What do you mean you’re out of weed?
An Oak Park man was approached in the 1200 block of North Austin Boulevard around 11:30 p.m., Nov. 20, by five men. One asked him if he had any weed for sale. When the victim responded no, one offender punched him in the face and the victim dropped his iPhone and fled. Total estimated loss was $250.
‘Give it up, or I’ll kill you’
Police said a Berwyn woman was approached from behind by an unknown man as she exited the westbound Blue Line train at Lombard Avenue around 2 p.m., Nov. 22. She told police the man wrapped his right arm around her neck and began squeezing. He then said, “Give it up or I’ll kill you.” She dropped her purple purse which contained a Motorola cellphone and a brown wallet containing $400. The offender snatched the handbag and fled.
Police arrested a 41-year-old Chicago man in an alley in the first block of South Austin Boulevard around 3:40 a.m., Nov. 19, after determining a dog collar, Law and Order DVD set and gloves he was carrying had been removed from a car parked in the 200 block of South Austin. Police also recovered a glass crack pipe. He was charged with theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Burglary
Someone forced open the front door of a house in the 1000 block of North Lombard Avenue during the day, Nov. 18, and removed an HP laptop from the living room. Estimated loss was $1,500.
Someone broke into a residence in the 1100 block of Holley Court by breaking the front door lock during the day, Nov. 19. Removed was a Compaq laptop and bag. Estimated loss was $330.
An X-box game player, a Gateway computer and a pair of gold earrings were removed during the day from a house in the 1100 block of Gunderson Avenue during the day, Nov. 20. Estimated loss was $550.
Residents of a house in the 1100 block of South Taylor Avenue found the screen of their enclosed porch had been cut and a window broken during the day, Nov. 21. Police determined burglars did not gain access to the rest of the house.
Someone broke the window of a building in the 1100 block of Harrison Street and entered around 2 p.m., Nov. 21, but was unable to pry open the locked door of a residence.
Witnesses saw two unknown men in a building in the 200 block of North Maple Avenue and chased them on foot northbound around 3 p.m., Nov. 21. The building’s front door was found to be damaged by a pry tool.
Someone broke into an apartment in the 200 block of North Harlem Avenue, sometime Nov. 21-22, by kicking open a rear door. Removed were an Apple Macbook computer, iPhone and television. Then offenders took keys and removed the victim’s black 2008 Saab SUV from a rear parking lot. Loss was estimated at $10,000.
Someone kicked in the rear door of a house in the 1000 block of South Ridgeland Avenue during the day, Nov. 20. Inside, offenders ransacked the house and removed jewelry and five collectible silver quarters. Estimated loss was $2,550.
Someone attempted to break into a business, overnight Nov. 21-22, through the roof of a building in the 1000 block of Lake Street, by smashing wire-enforced glass panels and then trying to kick in a door. They were unsuccessful. Police estimated damage at $800.
Thefts
A tan Abercrombie purse was removed from a grocery cart at the Jewel in the 400 block of Madison Street while a woman shopped around 6:40 p.m., Nov. 19.
A red wallet was lifted from a shopping cart at Dominick’s in the 200 block of Lake Street around 8:40 a.m., Nov. 21.
Someone removed a FedEx package containing recording gear from the common area of an apartment building in the 800 block of South Austin Boulevard, the afternoon of Nov. 20.
Library staff said an unknown man in his 20s removed an unknown number of DVDs and video games from a library cart around 11:30 a.m., Nov. 20, and fled the library, 834 Lake St.
A shoulder bag containing an Apple iPod was removed while a victim was in a store in the 800 block of Madison Street, the evening of Nov. 22.
Bicycle thefts
A rear tire was removed from a secured bike, overnight Nov. 17-18, in the 800 block of Madison Street. Two unlocked bikes disappeared from a rear yard in the 800 block of Gunderson Avenue during the day, Nov. 19. A secured bike was removed from the 1000 block of South Boulevard, overnight Nov. 23-24.
Automobile burglaries
A car parked during the day, Nov. 20, in the 200 block of North Kenilworth Avenue had a window shattered and was ransacked.
A catalytic converter was removed using a cutting tool from a 2002 Chevy Cavalier during the afternoon, Nov. 21, at a parking lot in the 500 block of North Harlem Avenue.
A spare tire was removed from the undercarriage of a Toyota Highlander during the day, Nov. 20, in the 500 block of South Humphrey Avenue.
The 700 and 800 blocks of Kenilworth hit with auto burglaries: Despite police warnings to lock back windows and doors, a rash of auto burglaries took place in the 700 and 800 blocks of South Kenilworth Avenues, overnight Nov. 20-21. Someone removed a garage door opener after smashing the window of a Toyota Matrix parked behind the 700 block. Opening the garage, they then ransacked a car parked in the garage. Someone rummaged through a Toyota parked on the same block after smashing the driver’s side window. Someone smashed a garage window in the 700 block. Offenders ransacked an unlocked Chevy Suburban parked in a carport in the 800 block, and broke the window of a parked Acura, breaking open the glove compartment and strewing its contents.
A 2002 Oldsmobile parked overnight in the 700 block of North Grove Avenue was damaged with a pry tool, Nov. 22-23.
Police arrested a Chicago juvenile, Nov. 22, in connection with an auto burglary that took place in the 6500 block of North Ave., Nov. 13. The youth was processed and turned over to his grandmother.
Garage burglary
A 15-foot ladder was removed from a garage in the 600 block of Maple Avenue between Nov. 15 and 18.
Crash near Tasty Dog
A blue sedan lost control and crashed into the utility box at Lake Street and Euclid Avenue around 11:40 a.m. Friday.
Police limited traffic between Oak Park and Linden avenues to accommodate emergency workers responding. The vehicle was towed.
These items, obtained from the Oak Park and River Forest police departments, came from reports filed Nov. 18-22 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.
—Compiled by Jean Lotus
