A 35-year-old Chicago woman called police on July 28 at about 5:40 p.m. to report she had just been robbed in the parking lot of a dental office on Roosevelt Road.
The victim told police that she had just left 28 to Brush, 7610 Roosevelt Road, and was walking in the parking lot toward her vehicle when a black Mercedes-Benz with a license plate starting in “BU” swerved toward her, causing her to jump out of the way.
Two men wearing black face masks exited the Mercedes and quickly walked toward her. One of them began saying “gimme” while reaching for his waistband. After the second offender grabbed a bag the victim was holding in her hand, both men got back into the vehicle and drove away.
The bag reportedly contained a toothbrush and a receipt from the appointment.
An Oak Park police officer reported spotting the vehicle at Harrison Street and Euclid Avenue and initiated a pursuit. However, the chase was terminated after police lost sight of the car traveling eastbound on I-290 from Austin Boulevard.
According to police, the vehicle had been hijacked in Berwyn and used in similar incidents in the surrounding area.
Theft from sleeping commuter
A 57-year-old Chicago woman went to Forest Park police on the morning of July 23 to report that about a month earlier someone had removed several items from her purse while she was asleep on a CTA Blue Line train.
The woman told police that the stolen items included two pre-paid phones, business cards, a calendar book, a wallet with ID and a bank card. The woman also told police that the bank card had been used at a Shell station in Oak Park on June 21.
Man accused of punching cop
A Forest Park police officer reported he was punched in the face by a man allegedly under the influence of drugs during an incident on July 27 around 4:55 p.m. in the 1500 block of Harlem Avenue.
The incident started as a well-being check after 911 callers reported a man down on the sidewalk and a vehicle left parked in the middle of the roadway. Police arrived to find a man – who police did not identify because he had no ID and would not cooperate –apparently under the influence of drugs.
From the man’s pocket an officer recovered a small baggie containing a white powdery substance believed to be heroin. The officer placed the baggie on the ledge of a nearby building, but the man grabbed the baggie and ate it, destroying the evidence.
The man reportedly refused medical treatment and police said they were willing to let him go and tow his vehicle – a firefighter had removed the keys from the ignition and left them on the driver’s seat — when the man allegedly tried to get back into his vehicle.
When the officer intervened, the man reportedly took a swing at the officer, who reported feeling “contact to my face briefly.” The officer responded by jumping on the man and punching him in the face multiple times while trying to handcuff him.
Paramedics took the man, who was bleeding from his head, to the hospital. Police towed the vehicle but as of the time the police report was written had not charged him because they did not know his identity.
Snatch and grab
Forest Park police responded to the parking lot of Walmart, 1300 Desplaines Ave., on July 23 at about 10:30 p.m. after a 49-year-old Cicero woman reported that someone had snatched an item from his shopping cart while walking to her vehicle.
The victim told police that as she walked to her car, which was parked in the easternmost lanes of the parking lot, an unknown man came up from behind and grabbed her “lunchbox” containing her insulin and a large quantity of four other medications.
The offender then entered a dark blue Chevy Suburban and drove off.
CTA trains tagged
CTA employees working two different CTA lines called Forest Park police twice in the past two weeks to report that someone had spray painted graffiti on train cars.
On July 23, an employee called at about 2:50 a.m. to report that two train cars parked in the “deep jungle” portion of the train holding area near the CTA Blue Line terminal at 711 Desplaines Ave. had been tagged.
On the following morning at about 12:35 a.m., an employee called to report that one train car parked near the Harlem Avenue platform of the CTA’s Green Line at 1 Harlem Ave. had been tagged with graffiti.
Park vending machine damaged
A 13-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl were cited for curfew violations and criminal damage to property after allegedly damaging a vending machine at the Park District of Forest Park property, 7501 Harrison St., by allegedly kicking it around 12:45 a.m. on July 27.
A witness heard two loud bangs and saw two people walking away from the soda machine outside the daycare building. Police stopped the boy and girl for a curfew violation and observed foot prints on the lower portion of the vending machine
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, July 22-29, 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 Bob Uphues
