Banging sounds around 6 a.m. coming from the mudroom in their home in the 100 block of Park Boulevard alerted River Forest residents, who found an unknown 30-year-old Chicago man in their house, Aug. 4. The man tried to flee, but he was chased and caught on the front lawn by the homeowner, who held him down until police arrived.
Someone entered a residence in the 1000 block of North Humphrey Avenue, sometime between July 29 and 30, by kicking in a rear door to gain entry. Three rooms were ransacked, and a laptop computer and $400 worth of coins were removed. Loss is estimated at $1,900.
While a River Forest resident left the house temporarily in the 1000 block of Monroe, someone broke in by forcing open the rear door and removed silverware, around 10 a.m. on Aug. 1.
Two more River Forest homes were burglarized, Aug. 2. A home alarm evidently scared off a burglar who had broken a screen door handle and entered a house in the 1000 block of Thatcher. Nothing was reported missing. But in the 1000 block of Franklin, owners reported that someone had entered the house between 9:45 a.m and 2 p.m. via an unlocked window and removed two tablet computers, a flat-screen TV and $300 cash.
Purse snatched in River Forest
A woman told police she was walking eastbound on the 7200 block of Quick Avenue near Harlem Avenue, around 7:20 p.m. on Aug. 3, when she was approached by a male juvenile who forcefully removed her purse from her arm. The victim struggled with the offender before relinquishing the purse, police said. Estimated loss was not provided.
Mother of all scrap-metal thefts
River Forest police noticed, Aug. 1, that a 300-foot section of guardrail from both sides of the Des Plaines River bridge at Chicago Avenue had been removed. During the investigation, River Forest police learned Melrose Police had responded to a traffic accident where the driver lost his unsecured load and fled the scene. The debris matched the stolen guard rail. Police located the vehicle and arrested Rafael Raldiris, 37, from Melrose Park who was charged with felony theft over $10,000.
Theft
A 7-foot statue of a female nude was reported removed from the atrium of a River Forest home in the 1200 block of Franklin Avenue on Aug. 2. Loss was estimated at $15,000.
An unattended laptop was removed from the Greater Chicago Food Depository offices in the 800 block of Lake Street, the morning of July 29. Estimated loss was $300.
An unattended UPS package containing a $3,000 Dell desktop computer was removed from the lobby of a building in the 800 block of North Harlem Avenue, July 31.
A UPS package was removed from a vestibule in the 900 block of Pleasant Avenue, the evening of Aug. 1.
A white iPhone was removed from an unlocked locker in the 1100 block of Ontario Street, the afternoon of Aug. 2. Estimated loss is $600.
A cellphone left plugged into an outlet in a public hallway in a building in the 1000 block of Pleasant Street was removed sometime during the night of Aug. 2. Estimated loss was $50.
A 1992 burgundy Oldsmobile Cutlass was removed overnight from the 1200 block of North Humphrey, Aug 2-3. The estimated loss was $1,050.
An iPhone, wallet and other items were removed from a locked locker at Fitness Formula Club in the 1100 block of Lake Street during the evening of Aug. 3.
That’s my bike
A Forest Park resident, walking in the 100 block of North Kenilworth Avenue, recognized his bicycle — which had been stolen earlier that day — in the possession of one of a group of eight males around 10 p.m., Aug. 1. When he asked for the bike back, the unknown man struck him in the face, giving him a bloody nose and knocking him backward. The men scattered in multiple directions, he told police.
A female juvenile told police an unknown male juvenile rode up behind her on a bicycle and pinched her buttocks around noon in the 600 block of South Boulevard on Aug. 2. He then continued eastbound.
A locked bicycle was removed from the tennis courts at Oak Park and River Forest High School, Aug. 4. An unlocked bike was taken from the 400 block of Berkshire, overnight July 28-29.
Garage burglary roundup
Garage burglaries took place in the 1000 block of North Kenilworth Avenue, July 30; in the 900 block of North Taylor Avenue, overnight July 30-31; in the 800 block of Lyman during the day, July 31; in the 1100 block of South Humphrey Avenue, overnight Aug. 1-2; and in the 1100 block of Edmer, overnight July 30-31.
Defacement
Someone spray painted graffiti on the CTA Blue Line Oak Park stop entrance and five newspaper boxes between July 29 and 30. Total damage was estimated at $450.
Burglary to auto
A baby stroller, two cases of Corona beer, two iPod chargers and a Garmin GPS unit were removed from a car parked in the 700 block of Garfield Street, overnight July 29-30.
Someone removed a bag of men’s golf clubs, golf shoes, two pairs of sunglasses, camping equipment and a window blinds sample box from an unlocked Lexus parked overnight in the 900 block of Wesley Avenue, July 29-30. Estimated loss was $5,675.
A laptop and a passport were removed from a car parked in the 300 block of Wisconsin Avenue, overnight Aug. 2-3. Estimated loss was $1,340.
A Dell laptop computer in a beige case was removed from a car parked in the 900 block of Home Avenue after someone smashed a window, the night of July 30.
Spare tires removed
Someone cut the chain to remove the spare wheel and tire from the undercarriage of a Nissan Xterra parked in the 100 block of Home Avenue, July 29-30.
A spare wheel was removed from a parked Honda CRV in the 200 block of Washington Boulevard, July 30.
Another spare tire was taken from a Toyota RAV4 in the 300 block of South Harvey Avenue, July 30.
These items, obtained from the Oak Park and River Forest police departments, came from reports filed July 29-Aug. 5 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.
