A MAN WAS ARRESTED on gun and other charges following an incident at about 2:10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in the 4400 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

Officers stopped a driver operating a vehicle with its headlights and taillights turned off, and when they exited their vehicle and approached the man, he drove away from them at a high rate of speed and later drove onto a sidewalk and crashed into the front of the former Thatch Pub, 5707 N. Milwaukee Ave., according to police.

The officers said that the man exited the vehicle with a small blue bag strapped to his waist and fled east on North Mason Avenue, and that he made several motions toward the bag, reached into it and dropped it on the ground as they chased him, police said.

Officers apprehended the man in the 5700 block of North Markham Avenue and discovered a Smith and Wesson .38-caliber revolver containing five live rounds on the ground near the location where he dropped the blue bag and a plastic bottle containing 5 grams of a green leafy substance suspected of being marijuana inside his vehicle, police said.

The suspect was identified by police as Edwin J. Cruz, age 23, of the 9800 block of West Linn Avenue, Schiller Park.

A WOMAN reported that a man hijacked her vehicle at gunpoint at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, in the 6600 block of West Hayes Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

The 35-year-old woman reported that while she was stopped in traffic, a man entered her vehicle through the front passenger side door with a knife and sat down next to her while he pointed the knife to her side and pointed a black semi-automatic handgun in his left hand at her 15-year-old daughter in the rear driver’s side seat, according to police. The woman reported that the man told her to drive and threatened to kill her and her daughter if she did not, police said.

The woman reported that as she drove the man in numerous directions for one hour, he repeatedly demanded that she continue to drive or that he would kill them, and that in the 5900 block of West Foster Avenue the man yelled at her to stop the car, and then jumped out of the vehicle and ran away northbound on North Marmora Avenue, according to police.

The man was described as white/ Hispanic, age 30 to 35, about 5-7 and 240 pounds with a bald black hairstyle, and wearing a red t-shirt and red shorts.

A MAN REPORTED that two men robbed him at about 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, in the 4000 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

The 21-year-old man reported that while he was walking on the sidewalk two men approached him, demanded his wallet and took his wallet containing a credit card and identification cards, according to police.

The men were described as white/ Hispanic and age 18 to 21.

A MAN REPORTED that a man and a woman robbed him at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the Springhill Suites hotel, 8101 W. Higgins Road, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

The 27-year-old man reported that a man and a woman knocked on the door of his hotel room, and that as he opened the door they pushed the door open, entered the room, took $100 in cash from his wallet and asked if the money was a "donation for the girl downstairs," and that the man demanded him to follow him downstairs and withdraw $300 from his savings account or he would contact his family and tell them he was hiring prostitutes, according to police.

The man reported that he followed the man to the lobby of the hotel and withdrew $300 in cash and gave it to the man, police said.

The man was described as black, about age 30, and wearing a gray sweatshirt and black jeans, and the woman was described as black, about age 30, and wearing a mid-drift shirt and black pants.

A MAN REPORTED that his vehicle was burglarized between 11 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, while it was parked in the 5400 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

The man reported that when he returned to his vehicle he discovered that the front passenger side window had been shattered and that $400 in cash was missing, according to police.

A MAN REPORTED that his apartment in the 5300 block of West Pensacola Avenue was burglarized between 3 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

The man reported that when he returned home he discovered that a rear window had been forced open, and that jewelry valued at $8,400 and a Samsung laptop computer valued at $100 were missing, according to police.









A TEENAGER reported that a man stole his bicycle at about 3:10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, in the 6100 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

The teenager reported that he parked his black Purefix bicycle with orange rims valued at $500 against a fence on the sidewalk before he entered the McDonald’s restaurant, 6143 N. Milwaukee Ave., and that he saw a man take his bicycle and ride away with it southbound, according to police.

The man was described as white/Hispanic, about age 30, 6-0 and 200 pounds, with short black hair and tattoos on his upper arms.

A WOMAN reported that a man stole her bicycle from her at about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in the 5600 block of West Irving Park Road, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

The 41-year-old woman reported that she parked her red Trek bicycle valued at $300 and that when she stepped away from it to pick up her daughter, a man jumped onto her bicycle and rode away, according to police.

The man was described as white/Hispanic, age 35 to 40, between 5-7 and 5-8 and between 150 and 160 pounds with black curly hair and wearing a gray t-shirt and beige pants.

A MAN REPORTED that his vehicle was burglarized between 10:25 p.m. and 11:25 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, in the parking lot of the X-Sport Fitness Center, 3212 N. Central Ave., according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

The man reported that when he returned to his vehicle he discovered that the rear driver’s side window had been shattered and that his Swiss backpack valued at $30 containing and Apple laptop computer valued at $500, a Nintendo Switch video game console valued at $250, two Nintendo Switch video games valued at $180, three textbooks valued at $150 and a Ti-84 calculator valued at $70 was missing, according to police.

A WOMAN reported that her apartment in the 8500 block of West Raschser Avenue was burglarized between 4:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

The woman reported that when she returned home she discovered that the rear door had been forced open and that a Pandora charm bracelet valued at $400, a diamond bracelet valued at $100, a Coach purse valued at $300 and a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses valued at $150 were missing, according to police.

SEVERAL vehicle thefts were reported between Sept. 10 and Sept. 16, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

Stolen vehicles were reported in the 4500 block of North Laporte Avenue, the 6500 block of North Harlem Avenue, the 5200 block of West Addison Street, the 8500 block of West Bryn Mawr Avenue, the 5300 block of West Foster Avenue and the 5500 block of West Windsor Avenue, according to police.