The new year started off with a bang in Forest Park as someone fired at a passing car, shattering its sunroof.
The victim was driving down the 200 block of Harlem Avenue on Jan. 1 when someone fired at his grey 2013 Hyundai Sedan at 12:21 a.m. The bullet shattered the sunroof glass. The glass shards left a small cut on the right side of the victim’s face – but otherwise, he wasn’t injured.
The victim pulled over at the first safe location and called the police. He declined medical treatment, and he was unable to provide the responding officers with any additional information.
Dunkin Donuts armed robbery
Three teenagers robbed the Dunkin Donuts location at 7660 Madison St. in broad daylight, threatening to shoot two teen employees if they didn’t open the cash register.
The incident took place on Jan. 4 at 4:25 p.m. According to victims accounts and the surveillance footage, the suspects waited inside a grey, four-door Nissan until the store had no customers and walked in. Two of the suspects jumped behind the counter and put what the victims believed were guns behind their backs and ordered them to open the cash register. The female employee opened the register. All three suspects grabbed as much money as they could carry and ran out the store, driving west on Madison Street.
While the suspects wore masks, they didn’t wear gloves, and the police were able to recover fingerprints.
Residential burglaries
Two units in a condominium building on the 7200 block of Adams Street were burglarized on the afternoon of Jan. 6.
Police initially got a call about the burglary of one unit. The owner’s parents returned to the unit after visiting the victim in the hospital and discovered the inside door frame was damaged, and the entire unit was ransacked. The burglar stole two rings and a wedding band collectively worth $5,500. The parents said the victim collected antique items, but they weren’t sure how much those items were worth.
Residents of other nearby units said they didn’t hear anything suspicious. But the resident of a unit across the hall discovered that his unit was burglarized as well. The victim, who has a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card and a Concealed Carry License, discovered that his gun, an M&P9 Shield E2 (9mm) Smith & Wesson, was stolen from his nightstand. His PlayStation 4 gaming console was missing as well.
The victim from the second unit also discovered that two packages that were left in the building lobby were stolen. A member of the building condominium board discovered them under the staircase. Both boxes were opened. The contents of one package, a sweater, were left next to the box, but the contents of the second package, a red Nike jacket, was stolen.
The same condo board member discovered that the basement laundry room window, which is normally kept closed, was left open.
Hit and run
A man was reportedly hit by a car after getting shot at with “a bean bag” round while walking on Madison Street on Jan. 4 at around 1 a.m.
The victim said he was walking along the edge of Concordia Cemetery when someone shot him with a “bean bag” round in the neck. He ran for safety, but as he got into Spotless Carwash, 7802 Madison St., a car struck him. The victim said the force of the impact sent him flying into a windshield. He said the vehicle was gold and had four doors but couldn’t give a make and model.
The victim said that he walked to Oak Park Hospital for treatment. The driver allegedly showed up at the ER. The victim said she paid him $25 so he wouldn’t press charges, but the victim said he was going to do what was “legally right.”
The victim said he didn’t call the police right away because he didn’t have a cellphone, but he went to the police station after he was discharged.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department Jan. 1-7. 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
