Victimized by a classic scam
On Nov. 10 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., a man and woman in trench coats — hers reportedly accessorized with a scarf bearing the word “Jesus” — approached a woman at 1116 Garfield and asked her to help them by holding a large sum of money for them in her checking account. The victim drove the pair to a bank in the 6000 block of Roosevelt. The twosome directed their victim to withdraw cash from her account. Once they had the cash in hand, they fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle.
Aggravated robbery
Around 3 p.m., Nov. 14, a man entered the Blue Line train at Oak Park Avenue and was approached by a man in a gray hoodie and dark jeans. The offender grabbed the victim and started to pat him down, so the victim pulled the emergency cord. At that, the robber reached inside his own hoodie and implied he had a weapon. The victim then gave up his wallet, left the train and called police. The robber was last seen traveling eastbound inside the train.
Burglary
Someone entered a garage in the 900 block of North Marion on Nov. 9 between 3:30 and 4 p.m. and stole two bicycles.
In the 1000 block of Home Avenue on Nov. 12, sometime between 8:15 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., an unlocked window provided access to the house. The offender(s) ransacked the place and stole $8,650 worth of jewelry, electronics, toys and a pair of Nikes.
At some point between Nov. 14 and 16 in the 1100 block of Rossell, someone took advantage of an overhead garage door left open to steal a $772 bicycle from within.
Between Nov. 12 and 13, in the first block of Austin Boulevard, someone entered a parked 2012 Mazda and stole an Under Armour jacket, a spare car key, a radar detector, and a black Cobra .45 handgun.
In the 100 block of South Austin Boulevard, someone pried open a side door to enter a vacant property. Once inside the offender(s) made off with copper piping, hand tools, a table saw, a compressor, two nail guns, a Skilsaw and insulation for a total loss of $10,651.
Cannibalized cars
Between Nov. 7 and 11 in the 6600 block of Roosevelt, someone cut the catalytic converter from beneath a Ford truck.
In the 400 block of Humphrey, overnight Nov. 10-11, someone stole the spare tire from the rear hatch of a 2010 Toyota.
In the 900 block of Pleasant, during the afternoon of Nov. 12, another Toyota’s spare tire was stolen.
A gas cap was stolen from a Pontiac Grand Am at an unknown date between Nov. 1 and 15 while the car was parked in the 400 block of South Harvey.
In the 400 block of South East Avenue, a Toyota RAV 4’s spare tire was stolen, overnight Nov. 10-11.
Defaced firearm
A 33-year-old man in the 600 block of South Harvey was arrested and charged with reckless conduct, as well as possession of a gun with a defaced serial number; it happened Nov. 15 at 7:36 p.m.
Theft
Someone stole a Dodge Caravan from behind the garage of a house in the 1100 block of South Lombard between Nov. 12 and 14. It was recovered Nov. 16 by police in Chicago’s 11th district and returned to its owner.
A 21-speed Schwinn, locked to a bike rack in the 300 block of South Boulevard, was stolen between noon and 9 p.m., Nov. 11.
A man in a dark gray hoodie stole another man’s laptop computer right off his lap and fled. It happened in the 700 block of South Austin Boulevard while the victim was sitting on the el. The thief entered and exited at the Austin stop.
A bike with ram horn handlebars was stolen during the night of Nov. 14-15 after it was left unlocked in the 200 block of South Wesley Avenue.
At Percy Julian Middle School in the 400 block of South Ridgeland Avenue, Nov. 16 between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., someone entered the backstage area of the school theater and stole cash from an unattended purse.
Cement vandalism
Someone stomped around in wet concrete in the alley of the 300 block of Wesley, overnight Nov. 7-8, leaving a legacy of shoe prints for posterity. More concrete was defaced, this with initials on a newly poured driveway, the same night in the 200 block of Clinton Avenue.
DUI
A 25-year-old man from the 2400 block of North Hamlin, Chicago, was stopped for a traffic violation at 5 a.m., Nov. 16, and the officer noticed strong odors of cannabis and alcohol. The driver failed sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol level of .105, higher than the .08 legal cutoff. He was charged with DUI, driving with neither license nor insurance, and aggravated speeding.
These items, obtained from the Oak Park and River Forest police departments, came from reports filed Nov. 10-16 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 Amy Malina
