Speeding motorcyclist goes straight to his own home

An officer on Harlem Avenue around 9:30 a.m. on June 29 observed in his rear-view mirror a motorcyclist traveling at a rapid rate of speed. The radar readout quickly accelerated from about 21 mph to 69 mph in a 30-mph zone. As the motorcycle approached the unmarked vehicle, the driver seemed to notice and tried to slow down as it passed. The officer attempted to curb the bike, which accelerated and threaded through two lanes of traffic as it sped southbound on Harlem during the morning rush. The officer was able to glimpse and record the driver's license plate number, entering it into the squad computer. The motorcycle continued down Harlem at a speed the officer estimated at 80 mph in a 35-mph zone.

The fleeing driver turned onto Roosevelt Road and disappeared into Berwyn, shaking the officer. Meanwhile, a records check revealed the owner of the bike, a 25-year-old man from Berwyn lived in the 1500 block of South Kenilworth Avenue. A second officer waited at the address and when the driver arrived, the officer exited his vehicle and removed the man from his motorcycle. When asked why he was speeding, the driver reportedly denied any culpability and asked if his plate was caught on camera. He refused to make a statement and the Cook County State's Attorney approved a single count of aggravated fleeing and eluding and two traffic violations. The motorcycle was towed to the station and seized for evidence.

Candy vendor chased from Walgreens

After chasing a candy seller away from the front of Walgreens, 7200 Roosevelt Road, earlier on the morning of June 26, a manager noticed the man was back again around 3 p.m. The 25-year-old Chicago man wearing a red jersey and backpack stood directly in front of the drug store's doors with a box of assorted candy. When police arrived, he admitted selling the candy, at which point he was placed into custody and given two local ordinance citations for soliciting and trespassing. He was advised he could not return to Walgreens and released from the station.

Pocketing gift cards for phone activation

A Walmart employee was arrested on the afternoon of June 24 after her supervisor alleged she had taken two $50 gift cards. According to the manager, Walmart was giving away free gift cards totaling $50 with every cellphone activation. The employee reportedly activated two cellphones for two different customers but gave them gift cards with no value on them. The 25-year-old Chicago woman allegedly kept the working gift cards for herself. She was issued a local ordinance citation for employee theft.

Tools disappear from boiler room

Approximately $750 worth of tools were removed from a storage room in a building in the 7500 block of Adams Street, overnight June 24. Missing from the boiler room of the building were a Bosche belt sander, Milwaukee sawz-all, rigid pistol router, Craftsman circular saw, Milwaukee hole saw set, tin snips, two electric drills and a vacuum cleaner.

Overnight auto burglaries

Overnight June 24-25, several vehicles were burglarized in Forest Park.

A woman told police someone removed a leather work bag containing a pink Nikon camera, overnight June 24-25, from her unlocked Toyota Prius parked in the 500 block of Elgin. She later reported she found the empty bag in a trashcan in the 7200 block of Jackson Boulevard, but the camera was gone.

Also overnight on June 24-25, someone opened an unlocked 2006 Chrysler sedan parked in the 1300 block of Elgin and removed a checkbook and a few dollars in change.

Change was also removed from a parked 1994 Honda Accord in the 1000 block of Desplaines, along with an iPod valued at $150 and a Garmin GPS unit.

A Landrover parked in the 1000 block of Beloit was ransacked overnight, although the owner could not identify anything significant missing. She told police her garage door was also found ajar.

A Toyota Celica, parked in an unspecified block of Troost, was also ransacked sometime between June 22 and 25.

A vacationer returning to Forest Park in the 1000 block of Circle Avenue, the morning of June 26, discovered her side garage door open. Inside, two vehicles were unlocked with trunks opened. She was unable to determine anything of value that had been removed.

These items were obtained from the records of the Forest Park Police Department, June 23-29, 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.

Contact:
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