Oak Park police assist in nabbing shooter
Little information has been released about a substantial police presence in Oak Park near North and Harvey avenues on Monday evening, but Chicago police report they have arrested a man who allegedly fired a gun in the 5800 block of West Erie Street.
Devin Spencer, 24, of the 100 block of North Austin Boulevard, was arrested on Sept. 1, and charged with criminal trespass to a residence and reckless misconduct, Chicago police spokeswoman Michele Lemons said in a telephone interview.
She said officers responded to shots fired at 4:25 p.m. and upon arrival to the 5800 block of West Erie, witnessed Spencer and at least one other offender in a vehicle at the intersection of Mayfield and Ohio.
Chicago police followed the vehicle to the intersection of Merrimac and Wabansia, Lemons said.
“The offender bailed out of his vehicle at one point and the officers gave chase and one offender [Spencer] was place into custody,” Lemons said.
Spencer was in bond court on Tuesday and was released after posting $500 on a $5,000 bond, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. He returns to court on Sept. 23.
Oak Park Sgt. Michael Lepczynski said in a telephone interview that Oak Park police assisted Chicago cops by setting up a perimeter around the area of North and Harvey avenues. Lepczynski said that a suspect at one point had run into a nearby grocery story, although he did not identify the business.
Burglary to motor vehicle
A black Pontiac Grand Am was burglarized in the 300 block of South Grove Avenue on Sept. 17 between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., according to Oak Park police.
Police report that the offender entered through an unlocked driver’s door and removed a black and gold Michael Kors purse containing a brown Louis Vuitton wallet, cash and a driver’s license. The loss was estimated at $844.
Burglary to a garage
A garage was burglarized in the 600 block of North Ridgeland Avenue sometime between 10 p.m. on Sept. 17 and 9:40 a.m. on Sept. 18, according to Oak Park police. The offender entered the garage through an unlocked service door and stole a black and green Trek-Marlin 6 bicycle valued at $700.
Oak Park police reported that overnight on Sept. 15-16 someone entered the unlocked service door of a garage in the 1000 block of North Oak Park Avenue and removed a 26-inch brown Schwinn bicycle and a snow blower. The loss was estimated at $750.
Motor vehicle theft
Someone tried to steal a white Dodge Grand Caravan in the 1100 block of South Lyman Avenue on Sept. 18 between the hours of 3 p.m. and 10:50 p.m., according to Oak Park police. The offender entered the vehicle through an unlocked door and pulled the ignition cylinder from the steering column, according to police.
A 2001 silver Chevy Malibu was stolen from the second floor of a parking structure in the 500 block of South Maple Avenue on Sept. 16 between the hours of 2:25 p.m. and 11:25 p.m., according to Oak Park police. The loss was estimated at $1,500.
Battery
A 30-year-old man was on the platform near an exit ramp in the 1100 block of North Boulevard, blocking traffic and the exit ramp on Sept. 18 between 5:30 p.m. and 5:34 p.m., according to Oak Park police.
When a driver tried to exit the ramp, the offender yelled and allegedly began to strike him in the face repeatedly with a closed fist, causing minor injuries to the nose and forehead. The offender left the scene in an unknown direction.
Theft
A Maywood man was arrested in the 700 block of Lexington at 12:45 p.m. on Sept. 19 after the bike he was riding was positively identified as one that had just been stolen from a garage in the area.
Oak Park police reported that sometime between Sept. 11 and 14, an unknown person removed four sections of aluminum downspouts from the west side of a building in the 900 block of Lake Street. The loss was estimated at $1,900.
Oak Park police reported that a silver Mongoose bicycle was stolen from outside the entrance of a gas station in the 500 block of South Austin Boulevard on Sept. 18, sometime between 4 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. The loss was estimated at $120.
These items, obtained from the Oak Park and River Forest police departments, came from reports filed Sept. 14-22 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 Timothy Inklebarger
