Forest Park Walmart decided not to press criminal charges against a 26-year-old Chicago Heights woman and a 24-year-old Crete, Ill. woman who tried to steal $596.37 worth of items, saying that they were fine with the two being cited at the village level, Forest Park police said.

According to the surveillance footage, on Nov. 8 at 1:07 p.m., the two didn’t scan all the items at the self-checkout – and even then, they only paid $20 using a LINK card and didn’t pay $85 they owed. When the Walmart employee asked them for the receipt, they refused to provide one and walked out of the store. The two got into a black 2008 Ford Expedition with a man and a child, and the car drove away.

Police intercepted the Ford as it exited the Walmart parking lot. The three originally denied stealing anything, but the security footage and employee testimony confirmed the two women’s identities.

Walmart loss prevention staff decided that given the circumstances, a village ordinance citation for theft would suffice. The two were released. A hearing for their citation is scheduled for December.

Motor Vehicle Thefts

One car was taken and one theft prevented after a witness scared the thief off, police said.

A grey 2021 Toyota RAV4, which was parked in front of its owner’s residence on Circle Avenue, was stolen overnight of Nov. 8. The victim said that he and his wife left the keys inside the Toyota. There was no surveillance footage in the area. 

An attempted theft also took place on the evening of Nov. 10 at the 7400 block of Washington Street. On Nov. 11, at 9 a.m., the victim discovered that someone shattered the front driver’s side window of her black 2015 Kia sedan. The steering column was peeled. The victim reported they didn’t believe anything was stolen from the Kia.

A witness said that the day before, at around 6 p.m., he saw a man wearing black clothing break the window. The witness yelled, and the would-be-thief ran away.

Bike Burglary

A green Huffy-brand bike and a black bike helmet were stolen overnight from the garage at the 1100 block of Troost Avenue. 

The victim discovered the burglary on Nov. 11 at about 9:59 a.m. She said she believed she locked her garage door, and the police found no signs of forced entry. The victim didn’t have her bike’s serial number. While the house had a surveillance camera on the porch, it didn’t capture the incident.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Nov. 6-13, 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