Walgreens manager thwarts elder scam
A store manager recently prevented a $1,500 scam. A man received a call from someone pretending to be his grandson on April 18, saying he had been in an accident and that he needed $1,500 to stay out of jail, according to a police report. Another man posing as the grandson’s lawyer then got on the phone, and said he owed $1,500 in legal fees but only accepted Google gift cards. The man told the two his wife was on his way to Walgreens, 7200 Roosevelt Road, and would buy the gift cards there.
The woman attempted to buy three, $500 Google gift cards. The store manager asked why the woman was buying so many gift cards and, when she heard the answer, told the woman this was a classic scam and warned her not to fall for it.
Man walks off with a new pair of Jordans
A man stole a pair of shoes delivered to 1128 Desplaines Ave. on April 15, according to a police report. A woman had ordered her son a $166 pair Nike Jordan sneakers on eBay.com. The boy tracked the package, and saw they were delivered by the United Parcel Service on April 15. But when he went to the mail room to retrieve the shoes, the package was gone.
Building surveillance footage shows a man walking into the mail room about 12:10 p.m., putting the shoes in a black garbage bag and then fleeing on foot down Roosevelt Road.
Man refuses to leave staffing agency
Police arrived about 10:26 a.m. at REM Employment Agency, 7239 Roosevelt Road, on April 20, responding to a call about an upset employee who refused to leave.
The store manager told police a day laborer was standing at the counter, yelling about a dispute in his check amount and riling up other employees. The manager said he explained the pay discrepancies and store gift card policies to the man several times, but that he refused to leave.
Police asked the man several times what his problem was, but he was unwilling to cooperate and continued to make a disturbance. An officer asked the man to leave, but he refused and got down on the floor. Eventually officers removed him to the Forest Park Police Department. At the station, the man apologized and said, “I acted like an ass” and “I’m homeless and just living check to check.” He was charged with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.
Police uncover gun in traffic stop
Police observed a driver skipping a stop sign on April 21, and stopped the vehicle about 1:49 a.m. on the 600 block of Hannah Avenue, according to the police report. When the officer approached the driver, he smelled a strong scent of marijuana and the man told him his license was “tied up in courts.” He handed the officer a state ID. Police ran the man’s name through the system and found no valid Illinois driver’s license.
Officers searched the driver and passenger and found a small bag of what appeared to be marijuana on the passenger. Police then searched the car and found an open bottle of Remy Martin Cognac in the back seat, three other small bags of cannabis, and a black semi-automatic pistol in a pillowcase behind the driver’s seat. When the officer found the gun he immediately asked for the two to be handcuffed, but the driver fled north down Hannah Avenue. The passenger was handcuffed, and additional officers eventually caught the driver.
Police also conducted a second check of the vehicle, discovering another bag of cannabis and a bag of cocaine. The driver was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, and the passenger was issued a local ordinance violation for possession of cannabis and disorderly conduct for open alcohol.
Parking in the street with no license
Officers arrived about 8:50 p.m. at Thornton’s, 601 Harlem Ave., on April 21, and found a car straddled between the gas station and the road, blocking traffic.
When police approached the vehicle, a man immediately jumped inside and backed the car into the parking lot at a gas pump, according to a police report. The man said he must have left the Nissan in drive at the pump and handed police a state ID card. Police ran his name through the system and found his license has been suspended since 2010 for a DUI. Police seized the man’s vehicle and cited him for improper parking on a roadway and driving while his license was suspended.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, April 15-22, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.
Compiled by Nona Tepper
