Lantern Haus, 7414 Madison St., was given a local ordinance citation for serving liquor past allowed hours on July 4 at 12:41 a.m. A resident called the police department to report the rear patio of the bar was serving alcohol past midnight and playing loud music at a disturbing volume.
Police arrived to find between 20 and 25 people drinking alcohol, indeed past the legal hours, and loud music playing from outdoor speakers.
Upon entering the bar, police discovered that “social distancing guidelines were not being followed and the location appeared to be a public health concern,” with more than 30 people crowded around the bar.
The bartender, the only employee working at the time, “appeared extremely intoxicated” and seemed to have trouble comprehending what the officers were telling him. Police informed the bartender that he was being issued a local ordinance citation and that he appeared too drunk to be operating the bar.
“I have lost control of the bar,” said the bartender, agreeing with the officers. He then began to yell at the patrons, telling them they had to leave.
They did, but many exited onto Madison Street, carrying their alcoholic beverages, an action not permitted and not stopped by the bartender. According to the police report, “This led to a large amount of subjects acting rowdy, creating a disturbance, and drinking open alcohol on the public way.”
Later, the manager of the bar called police, stating that she couldn’t get the drunk bartender to leave and asking for help removing him.
The police report stated that the same bartender was given two verbal warnings about patrons being in the bar past closing time the previous week.
Police respond to report of ‘man with a gun’
Police were called to Thornton’s, 601 Harlem Ave., on July 1 at 1:58 p.m. after a report of a “man with a gun.” A woman approached the police car as it arrived at the location just as a Ford Taurus left the lot. The officer was able to observe the first few letters and number of the license plate, which belonged to the offender. The woman told police she and her boyfriend got into a verbal altercation with two other men in the suspect vehicle. She said the argument became more and more heated until one of the men pulled a black pistol from his waistband and pointed it at her. The reporting officer left to find the vehicle with negative results, and upon returning to Thornton’s, the victim had left the scene.
‘Dine and dash’ at Louie’s Grill
Louie’s Grill, 7422 Madison St., was the victim of a “dine and dash” on July 2 at 8:38 a.m. A group of eight subjects ordered food, ate it, then left without paying. The total of their breakfast was $121.33. The suspects fled the scene in a white van.
Cub’s hat, parking sticker stolen from car
A car was ransacked overnight between July 1 and 2 on the 800 block of Lathrop Avenue. The owner of the vehicle said missing from the car were her Forest Park parking sticker, her Cub’s hat, and her W2 forms from work.
Police car vandalized
A police car was vandalized at 11 N. Harlem in Oak Park after following a man and woman involved in a potential domestic battery at Parky’s, 329 Harlem Ave., on July 2 at 8:19 p.m. The woman told police she was trying to get away from the man, who kept following her. The woman got into the back seat of the police car so she could be given a ride to the train station.
The man, however, became upset, yelling that he’d done nothing wrong and wanted his money, which he insisted the woman had. He then approached the squad car and attempted to open the back door, pulling the handle so hard it came off. He threw it to the corner of the parking lot.
He was processed on the felony charge of criminal damage to government supported property.
Lingerie stolen
A package containing $23 of lingerie was stolen from a front porch by an unknown subject on the 1000 block of Harlem on July 3.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, June 29-July 5, 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
