A 23-year-old Chicago man was arrested after fleeing a possible scene of a shooting and nearly running over four police officers in the process.
On Nov. 5 at 4:36 a.m., police officers responded to multiple reports of shots fired on the 1100 block of Lathrop Avenue. While canvassing the area, two officers spotted the alleged offender and another individual exit an apartment building and head toward a grey 2016 Chevrolet Cruze parked in the building parking lot. As the officers tried to stop the two to talk to them, the two men got into the vehicle, allegedly nearly hitting the two officers as they drove north on Lathrop Avenue.
As the Chevrolet kept going, it reportedly nearly hit two other officers who were checking that stretch of Lathrop Avenue for shell casings and kept going, turning east on Fillmore Street. The Chevrolet reportedly raced down the street and disregarded two stop signs. An Oak Park police patrol car called in to assist eventually stopped the alleged offender at 900 S. Harlem Ave.
The search of the car revealed that the alleged offender carried four small baggies of cannabis that weren’t stored in the legally required manner. The suspect said he had a gun, and a properly stored 9-millimeter Glock-17 was found to be safely stored in a locked box in the car’s trunk. The alleged offender had a valid FOID card.
Because he allegedly nearly hit four police officers, his reckless driving and suspicion that he might be connected to the shots fired, the alleged offender was taken into custody. He said he and the passenger were visiting a friend and, when they saw the police cars and “thought he should leave the area.” The alleged offender denied hearing gun shots or seeing anything.
The alleged offender was charged with reckless driving, possessing cannabis outside an approved container, two counts of failure to yield to stop signs and four counts of aggravated assault. He was released after paying the required 10% of the $2,000 bail.
Aggravated robbery
A 54-year-old Chicago man was robbed at the McDonalds at 420 Desplaines Avenue and ended up with a head injury after he tried to catch the robber and got punched.
On Nov. 5, at 4:33 p.m., the victim was at the counter when the alleged offender came up behind him, took $270 from his pocket and threw him to the ground. The victim got up and chased after the robber. The alleged offender punched the victim in the face, causing the victim to fall backward and hit his head on the ground. When the officers got there, the victim was “bleeding profusely” from the back of his head.
Officers apprehended the alleged offender a few blocks south, near the intersection of Desplaines Avenue and Adams Street. The victim positively identified him as his attacker, and the victim was transported to Loyola Medical Center for treatment.
The alleged offender was charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated battery of a senior citizen.
Robbery
Two men attempted to snatch a purse from a woman as she was exiting her car and ended up stealing a bag of clothing.
On Nov. 1 at 10:02 p.m., the victim parked her car on the 500 block of Beloit Avenue. As she went to the front passenger seat to get her purse, two men who were wearing black face masks approached her from behind and tried to snatch the purse away. The victim screamed and tried to get away from the suspects. The two men ended up opening the rear door of the victim’s car and grabbed a bag containing clothing purchases she planned to return. The suspects grabbed the purse and ran, heading north into the alley.
Police officers couldn’t find the suspects, and a nearby camera didn’t capture the incident. They did find the bag with all the clothing inside at 434 Beloit Ave.
Retail burglary
A man broke into the Walgreens location at 7200 W. Roosevelt Rd. on Nov. 2 at 4:05 a.m. by throwing a brick through the glass door.
The video surveillance camera captured the suspect, who was wearing a mask and gloves, sliding over the front counter, grabbing several Newport and Marlboro cigarette packs, and throwing them in his backpack. He also grabbed a can of root beer from the cooler.
Area surveillance cameras captured the suspect fleeing north across the retail parking lot, but a police canvas of the area didn’t turn up any results.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Oct 31 – Nov. 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 Igor Studenkov
