Police continue to deal with a rash of armed and strong-arm street robberies. Two Chicago boys were arrested and charged with aggravated robbery the evening of Oct. 31 after they matched the description of the pair who placed a BB gun against the head of a 68-year-old man on the 200 block of Pleasant Street and stole his shoulder bag and wallet.
That same night, another Chicago boy was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery after an incident on the 1100 block of Erie Street. The teen demanded the man’s property, then pushed him to the ground and started punching him. The boy was turned over to the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center.
Around the same time on the first block of Lake Street, two teens approached a man, began punching him and said, “We want money.” They took a cellphone and his wallet.
A man in his late teens approached a man riding his bike on the 700 block of South Elmwood Avenue the afternoon of Oct. 31 and stated, “Give me your bike or I’m gonna mess you up.” The man got off the bike and gave it up.
The morning of Nov. 2, a woman had her purse snatched by a large man in his late teens as she opened the front door of her home on the 800 block of Gunderson Avenue.
Two teens approached another teen on the 700 block of Lake Street, the afternoon of Oct.29, and asked to borrow a dollar. When the one teen pulled $9 from his pocket, one of the other teens grabbed it and the two ran off. Both thieves are known to the victim as Oak Park and River Forest High School students.
Theft
Antonio L. Benson, 20, of 3435 W. Adams St., was stopped in the 1100 block of North Ridgeland Avenue, the afternoon of Oct. 30, while riding a mountain bike and holding another mountain bike in his right hand. One bike was identified by its owner as stolen earlier on the 6700 block of North Avenue. Benson was also reportedly in possession of a checkbook stolen earlier from a car on the 6900 block of North Avenue.
$301 was stolen from the pocket of a jacket left unattended in a business on the 6700 block of North Avenue during the day, Nov. 3.
Scott Booker, 46, of 5808 Lake St., allegedly placed merchandise under his shirt and left the Dominick’s, 259 Lake St. without paying, the afternoon of Nov. 1. He was charged with a felony due to previous convictions.
Someone broke the window of a 1991 Olds Delta, parked on the 1000 block of Wesley Avenue the evening of Oct. 30, started the car and drove away.
Burglary
Someone pried open the front door of Bar Louie, 1122 Lake St., overnight Nov. 4. A safe was removed that contained $5,113 in cash and $95 in gift certificates.
A man was observed rummaging through a Honda Accord on the 600 block of South East Avenue, the afternoon of Oct. 29. The man took a laptop computer and fled in a waiting car. James E. Daniels, 43, of Romeoville, was stopped for an alleged traffic violation the afternoon of Nov. 1 and found to be driving on a revoked license and in possession of a fraudulent license. Police say he matched the description of the suspect in the 600 South East Avenue car burglary.
Someone broke the basement window of a home on the 500 block of North Cuyler Avenue overnight, Oct. 31. A total of $1,150 in cash and coins was stolen, as well as three watches. The thief then used a set of keys to steal a 2000 Ford Taurus.
Someone broke the lock on a garage service door on the 700 block of North Lombard Avenue overnight, Oct. 31. They then broke the window of a 2007 Hyundai and stole a wallet.
Someone removed a power drill and a box of wrenches from a Nissan pickup truck on the first block of Lake Street, the afternoon of Oct. 29.
The evening of Nov. 1, someone entered an unlocked 2008 Ford Escape on the 900 block of Madison Street and stole a hand-held computer, a watch and miscellaneous coins.
Criminal trespass to property
Les Golden, 63, of the 900 block of Forest Avenue turned himself in on a criminal trespass to property charge, the morning of Nov. 2. Officials at the Park District of Oak Park had pressed the charge after Golden had allegedly entered the Field Center property after being warned not to return.
Battery
Starling Smith allegedly struck a woman, then interefered with her attempt to call police during a domestic dispute on the 1500 block of Franklin Avenue in River Forest, the night of Nov. 3.
A man approached another man in the Jewel store, 7036 Roosevelt Road, the evening of Oct. 31. He yelled, “I’ll kill you,” then slapped the victim in the face, breaking his eyeglasses.
Drug possession
Kerri Grant, of the 200 block of South Boulevard, was found to be driving on a suspended license after being stopped for an alleged traffic violation near her home. Police say a search of her car turned up two baggies under the front seat containing suspected narcotics.
DUI
Antonio Ortiz, 47, was charged with DUI after being pulled over for allegedly speeding and improper lane usage near Thatcher Avenue and Augusta Boulevard near midnight, Nov. 3.
Leaving the scene of an accident
Miguel Ortiz, 30, of Maywood, was pulled over on the 300 block of South Ridgeland Avenue, the afternoon of Oct. 29, due to “heavy front end damage” to his car. Ortiz was later identified as the man who allegedly fled the scene after being involved in an accident near Madison Street and Taylor Avenue. He reportedly had no driver’s license and no insurance.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Oak Park and River Forest police departments from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5. Not all incidents that occurred are listed. Anyone named in reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated.
-Compiled by Bill Dwyer
