Crime

CRIME Police investigating shooting in Madison Street alley

An argument between a man and a woman in the alley on the 7600 block of Madison Street allegedly led the man to try to run over the woman, and the woman trying to shoot the man in response. Neither were hurt.

The alleged incident took place on May 16 at 8:45 a.m. The officers responded to reports of shots being fired and interviewed the couple who allegedly witnessed the incident from their balcony, which faced the alley in question. The couple recognized a man and a woman who were arguing as their neighbors. While the man remained unidentified, subsequent investigation identified her as a 32-year-old Forest Parker. The female witness said she saw the man put the woman in a headlock and slammed her into the garage door. Sometime later, they saw the man take off in a silver 2022 Toyota Camry parked nearby, only to return and apparently try to run the woman over. The witnesses heard a gunshot, but it wasn’t clear who fired it.

The police officers recovered a single spent casing in the alley. The woman and her sister, a 35-year-old Lombard woman, were taken into custody.

While the report doesn’t elaborate on the circumstances of the arrest, both were charged with resisting arrest, and the woman in the alley was charged with aggravated discharge of the firearm. Neither woman cooperated with the police, and the man’s identity remains unknown.

Hit-and-run driver

A 38-year-old Bellwood man led several area police departments on a chase through Forest Park, River Forest and Maywood, allegedly hitting a school bus in the process. The alleged hit-and-run took place at the intersection of Desplaines Avenue and Randolph Street on May 20, at 3:59 p.m. The man, who was driving a red 2007 Ford F250 with a trailer, kept going west through River Forest and into Maywood. He was reportedly driving erratically, and the trailer was dragged on the rims, sending sparks flying.

The driver ended up turning southbound on 9th Avenue. As he approached Garfield Elementary School, 1514 S. 9th Ave., he drove through the school yard and kept heading southbound on 10th Avenue, then heading westbound on Harrison Avenue. He reportedly hit a school bus on the I-290 off-ramp near the Harrison and 17th intersection, then got onto the expressway. The alleged offender exited I-290 at 25th Avenue. At that point, Maywood and Bellwood police officers joined the pursuit.

The driver ended up going northbound on 21st Avenue until it dead-ended. He left his truck and tried to flee on foot through backyards, but the officers intercepted him at 20th Avenue.

The alleged offender was charged with one count of attempting to flee a peace officer, three counts of resisting an officer and an array of traffic offenses. At the time of the report, he was detained pending a bond hearing.

Car stolen from garage

A silver 2014 Ford Explorer was stolen from a garage in the 400 block of Circle Avenue on the night of May 16-17.

The victim discovered the theft on the morning of May 17. He said that his daughter left the vehicle in his garage on May 16 at 6 p.m., and nobody took the vehicle out after that. An AT&T service crew reportedly saw the garage open at 3 a.m. The victim said that the car had a spare set of keys in the center console, but no valuables. Chicago police ran the vehicle’s license plate at 4 a.m.

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These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, May 28-30, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

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A Taste of Togetherness

Takeout 25 to host in-person event at FitzGerald’s

By MELISSA ELSMO

Oak Park Eats Editor

As the restaurant industry continues to recover from a pandemic blow, Takeout 25 has expanded its focus to provide long-term community support for local eateries while positioning Oak Park and the surrounding communities as a “destination” for food, music and loads of local fun.

The nonprofit, founded by Oak Park Village Trustee Ravi Parakkat, has brought together owners, managers, and passionate community members to raise awareness and generate consistent business for local restaurants. Takeout 25 is known for their Taste the Town events; held during the pandemic, these carry out focused fundraisers brought restaurants together while raising money for themselves and a meaningful local charity. Now, the fourth event of its kind is set to take place in-person on June 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. on FitzGerald’s outdoor patio, 6615 W. Roosevelt Road in Berwyn.

Will Duncan, owner of FitzGerald’s, has been following the evolution of the Takeout 25 initiative from its early stages and admires Parakkat’s ability to “coalesce food entrepreneurs” into a meaningful and effective network.

“We love being part of this vibrant food community,” said Duncan. “When Ravi asked us to participate it was an easy yes for us. Hosting means we get to celebrate the best of the western suburbs while exposing the FitzGerald’s experience to new audiences.”

Babygold Barbecue will be among the featured restaurants at the June Taste the Town event. Duncan was clear their final menu has not been determined yet but promises a unique three-to-four bite item that represents the best of the Berwyn barbecue joint’s offerings.

A diverse array of restaurants from Austin, Forest Park and Oak Park will join Babygold as featured vendors at the Taste the Town event. Expect dishes from Amerikas, Kettlestrings Grove, Khyber Pass, Poke Burrito Chicago, Surf ’s Up Oak Park, Schweet Cheesecake and Twisted Cookie to create a delicious array of menu offerings.

“We also want to expand our brand to include more than food,” said Parakkat. “We take this opportunity to give people a taste of our local community by bringing in different local entities in addition to restaurants.”

Takeout 25’s Taste the Town at FitzGerald’s will be a celebration of memorable food with an eye toward sustainability, but will also focus on art, entertainment, tourism and philanthropy. The upcoming event will collect donations for Beyond Hunger specifically while also drawing attention to other local businesses through general donation incentives. The first 80 donations of $25 or more will earn donors a voucher to visit a local art, entertainment, or tourism attraction. Participating venues include Unity Temple, the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, the Hemingway Museum, Lake Theater, Wonder Works, the Arts Council, Escape Factor and the Oak Park River Forest Museum.

“This aspect of the event is really an experiment to see if it is possible to entice people from outside of our community to visit Oak Park,” said Parakkat. “There really is something for everyone at Taste the Town. We have ways to participate in person and also have options for pickup and delivery. It really is about inspiring broader community support.”

In-person participation in limited to 250 guests. Single tickets ($50) include three food tasting coupons while family passes ($100) include admission for two adults and seven food coupons — children under 16 years old are free when parents purchase a family pass. Organizers have also come up with a creative “Devour the Town” option filled with a surprise array of items to satiate the hungriest community members. In person guests will have access to a cash bar and Byline Bank is sponsoring live music for the afternoon. Guests should expect the classical soul sounds of Gerald McClendon, the “Soulkeeper,” and his high-energy band to bring a lively vibe to the FitzGerald’ s patio. Takeout and delivery tickets, starting at just $25 are also available.

Tickets are on sale through June 21 or until they sell out at https://www.givesignup.org/TicketEvent/Takeout25TastetheTown and the event is sponsored by Byline Bank, Delivery First, Guaranteed Rate, Cadence Group, and West Suburban Garage Doors.

“Thanks to generous community members and community-minded businesses, Taste the Town has the ability to strengthen our community as we recover from the pandemic and look to the future,” said Parakkat. “The event will make us more resilient and put Takeout 25 on the map in the broader Chicagoland area.”

Takeout 25 will hold a Taste the Town fundraiser at FitzGerald’s on June 26.