Monday, June 4, 2012

Crime News Update

Editor's note: The crime news reported by the Southwest Chicago Post---taken directly from Chicago Police Department incident reports---is not by any means an exhaustive catalogue of all crime reported in the Chicago Lawn (8th) District. For example, it typically does not include news of crimes committed in the eastern and southern sectors of the district---because the Southwest Chicago Post's coverage area is primarily the neighborhoods that border Midway Airport and secondarily because including the relatively large volume of crime news from elsewhere in the district would be a logistical challenge. We make this note to offer a little helpful perspective and remind everyone that while crime is definitely a concern in all parts of the district (as it always has been), crime remains relatively low overall in Sector 1. May all of us work together diligently to keep it that way. May all of us also remember that a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.


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Devontae Holmes
 A 54-year-old Vittum Park man was one of four tradesmen robbed at gunpoint on Friday, June 1 as they were rehabbing a residence at 6424 South Artesian.

Also robbed were a 32-year-old Bridgeview man, a 36-year-old Burbank man and a 16-year-old Justice boy.

Just before 9:00 a.m. the remodelers were approached by four criminals, who drew handguns and ordered the workers off their ladders. The robbers went through the workers' pockets and stole items that included a wallet, two sets of keys, three cell phones and $80 cash. They also stole an air compressor as they fled on foot.

The victims described the offenders as four black men, 18-21 years old. One was described as having a dreadlocks hair style, as well as a black jacket and alligator-logo shoes.

Additionally, an anonymous citizen told police that the offenders got on bicycles and rode west on 65th Street.

Police searching the area soon found a man matching the description, emerging from a gangway at 6449 South Rockwell and hiding behind a tree when he saw police. He was also found with items that turned out to some of the items belonging to the remodelers, police said. He was taken into custody and brought back to 6424 South Artesian, where he was positively identified by the victims.

Arrested was Devontae Holmes, 19, a resident of the South Side's Roseland neighborhood.

According to police, Holmes is scheduled to appear in Cook County Circuit Court Branch 48-4, 155 West 51st Street, on Friday, June 8.

 

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A 22-year-old man who told police that he works as a fry cook at the Red Lobster seafood restaurant at 5201 S. Pulaski was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm.

Clemoth Toombs, a resident of the South Side's Pullman neighborhood, was arrested shortly after midnight Saturday, June 2.

Police on routine patrol reportedly spotted a red, two-door Chevrolet speeding south on Kedzie, between 51st and 55th Streets, going about 50 miles per hour----well above the posted limit of 30 miles per hour.

Police curbed the car at 56th and Kedzie. The driver, 20-year-old Donte Thomas, was unable to produce a valid driver's license. Toombs was sitting in the front passenger seat.

Clemoth Toombs
Both men were ordered out of the car, and police said they smelled a strong odor of marijuana on Toombs. During a pat down, police say they recovered eight small plastic bags of marijuana and spotted a pearl-handled pistol in Toombs' pocket. When they went to take it away, Toombs allegedly bolted and fled on foot.

He was apprehended near 3110 West 55th Street. He then voluntarily led police to the gun, which was loaded and which he had stashed under a garbage cart in the alley at 3126 West 55th Street. According to police, Toombs explained his illegal possession of a gun by saying, "The only reason I carry the gun is because n~ggers be shooting out here."

Police said that Toombs has a past conviction for aggravated armed robbery. According to CPD News Affairs, Toombs was charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, possession of cannabis, possession of ammunition without a valid FOID card, not having a FOID card and failure to register the firearm.

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An armed thug walked into the Unlimited Wireless Connection store at 5018 South Pulaski at 6:20 p.m. Saturday, June 2 and robbed a 24-year-old salesman of $70 before tying him up with duct tape and fleeing in an unknown direction.

The store clerk described his assailant as a black man, 24-30 years old, 5'11 to 6'0, 160 pounds, with short black hair and a dark complexion.

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A 48-year-old Archer Heights business owner leaving his shop at the end of a day discovered an unconscious man, badly beaten, lying on the eastern edge of the Curie High School parking lot, at 11:50 p.m. Friday, June 1.

The victim, with severe head injuries and a broken lower left leg, was taken by Chicago Fire Department ambulance to Mt. Sinai Hospital. Police described him as a white Hispanic man, about 21 years old, 5'8 to 5'11, 180-190 pounds, brown eyes, black hair, light complexion. He had no identification on him.

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Burglars broke into a garage near 54th and Keeler, but apparently were scared off without stealing anything. The attempted crime was discovered by the victim, a 42-year-old man, at 4:45 a.m. Sunday, June 3. Both the overhead door and the motor of the automatic garage door opener were damaged.

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Burglars broke into a home near 65th and Central Park and stole five TVs, two laptop computers, one Sony PlayStation gaming system and assorted games, and nine home entertainment system speakers.

The crime was discovered by the victim, a 41-year-old man, when he came home from work at 12:40 a.m. Sunday, June 3. He first noticed that his back gate had been forced open; and then saw his home's back door wide open.

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Burglars broke into a home near 63rd Place and Hamlin and stole two TVs and a Sony PlayStation 3 video game system.

The crime was discovered by the victim, a 36-year-old man, when he came home from work at 3:20 p.m. Friday, June 1. The burglars apparently pushed in a dining room window to gain access.

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Burglars kicked open the back door of a home near 55th Place and Hamlin and stole a laptop computer, a digital camera, four gold wedding rings and other jewelry, as well as $500 cash.

The crime was discovered by the 35-year-old girlfriend of the home's owner when she came home from work at 2:50 p.m. Friday, June 1.

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A 78-year-old woman who barricaded the door of her garage near 67th Place and Springfield foiled burglars who unsuccessfully attempted to force the door open. The partially open (about 15 inches) door was discovered by the woman at 3:00 p.m. Friday, June 1.

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Burglars broke into the rear basement door of a home near 63rd Place and Hamlin and stole a TV, a Nintendo Wii video game system, a Pandigital media tablet, a coach purse, a bottle of perfume and assorted cosmetics, assorted clothing, a pair of cuff links, assorted gold bracelets, 200 Mexican pesos, and $200 cash.

The crime was discovered by the victims, a 32-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man, when they came home from work at 3:00 p.m. Friday, June 1.

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Burglars broke through the window of a garage near 80th and Kirkland and stole a large quantity of assorted tools, as well as assorted home furnishing items.

The crime was discovered by the victim, a 33-year-old woman, at 11:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 30.

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Burglars forced open the side door of a garage near 49th and Tripp and stole a welding machine and a tool box with assorted tools. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 28-year-old man, at 3:00 a.m. Sunday, May 27.

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