Crime

CRIME Suspect in multiple garage burglaries caught

Police arrested one of the two offenders who allegedly stole items from garages on the 500 block of Beloit Avenue. While they didn’t apprehend the second suspect, the arrest led to recovery of items from multiple garage burglaries throughout Forest Park.

A witness who called in to the police said he spotted the two suspects when he stepped out onto his balcony on May 12 around 2:17 a.m. He said he witnessed two men in the gangway to 524 Ferdinand Ave., then walking down the north-south alley behind Ferdinand Avenue, looking into garages and parked car windows, heading toward 500 block of Beloit Avenue.

The police officer dispatched in response to the call saw a red 2002 Ford pickup truck parked in the alley and spotted two suspects exiting the apartment building on the 500 block of Beloit Avenue. The first suspect, a 39-year-old Chicago man, was carrying an air-conditioner. As the officer exited the vehicle, the first suspect dropped the air-conditioner and the suspects fled in opposite directions on Beloit Avenue.

Oak Park and Forest Park police officers arrived to assist. An Oak Park officer spotted the first suspect at the 7400 block of Madison Street alley, and several Oak Park police officers apprehended the suspect at 7450 Washington St.

A search of the truck turned up multiple items. A local resident identified the air compressor, motorcycle helmet, and welding machine as belonging to her son, saying they were stored in her garage. The truck also had two air-conditioning units, multiple power tools, golf clubs, and “numerous other items.”

The alleged culprit said he stole three air-conditioners from three garages, but claimed the garages were unlocked, so he didn’t physically break into them.

Later that day, at 3:05 p.m., a resident of the 400 block of Circle Avenue reported that, when he went outside at 7:30 a.m., he saw that someone had shattered the driver’s side window of his pickup truck, pulled out the garage remote stored inside and opened the garage door then stole several unspecified items from inside the garage, leaving the garage door open. Several of those items were found in the red truck.

On May 15, at 9:02 a.m., the resident of the 400 block of Hannah Avenue reported a garage burglary that happened at some point while he was out of town between May 7 and May 15. The garage door was pried open, and two air-conditioning units, a small red air compressor and an old hatchet were stolen. Those items matched the unclaimed items collected from the truck.

A River Forest police officer reported that a truck matching the description of the one found in the Ferdinand/Beloit alley was involved in a burglary in their village.

The alleged offender was charged with two counts of burglary. The second suspect remains at large.

‘Rowdy’ funeral procession leads to reckless driving tickets

A funeral procession that went through Maywood and Forest Park on the afternoon of May 14 included numerous instances of motorists driving recklessly, and one particularly dangerous incident, which got the car owners ticketed.

The two villages and the surrounding towns were reportedly alerted of the funeral procession ahead of time. The police departments and the procession negotiated a route, with the Forest Park portion following Roosevelt Road to Desplaines Avenue, then north on Desplaines toward Forest Home Cemetery, 863 Desplaines Ave. Throughout the procession, several vehicles reportedly swerved in and out of eastbound and westbound lanes.

On the 8400 block of Roosevelt Road, around 1:45 p.m., a burgundy 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee reportedly swerved into oncoming traffic lanes, jumped the curb and drove along the sidewalk before reentering the procession. To avoid “agitating” the procession, the officer didn’t pull the car over, but issued a local ordinance violation ticket to both registered owners.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, May 9-15, 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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Perfect Weather graced the 39th Hunger Walkathon West CROP Hunger Walkon Sunday May 1st.

The Planning Team wishes to thank and bless the Team Captains and Participants who raised money for this annual event and the businesses and individual donors who supported them. Due to COVID concerns and to keep gathering numbers low, we did not hold a centralized walk but each team captain arranged an event for their team. Photos from various teams are included here. Recipients of the money raised in 2021include hungry and hurting people served by international relief and development programs of Church World Service and the following ten local agencies:Beyond Hunger, Cluster Tutoring Program, First Baptist Church of Melrose Park Food Pantry, Forest Park Food Pantry, Housing Forward, Pine Avenue Food Pantry, Proviso Food Pantry, Quinn Center of Saint Eulalia Hunger Ministries, St. Martin de Porres Food Pantry, and Vision of Restoration Food Pantry. These agencies provide services in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, Oak Park, Forest Park, Maywood and Melrose Park. We are pleased to report that the amount raised to date is over $90,000. The 2021 Walk raised $134,000. The need continues and donations of any size are still welcome.

It’s not too late to donate! Just visit our website:hwwcrop.org and press the “DONATE NOW” button.

THANKS TO: The following Businesses that provided fi nancial and/or in-kind support: GOLD LEVEL:

Remedial Environmental Manpower, Inc. Ideal Facilities Services Growing Community Media, NFP

SILVER LEVEL:

CLO Marketing, Inc. Weinstein Wholesale Meats M&M Property Management, Inc. Curfi n Holding Company, Inc.

BRONZE LEVEL:

Forest Park Bank Downtown Oak Park Gagliardo Realty Co, Inc. Storino, Ramello & Durkin RP Fox and Assoc, Inc. Chosen Ones Learning Center Todd & Holland Tea Merchants Mohr Oil Co. Matt Grote, Edward Jones Financial

ALL OTHER BUSINESS SPONSORSHIPS:

O’Sullivan’s Public House Forest Park Foot Care Center Forest Insurance Mr. Beef and Pizza of Forest Park David King & Associates, Inc. Louie’s Grill, Inc. Everett Wealth Solutions, Inc. Tim Stefl , Inc. Sales Directors, Inc. The Golden Triangle Elite Tire and Auto Service, Inc. McAdam Landscape Professionals Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore James Taglia CPA The Printing Store Archery Custom Shop, Inc.

Team Captains and Walk Planning Team* Members

Delrice Adams Lauren Brightmore Sara Catalano Marty Colchamiro* Bill Cragg Joanne Despotes* Ted Despotes Meghan Dowdle Mary Lou Dwyer* Karen Dylewski Brent Friesen Harriet Hawkins* Jerry Hills Rev. Tom Holmes* Frank Hughes Erik Johnson Laura Kliewer Ted Lietz Linda Martens Charlaine McAnany Andrea McCoy Maxine McGhee Margie McKenzie Nick Menninga* Martha Minnich Cynthia Mobley* Karen Murphy Rev. Kathy Nolte John O’Rourke Amy Stearns Leon Williams Douglas Wyman* Liz Young Lynn Zamora Craig Zeller

Participating Teams (in addition to recipients):

Ascension Catholic Church OP Euclid Ave United Methodist Church OP First Baptist Church OP First United Church of Oak Park First United Methodist Church OP Good Shepherd Lutheran Church OP Hope Tabernacle Community Church – Hope in Motion May Day Marchers NAUW Ness Family Pilgrim Congregational OP Social Media St. Catherine-St. Lucy Parish OP St. Paul Thai Lutheran Church FP Team Carris Unity Church of Oak Park

The CROP Team wishes to acknowledge and thank Growing Community Media, NFP/Wednesday Journal

for their many years of outstanding generosity and continual community support!