On Oct. 12, a woman called police to report damage to her son’s grave. She said her son, who was killed in Chicago in 2024, is buried in the community mausoleum crypt at Forest Home Cemetery. She said a family member visited the grave about a week ago and sent pictures of the vandalized crypt, so she called the cemetery the day after and hadn’t heard back. The crypt is missing a copper vase from its wall and a cameo image of her son. The woman said the person she thinks killed her son is the one who vandalized the crypt, though he wasn’t charged with his murder. According to the police report, police called the cemetery, and its director said the stolen items are personal items and not covered by the cemetery but through a homeowner’s insurance policy.
This marks the fifth instance of stolen pieces from mausoleum doors at Forest Park cemeteries this year. In August, two people were arrested for stealing brass mausoleum doors in Forest Park. Because of recent thefts, Forest Home Cemetery has amended its visiting hours to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., a change that over 1,000 locals have signed a petition against.
Battery
On Oct. 18, a woman reported to police that, in the hours between Oct. 16 and 17, she was at Circle Inn when a man near her started talking with an unknown woman. She said she started interacting with the two, and there was a small verbal altercation before she passed out. She said she thought she was hit or pushed by one of the other two, was taken to the hospital, and had bruises on the back of her head and thigh.
Police spoke with a bartender at Circle Inn, who was working that night. He told police he didn’t see anyone hit someone but did hear a loud bang and saw the woman unresponsive on the floor. A witness told the bartender that the unresponsive woman initiated the argument, got in the couple’s face, then tripped and fell. No one was charged.
Missing person
On Oct. 18, police were dispatched to the 800 block of Thomas after a woman called to report her cousin missing. The cousin said she hadn’t spoken to the missing woman since Oct. 16, and that the woman doesn’t drive or work and has been experiencing memory loss recently. The woman is Black, about 175 pounds and 5-feet, 2-inches. She has black hair and a burn mark on her chest that runs up to her chin. The woman’s front door was unlocked, and police reported that there was no sign of forced entry or a struggle. Police contacted neighbors, who hadn’t seen the woman, and she wasn’t at nearby hospitals.
Assault
On Oct. 17, a woman reported that, two weeks ago, she was assaulted by a customer at Elements Massage on Madison Street. A woman came into the massage business to cancel her husband’s membership. The woman working there told her that, by policy, there would be one more charge when cancelling a membership and free gift cards for massages owed. The employee said she was sitting behind a desk, and the woman threatened to go over the counter. When the employee picked up the phone, the woman left the business but has been calling to harass staff multiple times a day. Police told the woman to stop calling or visiting Elements Massage.
On Oct. 16, police responded to Play It Again Sports on Madison Street after an employee said a man assaulted him. When police arrived, they attempted to separate the two and speak with the suspect outside, but he refused and became irate, according to police. The employee told police that a man came in with a bike and demanded a refund but could not provide a receipt. The man then threatened to jump over the counter and kill the employee. The employee provided police with a recording where the man threatens to brandish a firearm inside the business. Police took the man into custody, and he was charged with assault. They made contact with his neighbor, who said the man, who is diagnosed with Schizophrenia, gave him $270 to buy a bike lock and bike, which had a loose chain. The neighbor told police he’d email a copy of the receipt for the bike.
DUI
While on patrol Oct. 12, police saw a car in the parking lot at 901 Harlem Ave. The engine was running and the driver was in the front seat, slumped over. Police attempted to wake the driver, who remained asleep when police opened the driver’s door and turned off the car. Police reported the smell of alcohol from the car and performed sternum rubs on the driver, who woke up confused and had red, bloodshot eyes. Police said the man refused repeated orders to exit the car, so police escorted him out. After standardized field sobriety tests showed signs of impairment, police took him into custody. At the police station, the man provided a breath sample that showed his blood alcohol content as 0.27. He was charged with a DUI and having a blood alcohol content over 0.08.
These items were obtained from Forest Park Police Department reports dated Oct. 12 through Oct. 18 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.