suspect was not located.

 

Packages stolen from porch

Packages containing expensive electronics were stolen from a residence on the 500 block of Desplaines Ave. on March 16. Police were notified on March 25 that packages had been delivered, and an unknown offender took possession of them. The packages contained an Apple iPad Pro (valued at $950), an Apple Pencil (valued at $120), an Apple Smart Keyboard (valued at $190) and a 13-inch laptop sleeve case (valued at $18).

 

Woman spits on clerks, charged with battery

A female offender was charged with three counts of battery for spitting on three different clerks at Thornton’s, 601 Harlem Ave., on March 25 at 10:04 p.m. According to the clerks, the offender got upset when she found the bathroom door locked, punching and kicking the door. She then approached the counter and began arguing with the clerks, eventually spitting in their faces.

After leaving the store, she got into a car, which headed toward the I-290 expressway. Police stopped the vehicle. The driver cooperated by stepping out of the vehicle when asked, but the suspect, who was in the passenger seat, locked the doors and raised the windows as officers spoke to her. Officers finally were able to get her out of the car, and she was charged with one count of obstructing a police officer in addition to the battery charges.

 

Chips stolen from vehicle

A $20 bulk pack of snack size chips, including Flaming Hots, Cheetos and spicy BBQ chips, was stolen from a vehicle on the 200 block of Circle Avenue overnight. Police were called on March 26 at 9:59 a.m. after the owner found the rear hatch door of his vehicle opened that morning.

 

Two men, one planning COVID-19 graffiti, arrested

Two men, one planning to paint a “germ” representing COVID-19 on a CTA train, were arrested on March 27 at 2:59 a.m. at 1 Harlem Ave. They were observed climbing over the barbed wire fence and into the CTA Green Line train yard after throwing two bags over. After being apprehended by police, one of the men reported that he’d been tagging trains for about two years, though this was going to be his first time tagging Green or Blue Line trains in Forest Park. He said he typically paints “German” colors on the trains but planned a reference to the current pandemic that night. The bags contained bolt cutters and several spray-paint cans. Both men were charged with criminal defacement of property and criminal trespass to state supported land.

 

Mural defaced – again

The “No Human is Illegal” mural on the Circle Avenue bridge was defaced once again, this time with black permanent marker. The reporting officer, an evidence technician, took photos as evidence at 2:48 p.m. on March 24.

 

Woman robbed while returning dog to neighbor

A woman’s car on the 800 block of Hannah Avenue was robbed while she secured a loose dog on March 23 between 6:15 and 6:35 p.m. She had parked her car in the garage and left it running while she caught the dog and returned it to its owner. When she got back to her car, she noticed her wallet, that had been on the front passenger seat, was missing. She reported there was cash in her wallet, along with her ID, credit cards and insurance cards.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, March 23-27, 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