River Forest police arrest hood ornament thief on Christmas Eve
River Forest police arrested a 32-year-old Lyons man the morning of Dec. 24 for removing several hood ornaments from vehicles in the River Forest Town Center parking lot.
Police responded to the report of thefts in the 7300 block of Lake Street shortly before 9:30 a.m. Based on the description of witnesses, officers stopped a silver Audi that was westbound in the 7500 block of Lake Street. The driver refused to open the car window or exit the vehicle, so officers broke a car window in order to extract the man. A search of the man and his vehicle revealed he had several hood ornaments.
He was arrested for theft from motor vehicle and resisting arrest.
Theft
Someone removed a blue 2006 Honda Accord from the 200 block of South Maple Avenue overnight Dec. 16. Estimated loss is $5,000.
A cream-colored 21-speed women’s Schwinn Voyager bicycle secured to a railing in the 100 block of Home Avenue was removed between the morning and afternoon of Dec. 17. Estimated loss is $570.
Multiple housing repair items including aluminum gutters, down spouts, ladders, screws and gutter extensions were removed from a rear yard in the 1000 block of South Scoville Avenue overnight Dec. 15. Estimated loss is $722.
An unknown man approached a woman on a westbound Blue Line train at Oak Park Avenue the early morning of Dec. 23 and took her purse from her lap before running through the train cars and exiting at Harlem Avenue. Estimated loss is $135.
Someone entered three separate locked lockers in the 300 block of Lake Street the morning of Dec. 23 and removed a money clip and cash, a wallet and credit cards. Estimated loss is $448.
An unknown person removed a locked Trek 800 bicycle and combination lock from a rack in the 1100 block of South Boulevard between the morning of Dec. 11 and evening of Dec. 24. Estimated loss is $525.
Two digital cameras, miscellaneous jewelry and clothing and gift cards were removed from the first block of Chicago Avenue overnight Dec. 16. Estimated loss is $4,430.
Robbery
A man sitting in his vehicle in the 6300 block of West Roosevelt Road the night of Dec. 17 was approached by two men. One of the men displayed a handgun and ordered the victim to get out of the vehicle. The victim complied and gave the men $615 before the men fled westbound in an alley.
A victim approached a vehicle in the 1100 block of South Taylor Avenue the night of Dec. 23 after the victim was waved over by two men. One of the men displayed a pistol and demanded the victim’s property. Before the victim could comply, another vehicle turned the corner and the offenders fled. No loss was reported.
Two unknown offenders approached a man in the 6100 block of West North Avenue from the rear the night of Dec. 17. They struck him multiple times before one offender grabbed his wallet. Both fled the scene. Estimated loss is $980.
Burglary
Someone entered a residence in the 1000 block of South Lombard Avenue between the morning and afternoon of Dec. 17, possibly through an unlocked bedroom window. Once inside, the offender removed two game systems, three Xbox games and miscellaneous jewelry. Estimated loss is $780.
Entry was gained to a residence in the 1100 block of South Maple Avenue between the morning and afternoon of Dec. 18. The offender removed an Apple iPad, an Apple iPod Nano, a Cannon camera, emerald green earrings and miscellaneous costume jewelry. Estimated loss is $1,150.
An unknown person ransacked the interior of a garage in the 300 block of North Humphrey Avenue between the evening of Dec. 16 and early morning of Dec. 18 and removed an Xbox 360 game console and a game controller. The offender also entered an unlocked grey Honda Pilot, ransacked it and removed a white iPod cord, Burberry sunglasses and two sweaters. Estimated loss is $710.
Someone gained entry to an apartment in the 400 block of Washington Boulevard between the morning and night of Dec. 19 by using a pry-type tool and climbing through a locked window. A Samsung and Sony TV, a Blue Ray DVD player, and miscellaneous clothing, watches and jewelry were removed. Estimated loss is $8,363.
A pry-type tool was used to attempt to enter a residence in the 400 block of North East Avenue the afternoon of Dec. 21. Entry was not gained but damage to two door locks is estimated at $350.
Four 32-inch Samsung TVs and one LG computer monitor were removed from an apartment in the first block of Le Moyne Street between the morning and night of Dec. 21. Estimated damage and loss is $1,200.
Someone entered an unlocked Chevy in the 200 block of North Lombard Avenue the afternoon of Dec. 21 and removed a Garmin GPS unit and a Sears air compressor. Estimated loss is $175.
Miscellaneous jewelry and numerous watches were removed from a residence in the 800 block of North East Avenue the night of Dec. 24. Estimated loss is $2,050.
Someone entered a basement door of a residence in the 1100 block of South Taylor Avenue between the afternoon and night of Dec. 24 and removed a laptop computer and $20 in cash. Estimated loss is $1,020.
An antique chair was removed from a locked garage in the 1500 block of Clinton Place between Nov. 19 and Dec. 19. Estimated loss is $1,200.
Possession of a controlled substance
A 22-year-old Des Plaines woman was arrested the early morning of Dec. 21 in the 900 block of South Austin Boulevard after a search revealed she had two plastic bags containing a white powdery substance that tested positive for heroin. The woman, who was a passenger in the vehicle stopped for a traffic violation, also had a burnt spoon and a syringe filled with heroin in plain view.
A 25-year-old Chicago man was arrested the early morning of Dec. 23 after police smelled cannabis in his car, which was stopped in a right turn lane in the 7200 block of Lake Street with the alarm sounding. A search by a Forest Park K-9 unit revealed the man had 13 grams of heroin in plastic bags.
Criminal damage to property
Someone broke two motion sensor lights on a garage in the 300 block of North East Avenue overnight Dec. 23 and set fire to a garbage can that caused it to melt. Estimated loss is $120. During the same time, someone broke motion sensor lights and a light bulb on a garage in the 300 block of North Scoville Avenue. Estimated loss is $100.
These items, obtained from the Oak Park and River Forest police departments, came from reports filed Dec. 21-28 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.
