By Jean Lotus

Editor

Woman punched in face during robbery

A 20-year-old woman told police she was entering the Circle Avenue Blue Line train stop around 7:30 p.m., Oct. 4, when two unknown men exited as she was about to walk into the station. One of the men punched her in the face with a closed fist and then the two rifled through her possessions, taking a credit card and fleeing. The woman had a bruise on her face, but declined medical attention. Police made a sweep of the area, but did not find anyone who matched the offenders' descriptions.

Rude cyclist cited

A 22-year-old Forest Park man was arrested Sept. 30 after he rode his bicycle toward oncoming cars almost causing an accident and insulted police officers while they were trying to direct traffic after the CTA Blue Line crash. Reports said the man tried to ride his bike across Harlem Avenue at Harrison Street causing cars to swerve to avoid hitting him. When an officer told him to wait, he reportedly swore at the officer and continued to ride into traffic. When the officer told him to stop or he would be arrested, he reportedly displayed his raised middle finger uttered swear words and continued into traffic. He was stopped by another officer a block away who placed him in custody. He was charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest.

Bike stolen from work

An employee of Bed, Bath and Beyond told police her 26-inch silver men's Next bicycle was removed from where she had secured it to a cement garbage receptacle with a cable lock sometime between 5 and 9 p.m., Oct. 1. Loss was valued at $150.

An unlocked bike as removed from in front of a townhome in the 1000 block of Desplaines Avenue, overnight Oct. 2.

Name-dropping does no good

Police arrested a man around 5 p.m., Oct. 3, who, after being pulled over, claimed he did not have his driver's license having just left it at the house of U.S. Congressman Danny Davis. Police noticed the 2013 Dodge sedan the man was driving had no license plate and pulled him over near Maple and Randolph in Oak Park. The man had trouble giving police a consistent name and age, insisting he was 41, then 43 then 40. Because of his prevarication with his age, police placed him in custody for a fingerprint inquiry. He reportedly threatened to call Davis and then Sheriff Tom Dart. When asked why he was giving different ages to police, he replied, "Yeah, well that's my actor age. I'm in movies." He was charged with obstruction. A passenger in the Dodge was released without charge.

Lactose-loving but cranky skateboarder

Police were summoned to the park district tennis courts around 5:30 p.m., Oct. 3, after park employees reported a man sitting near a tree by the tennis courts with his pants open. According to employees, he had been asked to fix his pants and was sitting near an area where children were taking part in after-school care. By the time the officer arrived, the 24-year-old Berwyn man was no longer sitting and had fixed his pants. Officers approached him near the skateboard park and asked what he was doing. He responded that all he wanted to do was drink milk and skateboard. He repeated this several times. The officer asked him to leave the park, which he refused to do. The man reportedly became irate, dropped his backpack and skateboard and then said his deceased father wanted him in the park and that he was angry. He clenched his fists and threatened the officer and then continued to make references to drinking milk and recited bits of the "Our Father" prayer. He was placed in custody and charged with disorderly conduct.

Peeing in the planter

Three buddies out on the town around 2 a.m., Oct. 4, were observed by Forest Park police standing and simultaneously urinating into a flower planter in front of Schauer's, 7443 Madison St. Two of the men were issued local ordinance tickets, but one, age 19 from Berwyn, was found to have a fake ID, with which he told police he had been drinking at Slainte with friends. He was found to have a blood alcohol content of .258, more than three times the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle. He was charged with public urination and underage drinking.

Freshening up in the bathroom

Walmart security called police around 3:30 p.m., Oct. 4, after they observed a 41-year-old Waukegan man put seven toiletry items in his pocket, then enter the men's bathroom and begin to use them. According to police, in the bathroom he used the razor, shaving cream and several bottles of lotions before a male security guard apprehended him. He told police he had no means of paying the $30.80 for the items he had used and was charged with retail theft.

Threatens CTA passengers

CTA Blue Line security summoned police to the 711 Desplaines Ave. station around 6 p.m., Oct. 4, after a 31-year-old Chicago man was observed entering the station and allegedly yelling, "You'll all be sorry if I pull out my 357 Magnum!" Police took the man, who was by then sitting in a train car into custody. He was found to have no weapon on his person but was charged with disorderly conduct.

Cash removed in burglary

A 76-year-old woman told police someone entered her home in the 500 block of Elgin Avenue during the day, Oct. 4, and removed a rubber-banded wad of cash totaling $240. She also said a penny jar filled with about $2 was removed.

A wallet was removed from an unlocked Honda parked overnight in the 1500 block of South Harlem Avenue, Oct. 5.

Golf clubs, a Garmin GPS, two pairs of sunglasses and softball gear were removed and the glove compartment ransacked from a car parked overnight in the 7600 block of Monroe Street overnight, Oct. 6. Loss was estimated at $2,100.

'Total Bart Simpson move'

A manager at CVS, 7216 Circle Ave. in Forest Park, called police after he arrived around 7 a.m. and as he was gathering shopping carts in the parking lot, heard the sound of shattering glass. He observed a 19-year-old Forest Park male standing near the wall around the side of the store with a broken bottle he had just smashed against the wall. The manager asked him if something was wrong and the man gave several hand gestures, including the "universal finger," the witness told police. The man then pulled his pants down and began wiggling his buttocks at the manager. He crossed the street with his pants down and began to shake a street sign violently. The manager told police the young man returned to CVS where he began to block vehicles in the parking lot, including a taxi and a Buick Escalade, which honked to get him to move. When asked whether he'd like to sign complaints against the arrested man, the manager replied, "Yes, it's way too early for this stuff on an empty stomach."

At the station, the man apologized for his behavior and characterized the incident as "a total Bart Simpson move." He was charged with disorderly conduct.

Loud man points out luxury items

A Cicero man yelling about the price of his watch, pants and shoes was given a ticket for disorderly conduct in the 7400 block of Warren Street around 3 a.m., Oct. 6. Police said the man, 22, was observed walking with friends and staring intently at the squad car. He then reportedly yelled some profanities and when asked to be quiet, challenged the officer saying, "You have no right to stop me." After being told to stop yelling profanity, he challenged the officer, saying there was no proof, audio or video that he had been yelling profanity. After being warned again, the man reportedly scoffed and said he'd have no problem paying a ticket. He then pointed out his $500 watch, his $75 jeans and $200 shoes. He told officers he could afford these things because he was an attorney. He was charged with disorderly conduct and as he was leaving yelled, "Bye, officers, is this loud enough for you?"

Fistfight in Walmart

A 60-year-old security officer at Walmart told police he was punched in the face by a 34-year-old Cicero woman who got into a dispute with other customers at register seven around 6 p.m., Oct. 6. A witness said the woman had become aggressive after the witness cut in line to join her daughter. She said the Cicero woman pushed her daughter and that caused the dispute. The security guard was punched while trying to separate the two women. The alleged batterer fled the store but was stopped by other security guards and taken into custody.

These items were obtained from the records of the Forest Park Police Department, Oct. 1-6, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anyone named in the report has only been charged with a crime.

Contact:

Email: jlotus@forestparkreview.com Twitter: @FP_Review