Someone doesn’t like Fenwick very much, or its sports teams, either.
A car tore up brand new sod on the high school’s athletic fields at 7255 Greenfield in River Forest by driving in circles on the grass doing donuts sometime between June 27 and June 29.
The initial cost of the section that was damaged was $19,000. Dennis Marani, the athletic fields’ manager, said it didn’t cost that much to repair, only “a couple thousand dollars.”
“It’s just vandalism at its best, that’s all,” Marani said.
Theft
Three hanging potted plants, valued at $150, were stolen from a front porch on the 300 block of N. Ridgeland in Oak Park overnight between June 27 and June 28.
A woman who left her purse in the bathroom of Jewel, 7525 Lake in River Forest, on the evening of June 30 couldn’t find it 10 minutes later when she returned to look for it. Jewel customer service later found the victim’s purse in the parking lot, fully intact but with $100 in cash missing.
Two offenders stole two “ALDI” bags filled with merchandise from CVS, 7929 North Ave. in River Forest, the afternoon of July 1. They fled in a light blue Chevy Cavalier into Elmwood Park. Police said the perpetrators stole medicinal merchandise.
Shareka N. Johnson of Bellwood, 26, was arrested on June 29 at Dominick’s, 259 Lake in Oak Park, and charged with retail theft and battery. Police said she took a bottle of medicated lotion, valued at $7, and then resisted being detained by store security.
A 35-40 year-old man, roughly 6-feet and 180 lbs., stole the spare tire from a Ford Explorer parked on the 500 block of S. Maple in Oak Park during the day on July 1. The suspect put the tire into the back seat of a black Chevy Malibu and drove away.
Two central air conditioning units were stolen from the first block of Lake in Oak Park by cutting copper pipes and wiring. The total loss is estimated at $3,300.
Theft of motor vehicle
A beige 2005 Suzuki XL7 was stolen from the 500 block of N. Humphrey in Oak Park early the morning of June 28 when the driver left the keys in the ignition while he was delivering newspapers. It was recovered by the Chicago police department on the 200 block of N. LaPorte in Chicago later that evening, and one person was arrested.
A red 2001 Ford F-250 truck with a trailer and the keys in the ignition was stolen from the 700 block of N. Ridgeland in Oak Park the morning of June 28. It was recovered later that morning at the intersection of Pulaski and Lake in Chicago.
Burglary
A DVD player, an Xbox and assorted change, valued at $435, were stolen from a home on the 800 block of S. Lombard in Oak Park the evening of June 28. The perpetrators entered through an unlocked front door, police said.
Someone broke into an apartment on the 500 block of S. Austin in Oak Park by prying open the rear door during the day on June 29, stealing a 37-inch LG HDTV, a MacBook computer, a Playstation 3 and several video games. The total loss is estimated at $2,500. Someone forced open the door of another apartment in the same building the same day and stole a 50-inch LG HDTV and a 37-inch Vizio HDTV. That loss is estimated at $2,300.
Someone entered a home on the 800 block of N. Humphrey through an unlocked front door the evening of June 30 and stole a white MacBook computer, valued at $1,200.
Someone broke into a home on the 500 block of Jackson in Oak Park the afternoon of July 1 by breaking the window on a door and reaching inside to unlock it. Once inside, a MacBook computer and an iBook computer were stolen, as well as an Olympus camera.
Idius Walker of Oak Park, 31, was arrested on the 200 block of S. Austin the afternoon of June 30 and charged with residential burglary to a home on the 600 block of S. Humphrey. Police said Walker had stolen miscellaneous cash, video games, and CDs valued at $410.
Someone broke into Dunkin Donuts, 217 Madison in Oak Park, early the morning of July 2 and ransacked the business’ office. Dunkin Donuts’ bank deposit, containing $3,653.66, was stolen from an unlocked drawer.
Robbery
Anthony Gardner of Chicago, 18, and a Chicago juvenile were arrested on the 600 block of N. Cuyler in Oak Park the morning of June 29 and charged with robbery for pushing an Oak Park juvenile off his bicycle and stealing it.
Possession of controlled substance
Russell J. Parent of Rolling Meadows, 28, was arrested during a traffic violation and charged with possession of a controlled substance mid-day on June 29 on the 600 block of S. Austin. Police said Parent had a clear plastic bag with a substance inside that field tested as heroin.
Michael R. Ledvora of Buffalo Grove, 20, was stopped and arrested at McDonald’s, 111 Madison in Oak Park, for possession of a controlled substance police suspected to be heroin the night of June 30.
Possession of marijuana with intent to deliver
Sean F. Pine of Oak Park, 18, was arrested on the 600 block of Lake in Oak Park the night of June 29 and charged with possession of cannabis with intent to deliver. His companion, an underage Oak Park boy, was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Police said Pine had 15.4 grams of marijuana packed into several small bags.
Battery
Pamela Knapek of River Forest, 50, was charged with battery the evening of June 28 when she allegedly grabbed an AT&T employee’s lanyard that was hanging around his neck on the 1000 block of N. Harlem.
Criminal trespass
Devin T. Despenza of Chicago, 18, was arrested on the 7-Eleven at 661 South Blvd. in Oak Park the evening of June 29 and charged with assault and criminal trespass to real property. Police said he was charged with assault after threatening an employee, and for trespass because he had previously been warned not to come inside the store.
Jonathan Ford of Chatham, 28, was stopped and arrested on the 1000 block of Washington in Oak Park early the morning of July 1 for criminal trespass to land.
Warrant arrest, DUI
Jesse J. Mendez of Chicago, 22, was stopped and arrested for an active warrant for possession of a handgun on the 600 block of S. Austin in Oak Park early the morning of June 30. He was also was charged with DUI.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Oak Park and River Forest police departments from June 28 to July 2. 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 Ben Meyerson
