Three River Forest girls, ages 15-16, were walking on Washington Street between Gale and Keystone around midnight on Aug. 20 when two men in a black four-door sedan pulled up and began trying to engage them in conversation. The men then jumped out of the car and chased the girls briefly. They stopped when the girls reached another group of friends further up Washington. A subsequent search of the area turned up nothing. The three girls gave general descriptions of the men, but no license plate number.
Disorderly conduct
A River Forest girl walking through the St. Luke’s parking lot was followed by a man in a white compact car the afternoon of Aug. 16. The man made several attempts to gain the girl’s attention as he slowly followed her for half a block before driving off.
Joseph Alvarez, 31, of Berwyn was allegedly observed jumping into a yard, “sliding” through several bushes, then running through several neighboring yards “in an unreasonable manner in the 900 block of home the afternoon Aug. 17.
Domestic battery leads to arrest
Oak Park police investigating a domestic battery in the 1000 block of Washington Boulevard Aug. 20 ended up arresting an 18-year-old Oak Park man for criminal sexual assault as well. Christopher Meeks, of 219 S. Cuyler, allegedly kicked his girlfriend, a 17-year-old Forest Park resident, off her bike during an argument Sunday morning. Meeks allegedly refused to stop for police, who had to physically restrain him. During the subsequent investigation, police learned that Meeks had allegedly had consensual sex with a 14-year-old Oak Park girl.
In June, Meeks was being processed for a bond hearing by Oak Park police when he was found to have an outstanding Oak Park warrant for gambling.
Nathaniel F. Flowers, 35, allegedly dragged his girlfriend into his car near Thatcher Avenue and North Avenue around 11:30 p.m. Aug. 16. After police pulled him over at Thatcher and Augusta, the girlfriend declined to press charges, but police arrested Flowers after determining he was driving on a suspended license.
Joe L. Thomas, 32, of the 1000 block of Pleasant, allegedly pushed a door into a woman in the 600 block of Maple Avenue, grabbed her and threw her into a wall the night of Aug. 14.
Battery
Oscar Martinez, Timothy Ostrowski, and Manuel Fernandez were arrested the afternoon of Aug. 18 after being identified as the three men who allegedly battered an Oak Park man in the 6200 block of Roosevelt Road around 1 a.m. the night before.
A man who asked to see several boxes of cigars at the Shell Station at Lombard and Madison the night of Aug. 19 purchased several, then changed his mind and asked for his money back. When the clerk refused, the man slapped him and fled the store.
Robbery
Two men in their early 20s riding in a white SUV followed an Oak Park girl walking in the 700 block of Augusta Boulevard the around 1 a.m. Aug. 21. One man jumped out, grabbed the girl’s arm and demanded her cell phone. The girl turned over the purse, containing $10, to which the cell phone was attached.
DUI
Tajuana Jackson, 31, of Chicago was allegedly observed driving recklessly (driving on the side walk) and speeding in the 6900 block of Roosevelt Road around 3:30 a.m. Aug. 14. Police say she also had a strong odor of alcohol.
Juan Villegas Resendiz, 37, was charged with felony DUI after being pulled over for multiple alleged traffic offenses in River Forest around 2:30 a.m. Aug. 20. Resendiz reportedly blew 0.134 on a breathalyzer and also allegedly had no insurance.
Burglary to motor vehicle
Someone broke a window on a car in the 200 block of Washington Boulevard overnight on Aug. 14. A designer briefcase valued at $250 was stolen.
Sometime during the day Aug. 16, 100 CDs valued at $1,000 were stolen from a closed but unlocked car in the 100 block of Home Avenue.
Retail theft
Two men were observed exiting the Jewel, 7036 Roosevelt Road, with several bottles of liquor concealed under their coats the afternoon of Aug. 19. Loss was $240.
Larry Earl Edwards, 51, of Chicago was arrested the night of Aug. 16 after being identified as the man who allegedly left Borders Books, 1144 Lake St., with a bag full of CDs without paying. He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Denyia M. Collum, 35, was arrested for both retail theft and on parole violation by River Forest police at Coconuts, 7235 Lake St., the afternoon of Aug. 14. Collum, who was paroled last September from the most recent of seven retail theft convictions, including aggravated battery to a merchant, was released without charges after her parole officer withdrew the parole warrant.
Gilbert Coleman Jr. was arrested after allegedly taking merchandise from the Osco Drug, 7525 Lake St., without paying the afternoon of Aug. 19.
A woman ran out of the Walgreens, 7251 Lake St., with “a bag full of body wash” the afternoon of Aug. 17.
A man attempting to walk out of a grocery store in the 6200 block of Roosevelt Road with a backpack containing $88 worth of un-purchased merchandise dropped the container and fled after being confronted by store staff the afternoon of Aug. 15.
Drugs
Thomas DeSalvo, 31, of Northlake was stopped on suspicion in an alley in the 800 block of North Taylor Avenue the evening of Aug. 19. Police allegedly found nine foil packets of a white powder suspected to be heroin, a spoon and a syringe on his possession.
Theft
Michael A. Brown, 50, of the 1000 block of North Lockwood, Chicago was arrested after he was identified as the man who allegedly took $20 off a counter in Laury’s Bakery the morning of Aug. 17. A custodial search then reportedly turned up two .22 caliber bullets.
A man stole a backpack containing $200 from a woman in the 700 block of North Austin Boulevard the morning of Aug. 14.
Someone entered a residence in the 1100 block of Ontario Street, possibly with a key, and stole a purse, jewelry and $30 cash between Aug. 4 and Aug. 12. Loss was $750.
Someone cut a hole in the construction fence on the Dominican University campus and stole two generators overnight on Aug. 18.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Oak Park and River Forest Police departments from Aug. 12 to Aug. 20. 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