DOG STOLEN IN FRONT OF OWN HOME

August 30, 2008
A dog was stolen from in front of his house at Oak Park and Pershing. The dog, a small white male Bichon/poodle mix named Niko, apparently escaped his back yard and was walking in front of his house. Witnesses said a woman in a green minivan called to him, and was able to scoop him up and take him away. The owner is offering a reward, with no questions asked, for the return of Niko. If you have seen Niko or know where he is, please call Berwyn police at 795-5600, or the owner at 708-359-4744.

Cocaine found in Camry

November 23, 2007, 5:45 PM

Calm, mirthful tall guy robs two of cash in store

October 29, 2007, 11:33 AM
Above is a composite sketch based on witness descriptions of the Shoe Warehouse robber; they said he was a male black, 6’6” and 230 lbs, who displayed a dark-color semi-automatic handgun and demanded cash from the wallets of three victims, then fled out the front door. Two men were obliged to hand over their cash, but a third showed the robber his wallet was empty. The witnesses said the offender “giggled” when demanding money, and had a “very calm” demeanor throughout the incident. He was described as 25 to 30 years old, wearing a green jacket and dark knit hat with a small brim.
During the search for the offender, police were told of two suspicious males hanging around a third-floor porch in the rear of a building in the 2100 block of Oak Park. Police found the two and showed them to the robbery victims, but neither one was the robber. The boys, ages 16 and 17, were cited for violating Berwyn’s daytime curfew, and returned to the custody of their mothers.

Armed man robs victim in friend's garage

October 25, 2007, 11:18 AM
The victim of strong arm robber told police he was cleaning a friend's garage when a suspicious vehicle drove past. He said an gold, older Chevy Blazer drove through the west side alley of the 1400 block of Scoville a couple of times before stopping behind the friend's garage. A man got out, pointed a large black handgun at the victim, said "give me your chain," then ripped a cross on a gold chain from the victim's neck. The victim told police he could identify the offender, and helped make a composite image of the man. The victim described the robber as "Puerto Rican", around 40, 6', light skin, with a grey goatee, a black skullcap, blue jacket and white gym shoes.

CAR THIEF SOUGHT

October 26, 2007, 11:34 AM
A salesman at Jack Phelan Dodge, 7050 Ogden, reported he showed a customer a red 2004 Ford Expedition, last seen with the customer at the wheel headed east on Ogden. He described the offender as a white male in his 20s, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, and told police he could identify him. Police retrieved fingerprints from another vehicle touched by the offender. A composite sketch of the offender is at right:

ROBBER SOUGHT BY POLICE

Composite image of a man who committed a robbery in the 2200 block of Clarence on Oct. 1st,2007, 9:48 AM . If you know or have seen this man, or if you have information on this crime, call 795-5600.

Image of woman-attacking robber released

Police seek a man who attacked and robbed a woman in the alley on the north side of 16th Street between Ridgeland and Elmwood. The woman was robbed on Friday, April 6 just before 11 PM. Police add that the man shoved an unknown weapon into the woman's side and demanded her purse.

Wrong date and wrong sticker help catch unlicensed Chicago man

March 31, 2007, March 31, 4:35 PM
An expired registration sticker on a 1995 white Oldsmobile came back registered to a Toyota. The officer stopped driver Carlos D. Gonzalez, 32, of Chicago, in the 2800 block of Highland. The driver admitted having neither license nor insurance.

Car-stereo thief seen but not caught

March 31, 2007, 11:56 AM
A man from the 3300 block of Lombard saw his own Chevy Blazer with a man in its front seat ripping the stereo from the dashboard. The offender fled on foot to the alley, where he took off in a cream-colored Mercury Cougar occupied by a second man. The Blazer’s window was broken and its Sanyo AM/FM/CD player stolen. The offender is described as Hispanic, 20-25 , 5'6", 170-180 lb, black medium length hair, mustache, wearing dark pants and a yellow sweater with black letters on it.

Reckless driver flees on girl's bike

March 31, 2007, 8:41 Am
North Riverside police called Berwyn for assistance as they sought the reckless driver of a black 2006 Dodge Charger. The vehicle was found parked, unattended, in the 1900 block of Home. The offender, 29-year-old Aaron Smith of Broadview, fled westbound through people’s yards. He was caught in the 7100 block of Cermak, riding a girl’s bike taken from a yard the 1900 block of Home. He was turned over to the NRPD; they towed the Charger, too.

Missing psychiatric patient found, returned to hospital

March 31, 2007, 8:31 AM
An officer pulled over a beige minivan on Pershing; it had no plates. The officer asked for ID. The driver, a Westmont man, age 34, seemed very confused and disoriented. A LEADS name check showed he was a missing person from Westmont with a caution: paranoid schizophrenic, off his medications. Police contacted the man’s social worker, who said the patient had been released from the MacNeal Hospital psychiatric unit a couple of days ago but had not returned for his appointment and so was reported missing. The man was taken to the MacNeal emergency room.

Drunken roommate pushes woman around, tries to do same with cops

March 31, 2007, 7:24 AM
A 21-year-old woman from the 6300 block of 26th Street said she had been out all night and got home at 5 AM to find her male roommate, a 33-year-old man, would not let her inside the apartment. Once she got inside, she found the roommate lying on her bed. She told him to go to his own room. Instead he began to push her around the room, throwing her into a set of shelves and knocking down her TV. She was afraid and called the Cicero man who had just dropped her off and was still outside in his car. He confirmed her story to police. Officers found the roommate in the woman’s bathroom. He had boozy breath and leaned against the wall to keep from sliding to the floor. As officers escorted the handcuffed roommate down three flights of stairs, he got a burst of energy, becoming combative and verbally abusive. Once outside, the roommate broke free, fell down and scraped his face near the eye. He threatened officers, saying "I’m going to kill you m—----f------s! I’m going to kick your asses!" Backup arrived and the man was subdued. He was charged with domestic battery and two counts of resisting a peace officer

Neighbors must just love this place

March 31, 3:02 AM
Police responded to a 3 AM fight at Inclusive nightclub, 6317 Roosevelt. On arrival, they found several Oak Park police officers who said they had four offenders in custody. A club security guard noticed lines to get in were too long and would-be patrons were trying to push their way inside, so he blocked the doorway. One woman, Rasheda T. Jones, 36, of Chicago, grew disruptive and was told to leave. At this she hit the security guard in the face. Two guards attempted to escort her out. As they approached the exit, two male friends of Rasheda began to punch the guard. The guard pushed the attackers away, and one of the men fell and hurt his forehead on the pavement. He got up and took a swing at a guard. Another offender punched a guard in the chest. When police arrived, all three involved guards said they would sign complaints against the offenders. Arrested were Ms. Jones; Bryant Smith, 37, of Lansing; Dan A. Smith, of Chicago, and Rickey Smith, 41, also of Chicago. All four were charged with battery.

Screaming couple resent arrival of police

March 31, 2007, 2:26 AM
An officer saw a man and a woman screaming in the street near Grove and Stanley. Both were highly intoxicated and became disrespectful and verbally abusive when confronted by the officer. The woman, Michelle Jackson of Riverside, and the man, David Guell of Berwyn, were ticketed for public intoxication.

Man sought for setting car on fire

March 31, 2007, 2:10 AM
Police and fire personnel responded to call about a car on fire in the 6400 block of 27th St. The 1998 white Dodge had smoke damage and signs of accelerant. A witness said she saw a white Pontiac with two guys, one in a black hoody and one in a beige hoody, walk to the Dodge; she saw the man in the beige hoody light a match and start the fire. She said "Get away from the car – what are you doing?" When the firestarter looked up, she immediately recognized the man as the ex-boyfriend of the Dodge owner. The suspect has an active Cook County warrant and is being sought.

Fake 911 calls lead to real arrest

March 31, 2007, 1:18 AM
A man from the 6700 block of Stanley got arrested after making repeated false 911 calls about a non-existent disturbance at a bar. He yelled and swore at dispatchers, and kept hanging up and calling 911 right back. He was arrested for disorderly conduct.

Cicero, Plano men charged with battery

March 31, 2007, 1:08 AM
The owner of The Pour House, 6207 Roosevelt, told police two guys in the bar hit her and her boyfriend. The offenders were drunk and had spoken in a rude, profane manner to the bartender, so the boyfriend asked them to leave. The men, 34-year-old Francisco Longoria of Cicero, and 36-year-old Rodolfo Herrera, Jr., of Plano, followed the boyfriend into the men’s room and beat him in the face with their fists. The owner saw and tried to stop them, but Longoria punched her in the nose. Longoria was charged with two counts of battery and Herrera with one battery count.

Tiger O'Stylies fight turns out to be nothing

March 31, 2007, 1:04 AM
The owner of Tiger O’Stylies, in the 6300 block of Ogden, called police to say a member of the band at the bar was arguing with another guy and they took it out front. Police spoke with the band member, who told them he did argue with a guy he knows, but said that man had already left the scene.

Honest answer, wrong action

March 31, 2007, 12:59 AM
An officer working security at Guadalajara North, 6816 Cermak, saw a 24-year-old man consuming a 40-ounce bottle of Magnum Malt Liquor while standing outside a red SUV in the Vacin Fairway. Asked what he was doing, the man said,"Finishing my beer before I get into the car." He was ticketed for possession of open liquor in the public way.

Brick sets off alarm, suspicions

March 30, 2007, 11:24 PM
A woman in the 6900 block of Roosevelt heard her car alarm go off around 10 PM. When she checked on the car, she found a brick on the ground and damage to the windshield and hood. She suspects a neighbor with whom she has exchanged words over the parking situation behind their apartment building.

Why tinted windows are illegal

March 30, 2007, 11:01 PM
A man in the 3100 block of Scoville said at 10:40 PM someone in a black Suburban-type vehicle had damaged the driver’s-side vent window on his Acura. It was shattered. Tinted windows prevented his seeing the occupants of the big SUV, which fled the scene.

Nice friends

March 30, 2007, 10:38 PM
Calls came in about a woman yelling and walking in traffic at Cermak and Clarence. Police found a barefoot woman in a tank top and jeans; she was Maria D. Alvaro-Lopez, 23, of Glendale Heights. She was walking with a Hanover Park man she had met on the street. She said friends had left her there as a joke because she "scares easy." The man was wanted on a Hanover Park warrant; the woman was allowed to go home.

Tire rims removed from back yard

March 30, 2007, 9:19 PM
An officer was hailed by a man in the 3600 block of Grove; the man said someone stole three Volvo tire rims out of his back yard.

$2,000 in tools stolen from car

March 30, 2007, 7:19 PM
A 48-year-old man from the 2800 block of Lombard that during the previous night, someone broke the window of his 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer and stole all his work tools, worth $2000.

Toll change snitched from car

March 30, 2007, 6:52 PM
The neighbor of a man living in the 6400 block of 27th Place alerted him to the fact that the door of his Kia Sophia was standing open behind their building; $30 in change was missing from it.

Chicago man's car impounded for being too loud in Berwyn

March 30, 2007, 2:06 PM
An officer saw and heard a black 1994 Olds cranking its sound system so loudly it could be heard at least 125 feet away; he pulled over 32-year-old driver Oscar Ruiz of Chicago in the 3300 block of Harlem. The Olds was impounded under Berwyn’s handy noise ordinance.

Lock your truck, for heaven's sake

March 30, 2007, 11:59 AM
Overnight someone entered an unlocked business van and stole 8 DISH Network satellite receivers, one steel ladder, a cordless drill, a signal meter and a CD player.

Cicero man lacks right to drive, does anyhow

March 30, 2007, 11:10 AM
An officer noticed a white Crown Victoria with expired plates in the 7000 block of Cermak. The driver, 20-year-old Angel Macias of Cicero, told police he had neither license nor insurance; he was arrested.

Radio stolen from Honda

March 30, 2007, 9:19 AM
The owner of a Honda 4-door said the right front window was smashed out while the car was parked in the 2100 block of Wenonah overnight; the in-dash radio was stolen.

Frequent arrestees hope ignoring police will make them go away

March 30, 2007, 8:59 AM
Neighbors in the 2100 block of Clinton called about someone screaming for help. Police arrived and knocked at the door callers indicated, getting no answer. A check of the address showed police have been to that apartment many times, including once for an incident involving a knife. Police continued to knock until someone opened the door. The residents, a man and a woman, admitted they had been fighting about their bills. They said they had not answered the door because they did not wish to be arrested again. The couple were advised to pipe down, and to open up when police come to the door.

Unlicensed guy gives self away with blown stop

March 30, 2007, 8:47 AM
A patrol officer saw a beige Econoline van blow the stop sign while turning eastbound on Cermak from northbound Gunderson. The driver, a 29-year-old man from the 2100 block of Gunderson, had expired insurance and no license. He was arrested.

Woman-beater threatens victim by phone

March 30, 2007, 8:30 AM
A disturbance call brought police to the 1900 block of Grove, where they found a 44-year-old woman with a bruised, cut face and bleeding lips and gums. The woman said her boyfriend, also 44, punched and choked her. She was taken to MacNeal Hospital. Inside her apartment, officerts confiscated three items for the safety of the occupants: a wood-handled knife, a knife/hammer combination, and a set of handcuffs. Police found and arrested the boyfriend. The man complained his wrist had been hurt during the altercation with the woman. He was taken to MacNeal. While there, the offender telephoned the injured woman and threatened her.

Flashing red lights, alarm noise, gates, fail to impress man at railroad tracks. Maybe a ticket will work!

March 30, 2007, 8:18 AM
Patrolling at Windsor and Oak Park Avenue, an officer saw a man walk southbound around the lowered railroad safety gates, despite the fact that the alarm and red lights flashing made it obvious a train was coming. The man, a 35-year-old resident of the 1900 block of Wisconsin, was ticketed for railroad safety violation.

Violence to cars

March 30, 2007, 5:50 AM
The owner of a Toyota Corolla said his car was parked overnight in the 2100 block of Clinton, where its window was broken out and its glove box ransacked.
March 30, 2007, 6:52 AM
A Mazda owner in the 2300 block of Cuyler said someone slashed all four tires and shattered the windshield – no idea who, though.

Cicero woman zooms down Cermak early in AM

March 30, 2007, 5:12 AM
A Cicero woman was clocked by radar driving 41 in a 25 MPH zone in the 6800 block of Cermak. Maribel Garcia, 37, had no license and her 2004 Suzuki Forenza was towed.