Three teens or young men wearing ski mask face coverings approached a man returning home on the 500 block of Elgin Avenue, pointed a handgun at his head, and demanded his car keys. They stole his car and phone. The man, who was bringing food home from a restaurant on May 1 at 7:36 p.m., said the three offenders came up to him after he’d left his car and was walking toward his house. 

“Give me your keys! Give me your keys!” yelled one of the men. The offenders searched his pants pockets, taking his keys and cell phone. They were unable to retrieve the wallet from his pocket.

They took his car and fled the scene, heading northbound on Elgin and making a right-hand turn onto eastbound Adams Street.

The victim’s wife, who witnessed the crime through the window, came outside and reported that a gray/dark grey four door sedan drove very slowly past their residence immediately after, and the driver rolled down his window and looked directly at her and her husband. She pulled her husband toward the house in fear.

 

Ceramic elephant stolen from front yard

A grey colored clay/ceramic elephant, approximately 18 inches tall, was stolen from a home on the 600 block of Grove Lane on May 1 at 3:30 a.m. The victim, who purchased the elephant approximately a year ago for around $40, was able to see the crime on his Ring doorbell surveillance system. The offender, wearing dark colored clothing, took the elephant and walked away.

 

Man driving stolen car steals snacks,
gives middle finger

A man stole a bottle of Sprite, a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and a bottle of Tahitian Treat Fruit Punch from Thornton’s, 601 Harlem Ave., on May 3 at 10:31 a.m. When the store employee asked him to pay, the offender stuck up his middle finger and walked out. The license plate of the car he was driving was run and showed the vehicle was stolen out of Cicero. The items had a total value of $8.17.

 

Attempted garage break-in

A resident on the 400 block of Hannah Avenue returned home from a trip on May 3 to discover pry marks and shoe prints on the side door of his garage. He said the marks looked like they were made from a crowbar. However, although the door lock seemed to have been broken, the door was not breached, and nothing appeared to be missing after an initial search.

Police administer Naloxone

A police officer administered one dose of Naloxone to an unconscious person in the parking lot of Thornton’s, 601 Harlem Ave., on May 3 at 10:33 p.m. The officer also performed a sternal rub. The person was unresponsive but breathing and had symptoms of an opioid overdose. After a few minutes, he began responding. The fire department arrived on the scene, took over medical care, and transported the man to a hospital. 

 

Cars burglarized

• A GPS, USB stick, remote control, and pair of sunglasses, all valued at around $200, were stolen from a car on the 1000 block of Circle Avenue on May 1. The owner called police when he went into his car to go to work and discovered the items were missing. He believes he left his car unlocked, and there were no signs of forced entry. 

• Police took a report over the phone on April 27 when a woman realized her car had been ransacked. Her car, on the 1100 block of Lathrop Avenue, was parked in the rear of her residence. She had not been in her car in about a week, and when she entered it, she discovered the driver’s side door ajar and the inside rummaged through. She said she never leaves much of value in her car, so the only thing stolen was a watch, valued at approximately $15. There was no sign of damage to the doors, and she is unsure if she left it unlocked.

• On the same block, and reported on the same date, another car was burglarized. A resident called the police when she discovered $10, in $2 bills, missing from her car, which was parked in the rear of the residence. She said she always leaves her car doors locked.

 

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, April 27-May 2, 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