A woman on the 7300 block of Madison Street was issued citations for loud music and excessive noise on May 5 at 12:58 a.m., although the tickets will be mailed to her because she would not open the door to police.
According to the police report, the woman has called the police many times to complain about noise from Forest Park Tap Room, which is across the street from her residence. On May 5, police discovered she had set up a speaker system on her balcony, which faces Madison Street, and was blasting “heavy metal rock music, which could be heard from over a block away,” according to the police report.
Officers attempted to get her attention by calling her, but she did not answer her phone. They then flashed squad car lights and shone their spotlights at her apartment, but according to the report, she ignored them.
An officer finally made contact with her via her building’s intercom system. She told police she would continue to blast music every night until the bar across the street was stopped. “Do your f***ing job,” she allegedly told the officer.
Police later received a video of the incident. “One can hear what is believed to be Slayer’s song ‘Angel of Death’ coming from the offending balcony,” reads the police report.
Crowd outside Tap Room uncooperative, refuses to disperse
Police were called to Forest Park Tap Room, 7321 Madison St., for a noise complaint on May 1 at 12:38 a.m. The reporting officer observed a large crowd of people exiting the bar, and according to the police report, it appeared that the bar was closing early for the night. “The crowd poured out onto Madison Street, and subjects were screaming and walking out into the street, disregarding oncoming traffic,” reads the police report. Several subjects were allegedly verbally fighting. According to the police report, Forest Park police “attempted to disperse the large group, but they were uncooperative and took approximately 20-30 minutes to disperse.”
Arson the cause of Harlem Ave. apartment fire
Police and fire fighters determined that arson was the cause of a fire in an apartment building on the 1200 block of Harlem Avenue on May 5 at 3:23 p.m. Forest Park fire and police units responded to a fire alarm activation at the building. Oak Park, River Forest, Berwyn and North Riverside fire departments also responded. The Forest Park Fire Department extinguished flames on the first and second floor staircase landing. Some apartment doors were forced open to ensure residents were evacuated. A Grace Accelerant Hydrocarbon Detection monitor was employed to determine if accelerants may have been used to start the fire. The detection monitor positively indicated on the “pour” markings in at least three different locations. Pieces of burnt carpet as well as a control sample were photographed and collected into evidence.
Portillo’s employee assaulted
A 17-year-old employee of Portillo’s, 7740 Roosevelt Rd., was assaulted by a 43-year-old customer, who was charged with battery and assault on April 30. The incident occurred at 3:40 p.m. when the customer asked the employee if her food was ready yet. The employee told her it was still being prepared and would be a few more minutes. The customer allegedly began to “aggressively” ask about her order taking too long, then started yelling obscenities at the employee, who decided to ignore her and turned away. At that time, the customer threw a milkshake at the back of the employee’s head.
Open alcohol on Madison Street
Three women in a car parked on the 7400 block of Madison Street were given local ordinance citations for open alcohol when police found them drinking in the vehicle on April 30 at 11:44 p.m. Open bottles of Remy Martin Cognac and Dusse Cognac were found in the back seat, as well as three clear plastic cups containing a dark liquid, suspected to be alcohol. The alcohol was disposed of on scene.
On May 2 at 12:32 a.m., a man outside Forest Park Tap Room, 7321 Madison St., was given a local ordinance citation for open alcohol when he was caught with a clear plastic cup containing a dark liquid, suspected to be alcohol.
On May 2 at 1:43 a.m. a woman outside Mugsy’s, 7640 Madison St., was given a local ordinance citation for open alcohol when caught with a plastic cup with suspected alcohol in it. She told police she had just left the bar.
On May 4 at 12:43 a.m. a woman outside at 7421 Madison St. was given a local ordinance citation for having an open glass bottle of Smirnoff.
Unknown male sits in resident’s back yard at night
A woman on the 500 block of Elgin Ave. reported that for the past few months, an unknown male has been entering her back yard during the night and sitting on her lawn furniture. Overnight between May 4 and 5 he allegedly ate a meal and left a mess on the resident’s lawn and patio, leaving his trash behind. The resident has set up cameras and the subject has been caught on tape, which has been provided to the police.
Woman displays gun in McDonald’s drive-thru
A woman with a valid FOID card and Conceal Carry License told a man who approached her car in the McDonald’s drive-thru lane that she would shoot him if he came near her. The incident occurred on May 4 around 12:50 p.m. A man called police to report a woman with a gun. He said he’d been in the drive-thru lane at the restaurant at 420 Desplaines Ave. The car in front of him was not moving, so he drove his car around it. He said the woman in that car began to honk at him. He exited his car and approached her to calm her down, when he saw that she was holding a gun. He went back into his car.
The woman told police that when the man pulled his car in front of hers, got out, and began to approach, she was afraid for her safety and held her firearm, telling him she’d shoot if he came near her.
The man did not wish to sign criminal complaints against the woman, and the matter was an incident-only report.
60-year-old Walmart security guard assaulted
Police were called to Walmart, 1300 Desplaines Ave., when a 60-year-old security guard was punched in the head by a customer on May 4 at 10:55 p.m. The security guard reported that with the store closing for the day in five minutes, when three customers approached saying they needed to purchase worms he told them they couldn’t enter. According to the police report, they “became irate,” ignored the security guard and pushed past him into the store. The guard called police and locked the door when the three tried to exit the store, because he wanted them inside when police arrived. One of the three forced the shopping cart loading door open, exited, and punched the security guard in the forehead. He fled the area but was stopped by police.
The suspect said he had arrived at Walmart at 10:40, with 20 minutes to go inside and buy worms. He admitted ignoring the security guard and forcing his way out through the shopping car loading area after purchasing the worms. He said he punched the security guard because the guard was trying to grab the suspect’s girlfriend, and he was trying to protect her. He said he regretted his actions.
The reporting officer contacted the state’s attorney’s office and requested approval for aggravated battery since the security guard was 60 years old but was denied. Video footage of the incident has been inventoried. The suspect was processed for battery.
Police taser man who refuses to stop fighting
Two men were arrested and one tasered by police on May 5 at 12:42 a.m. Police were waved down by someone who reported a fight and a man bleeding from the face near Circle Avenue and Madison Street. Reporting officers observed a man walking in the street. While talking to him, another man approached, and the first subject “aggressively ran at” the second subject with his fists clenched. Police gave the first subject several verbal commands to stop, but he did not listen, instead raising his fists and pulling back his right arm as if about to punch the other subject. The officer removed and deployed his Taser, which stopped the altercation. Both men appeared extremely intoxicated, according to the police report. They were each issued local ordinance citations for public fighting and public intoxication.
CTA train car defaced
A train car in the “jungle” of the train yard at 711 Desplaines Ave. was defaced with spray paint. The damage was reported to police on April 30 at 2:30 a.m.
iPhone stolen at library
A Forest Park Public Library patron left her iPhone 7 on the charging station unattended on April 23 around 1:15 p.m. When she returned, the phone was missing. The subject was caught on video but has not been identified. The theft was reported to police on April 30.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, April 30-May 6, 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
