A gun was stolen from a car’s glove box when it was at the Currie Chevy dealership, 8401 Roosevelt Road, possibly by a dealership employee who was fired for an unrelated reason.
The victim said that on Sept. 6, he took his car, a black 2022 Chevrolet Camaro, for an oil change, dropping it off at 2 p.m. When he went to pick up the car on Sept. 7 at 4 p.m., he checked the glove compartment and discovered that his gun, a Smith and Wesson SDVE .40 caliber, was missing.
The dealership’s security cameras captured their porter, who was supposed to take the victim’s car to the service area, remaining inside for five minutes after driving it to the service area, then going to his personal vehicle for a few minutes. At around 3 p.m. the same day, the porter took a dealership vehicle without permission, returning it two hours later.
At the time, his superiors didn’t realize he might have stolen the gun but taking a vehicle without permission was enough to get him fired the following day.
Carjackers apprehended
Three carjackers were caught and arrested on Sept. 6 after a DiNico’s Pizza delivery driver recognized a friend’s car that was carjacked in Oak Park on Sept. 6.
The delivery driver said he was delivering a pizza to an address on the 800 block of Elgin Avenue at around 1:17 a.m. when he saw three teens standing next to the car parked in front of the building. He realized that the red 2013 Lexus belonged to his friend, a fellow DiNico’s Pizza delivery driver, who was carjacked while making a pizza delivery. The driver drove away and called the police.
When the officer responded, the Lexus drove away, leaving behind one of the alleged carjackers. The teen told the officer that he simply ordered the pizza but acknowledged that he didn’t live at the address.
Another officer stopped the Lexus at around the 1000 Marengo Avenue/Circle Avenue alley. One of the teens in the car fled, running east on Harvard Street, then north on Marengo Avenue. He was eventually located on the 900 block of Thomas Avenue and taken into custody.
The officer on the 800 block of Elgin Avenue tried to arrest the teen. The teen reportedly refused to put his hands behind his back and pulled away from the officer. The officer pushed him onto the ground, and the teen reportedly tried to push the officer off.
All three teens were charged with curfew violations. The teen who fled and the teen who resisted arrest, and one of them, a 17-year-old was charged with criminal trespass to vehicle. The three teens were released into the custody of their respective parents or guardians.
Attempted catalytic converter theft
Police officers were able to recover a stolen catalytic converter after a witness called in after witnessing the theft in progress.
The witness said he was driving in an alley on the 800 block of Hannah Avenue on Sept. 9 at around 12:24 a.m. when he saw five men in black ski masks cutting a muffler from the parked red 2004 Ford pickup. When the alleged thieves noticed the witness, they began walking toward his car. The witness quickly drove away and called the police. The police evidence technician examined the Ford and confirmed that a catalytic converter was removed.
The alleged thieves drove away in a blue 2007 Chevrolet Impala and a red Lexus. Around 40 minutes later, another officer spotted the cars at 7816 Polk St. Both cars fled, heading west on Harvard Street, then south on Desplaines Avenue, then west on Roosevelt Road. Throughout the chase, the vehicles sometimes traveled in the opposite-direction side of the road. They were last seen near the 1st Avenue and Roosevelt Road intersection.
A catalytic converter was recovered at 7625 Harvard Ave, and it was determined to “most likely” be the stolen converter.
Vehicle theft
A blue 2021 Hyundai Elantra was stolen from a parking lot on the 500 block of Desplaines Avenue at some point between Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. and Sept. 7 at around 3:30 a.m.
The victim said that she still had her car key. The police search found shattered glass at the parking spot where the car was last parked. The victim said there are scratches on the rear driver’s side that would make the car easy to identify.
There was an active camera on the nearby building, but the police didn’t have a chance to review the footage at the time of the report.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Sept 6-14, 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 Igor Studenkov
