Two suspects in a Bellwood homicide died in a fiery crash at the intersection of Randolph and Desplaines Avenue early Saturday morning, according to police reports. Bellwood police chased the duo who fled from the scene of a shooting in that suburb. Forest Park police were called to assist.
Before the pursuit, authorities said police had been called to the 200 block of 32nd Avenue in Bellwood just after 3 a.m. and found a 32-year-old man who had been shot multiple times in a car. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Authorities identified the man as Daven McKenzie of Glendale Heights.
According to reports, while police were investigating, they saw a car speeding away from the scene and followed it into Forest Park. The car crashed into a tree and burst into flames. The two people in the car were pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation is ongoing.
Man who skipped out on bar tab kicks lock off jail cell door
A drunk man who tried to dine-and-dash from Angelo O’Leary’s bar last Tuesday was charged with criminal damage to government property and other offenses after he kicked loose the lock on his detention cell door.
According to Forest Park police, a bar employee noticed how intoxicated the man became and, near the end of the night, asked him to pay his $66.50 bar tab. He had been buying drinks for himself and other patrons most of the night.
He put an ID on the counter and said he was going to use Apple Pay to take care of the bill, then left without paying. Another man tried to stop him from leaving the bar and a fight ensued. Both suffered injuries from the scuffle.
Police found the suspect outside, witnessed his “belligerent” behavior, and ordered him to stop, but he refused to do so despite warnings that he would be charged with obstructing. They were able to detain him and cuff him and bring him to the station.
At the police department, officers said he was “acting violently” and would not obey their commands. After he was placed in a cell, he began to kick and strike the door repeatedly, damaging the door. He then turned his back to the door, pushed his hands into the wall in front of him and back-kicked the door, refusing to stop.
He bent the metal door and knocked a piece of the handle’s locking mechanism to the floor. The door could not be used, police said.
All the while, the man demanded to be released, saying he would pay for damage to the door. Later he yelled at officers, saying they should be focused on other, more serious issues. When police then asked about his actions, the man refused to answer.
He was charged with theft of services, obstructing a peace officer, and criminal damage to government property. The estimated damage to the cell door is $2,300. He is expected to appear in court on the charges later in January.
Unregistered violent offender arrested with MDMA in his car
A Melrose Park man, and registered violent offender, was arrested last Wednesday during a traffic stop after police found a substance believed to be the drug MDMA in the car.
Officers said they saw him driving southbound on Harlem Avenue so slowly that he came nearly to a complete stop. They pulled him over, ran a check, and found that he had a suspended driver’s license and had not registered as a violent offender since October 2022, despite state requirements.
According to police, the man had spent more than 20 years in prison for murder of a child or teen. He initially registered as a violent offender in Forest Park, but moved to Chicago and registered there. He told police that as Chicago began changing the locations of registration, he gave up because he was not going to continue to “chase” different locations to register.
He complied with police requests to exit the car. After a search, officers found a black zip-lock bag containing a pink, chalky substance they suspected was MDMA.
He was arrested on charges of driving on a revoked license, failing to register as a violent offender and carrying a controlled substance. He was not eligible for bond, police said, and was scheduled for a hearing the next morning.
Outstanding warrant
A Northlake man, whom Forest Park police pulled over last Monday, was taken into custody because he had an outstanding warrant for arrest.
The man was driving southbound on Harlem Avenue from Randolph Street when police ran a check on his registration. They found it was expired and suspended. Further investigation showed he was not wearing his seat belt.
Another check determined he had an outstanding warrant filed by Metra police. He was taken into custody. The man posted bail on a $500-bond.
Driving on suspended license leads to car seizure
Police caught a 43-year-old man with a revoked drivers’ license after he tried to drive away in his 2020 Kia.
Police said they ran the plates on the parked car and determined that the driver’s license had been revoked for a DUI. The man got into his car and tried to drive away, but officers stopped him.
The man was taken into custody and his car, impounded.
He is expected to appear in court in May on criminal charges for driving on a revoked license, and later in January for the car seizure.
These items were obtained from the Forest Park Police Department reports, dated Jan. 22-29, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.
