On the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, a man who owns a property in the 1000 block of Marengo Avenue called police to report that the back door was open and several windows were broken at his under-construction home. He also told police that the thermostat was set to 90 degrees and he believed people were sleeping there overnight. Police told the man to board up the windows and install cameras. He said he would sign criminal complaints if any offenders could be located.  

Gunshots on Randolph Street 

In the early hours of New Year’s Day, police responded to an alley in the 7400 block of Randolph Street after a caller reported shots fired. Upon arrival, the caller told police that Pioneer Tap patrons were coming in and out of the bar and making excessive noise, according to the police report. Police found five spent shell casings in the alley but haven’t charged anyone with reckless discharge of a firearm.  

Assisting River Grove police  

Police responded to the 2400 block of Harlem Avenue Dec. 30 after hearing on the radio that River Grove and Elmwood Park police reported a stolen vehicle with armed occupants approaching the area. As the stolen car passed 24th Street in Berwyn, it hit a median and crashed into a River Grove police car, injuring the officer inside, according to the police report. Four men in face masks got out of the car and ran north on Harlem. A Forest Park police officer pursued one and commanded him to stop before tasing him and taking him into custody. Another Forest Park officer pursued a second offender and, near Sterling Morton High School West, performed an emergency takedown with a Berwyn officer. North Riverside police located and detained a third suspect, and all three offenders were turned over to River Grove police.  

Robbery on Harvard Street  

In the early hours of Dec. 27, police responded to a home on Harvard Street. A man who lived there with his girlfriend and their two daughters told police his girlfriend left for work in the morning and didn’t return home until 2 a.m. after they’d been arguing all day. Then, she and her cousin entered the home, and her cousin started hitting the man while he held his daughter. Two other men came into the apartment and started battering the man, according to the police report. His girlfriend took their children, who they have shared custody over, and some belongings, then left. The man said he would sign complaints against the men who hit him, though he didn’t know who they were.  

Attempted sexual assault 

On Dec. 26, a woman called police after she was punched in the face on the Harlem Blue Line platform. She told police that a man took her wallet during an attempted criminal sexual assault, according to the police report. Police located the man and found the wallet in his pocket. He was charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, robbery, plus resisting officers and obstructing identification for his behavior when police took him into custody.  

Burglary  

Police responded to 7740 Madison St. on Dec. 23 for a delayed burglary. There, the business owner’s fiancé told police that they were renting space inside the building to two tenants, who were upset because the heat wasn’t working in the building and therefore not paying rent. The tenants were asked to leave and, when they came to collect their belongings, wrecked several suites, broke furniture and pulled sinks off the wall. The business owner leases the space and can’t replace the HVAC, according to the police report. Police said she is also in litigation with the property owners, who are attempting to evict her and refuse to replace the broken HVAC.  

On Dec. 21, police responded to the same studio space after the two tenants called. One of them said she was a makeup artist and came to pick up her belongings, only to realize the locks had been changed. Though the business owner couldn’t be reached, the property management company TAS told police that she owes about $36,000 in back rent and is being evicted. No one has been charged yet. 

These items were obtained from Forest Park Police Department reports dated Dec. 21 through Jan. 2 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.