In a week filled with robberies, even a literate man was dangerous.
A man bought a newspaper the evening of Dec. 6 from 7-Eleven, 240 Chicago Ave. in Oak Park, but then went back to the counter and asked for a refund. When the clerk opened the drawer, however, the man showed the clerk a black semi-automatic handgun and reached over the counter, taking money from the register.
The suspect was described by police as being a black man in his early 30s with a thin build, black hair and a dark complexion, and was last seen wearing black glasses, a dark blue Chicago Bears knit hat, a gray jacket and dark jeans with white writing.
He left the store and got into a late-model black Chevy Impala with a spoiler and temporary registration plates which drove away eastbound on Chicago Ave.
Robbery
As an Oak Park teenager was walking in the 800 block of North Scoville Avenue in Oak Park the evening of Nov. 30, a man walked up to him with a large rock in his hand and said, “I don’t want to hurt you, take out all your valuables.”
The teen then took out his iPod and wallet from his backpack and gave them to the offender, who ran away.
A man came up from behind a woman and put her in a headlock the evening of Dec. 2 in the 100 block of North Humphrey Avenue in Oak Park, then demanded money. She complied, handing over cash and a teal Samsung Gravity cellphone.
The offender, described as a black man in his 20s, roughly 6-feet tall with a thin build, long hair in braids, then ran away southbound on Humphrey.
Smashed cars
The rear driver’s side window of a car parked in the 1400 block of Bonnie Brae Avenue in River Forest was smashed with a golf club the night of Nov. 29, and a tile cutter and a chop saw were stolen from the car. The golf club was recovered at the scene.
Another car, parked in the 1300 block of Monroe Avenue in River Forest, also had its window smashed in with a golf club overnight between Nov. 29 and Nov. 30, but nothing was reported stolen from the car.
Theft
An iPhone 4 was stolen from a girl’s unattended backpack the morning of Nov. 29 at OPRF High School, 201 N. Scoville Ave. in Oak Park.
A catalytic converter was stolen from a Honda Element parked in the 300 block of Wesley Avenue during the day on Dec. 1.
A catalytic converter was stolen the afternoon of Dec. 1 from a Honda Element parked at Trinity High School, 7574 Division Street in River Forest.
A wallet was stolen from a woman’s purse midday on Dec. 2 as she shopped at Jewel, 7525 Lake Street in River Forest.
A man’s Nike backpack and its contents were stolen the evening of Dec. 2 as he showered in the men’s locker room at Dominican University, 7900 Division Street in River Forest. The loss was estimated at $400.
A Taylor guitar with a blue strap was stolen the morning of Nov. 28 from Grace Lutheran Church, 7301 Division Street in River Forest.
An employee’s personal HTC Droid cell phone was stolen the afternoon of Dec. 2 from the Verizon store at 7261 Lake Street in River Forest.
Burglary
Tavaris R. Hayden, 26, of Chicago, was arrested for burglary the afternoon of Dec. 1 in the 900 block of South Maple Avenue in Oak Park. He reportedly forced his way into a woman’s home on that same block through the back door and stole an iPod Nano. He was found by police and arrested several houses away.
Roughly $300 was stolen from a man’s wallet early the morning of Dec. 4 as he slept in his dorm room at Concordia University, 7400 Augusta Street in River Forest.
DUI
Leon D. Battles, 26, of Chicago, was arrested just after midnight Nov. 30 in the 700 block of North Austin Boulevard in Oak Park, and charged with DUI, transporting an open container of alcohol, reckless driving, speeding and improper passing at an intersection.
Walter Lee Cole, 58, of Forest Park, was arrested the night of Nov. 29 in the 1100 block of Washington Boulevard in Oak Park, where he was charged with aggravated DUI, driving with a revoked license, and improper parking on the roadway.
Douglas D. Lindsay, 50, of Oak Park, was arrested for DUI in the 1100 block of Chicago Avenue the night of Nov. 30.
Daisy G. Figueroa, 30, of Chicago, was arrested by Oak Park police the night of Dec. 2 in the 1300 block of North Harlem Avenue after a minor accident and charged with DUI, driving with a suspended license and having no proof of insurance. She also had a warrant from the Cook County Sheriff for failure to appear in court in a previous retail theft case. She was subsequently released from Oak Park custody on bond.
Wakhonda Tyus, 28, of Chicago, was arrested the afternoon of Dec. 5 in the 1100 block of Garfield Street in Oak Park, where she was charged with DUI.
Assault
A 40- to 50-year-old man sold a ring to a victim the night of Nov. 28 in the 900 block of South Boulevard, but the victim decided he wanted to return it to get his money back. However, the ring’s seller pulled a knife out from his coat pocket and pointed it at the buyer, who then backed away as the seller ran away down South Boulevard.
Warrant arrests
Kevin R. Rucker, 41, of Forest Park, was taken into custody on a Chicago warrant for possession of a controlled substance the afternoon of Dec. 1 at the intersection of Ontario Street and Lombard Avenue in Oak Park. He was turned over to Chicago police.
In the same traffic stop, Alexander A. Norwood of Fond du Lac, Wisc., was taken into custody on an Oak Park warrant for unauthorized use of a weapon and a probation violation warrant from Wisconsin. He was held in lieu of bond.
Broken library windows
Someone broke two 6-foot square windows on the Oak Park Public Library Main Branch’s southwest side early the morning of Dec. 3. The damage, which was done with two large rocks, was estimated at $1,000.
Car theft, car theft by burglary
A 2010 Toyota Corolla with a Tom Tom GPS unit inside was stolen the morning of Dec. 3 from the 6900 block of North Avenue in Oak Park.
A black 2011 Mercury Milan was stolen from the 100 block of South Humphrey Avenue in Oak Park the night of Dec. 4 after the victim’s car keys were stolen in a residential burglary that happened at an apartment in the first block of South Boulevard in Oak Park.
In that burglary, someone cut open the rear screen door to get inside. Once in, they stole an Apple MacBook laptop, a Sony Playstation 3, video games and movies, a Garmin GPS unit, an iPod Nano, a woman’s wallet with cash and IDs, as well as the Mercury’s keys.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Oak Park and River Forest police departments from Nov. 29 to Dec. 6. 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.
