Shoplifters target middle-age palliatives
A two-man team from Evanston and Chicago were caught in Forest Park after police observed a suspicious silver Chevy Impala in the parking lot of Walgreens at 7200 Roosevelt Rd. on Feb. 2 around 5:50 p.m. Officers saw a 40-year-old Chicago man enter the Walgreens and then exit again shortly thereafter without any visible purchases. The squad car pulled over the Chevy and the officer observed in plain view an unopened package of Allie weight loss aids near a black plastic garbage bag in the back seat. After verbal consent was given by the driver, age 28 from Evanston, to search the vehicle, the officer recovered $459.93 worth of Allie, as well as numerous other unopened boxes of Claritin, Rogaine, Prilosec OTC, Align probiotic and Zantac. At the Forest Park police station, the Chicago man told police he had a “serious heroin addiction” and that he travelled through the area stealing merchandise to an “Arab guy” he meets in the Currency Exchange parking lot at Roosevelt and Harlem. Both men were charged with retail theft.
Possibly unlocked Lexus ransacked
The owner of a 2002 Lexus parked overnight in the 200 block of Marengo on Jan. 27 could not remember whether he locked his vehicle the night before when he parked it at 3 a.m. The next day, he found the car and glove compartment ransacked and change scattered on the floor. Police found no signs of break-in damage.
Heroin falls from sleeve
After a tip from a drug user, Forest Park officers were alerted to a drug transaction allegedly set to occur at the McDonald’s restaurant in the 7100 block of Roosevelt Rd. in Berwyn around 8:30 on Feb. 2. Police allegedly observed a silver Pontiac G6 pull into the Shell gas station next door to McDonalds, abruptly crossing two lanes of traffic and almost causing two accidents. The driver, Barry J. Spires, 28, of Chicago was found to “never have had a driver’s license and if it did it would be suspended several times,” according to police reports. As he was being placed in handcuffs, Spires moved his right arm behind his back, whereupon 18 foil packets containing a white powdery substance fell from his sleeve. Spires allegedly uttered, “F— man, I was just trying to make a deal.” A total of 10 grams of heroin and $354 in cash was recovered from Spires. He was charged with possession of heroin with intent to deliver within 1,000 feet of [Maple] park in Oak Park.
Intoxicated driver causes 3-car crash
Around 12:15 a.m. on Feb. 3, police observed a three-vehicle accident in the 700 block of Harlem Ave. No serious injuries were reported. The driver of a 2011 gold Chevrolet, which police said initiated the crash, appeared intoxicated and allegedly had a difficult time removing his driver’s license from his wallet. Andrew S. Tirmenstein, 29, of Chicago told police he was leaving a party and “trying to get home.” He allegedly said he didn’t know how the accident occurred. When brought to the station, he failed field sobriety tests and blew a .202 blood alcohol level, more than twice the legal limit. He was charged with DUI, driving too fast for conditions and failure to reduce speed.
These items were obtained from the records of the Forest Park Police Department, Jan. 29- Feb. 3, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anyone named in the report has only been charged with a crime.
