Friday, June 8, 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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A 32-year-old Westmont man told police that he was robbed of $10,000 cash as he sat in his vehicle (a gold-colored 2006 Chrysler Town & Country minivan)---parked near 52nd and Latrobe---minutes after obtaining the cash (in an unmarked white envelope) from his mother-in-law, who lives near 51st and Laramie and was loaning him the funds. The man told police he pulled over to talk on his cell phone at about 1:25 p.m. Wednesday, June 6, when he was approached by two men, one of whom allegedly put his hand in his waistband---implying he had a gun.

The man told police he handed over the envelope (which he said had 200 fifty-dollar bills in it), and the offenders fled on foot---south on Latrobe and then east on Archer.

The man told police the robbers were black men---the first being about 40-45 years old, 5'8 to 6'2 and 170 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair, wearing a white shirt, brown pants and a black baseball cap---and the second being about 45-50 years old, 5'8 to 6'2 and 200-250 pounds, wearing a blue shirt and brown pants.

Police reported that they reviewed footage from a security camera mounted on the Chicago City Clerk's satellite office at 5674 South Archer, but did not see the offenders described by the Westmont man.





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A 20-year-old Back of the Yards man was shot in the stomach in an incident that occurred near Archer and Kilpatrick at 2:24 a.m. Friday, June 8.


Police responding to a call of a person shot on the street at Archer and Kostner arrived to find a Chicago Fire Department ambulance crew administering care to the victim.

Police on the scene received conflicting accounts of what occurred and where. The victims' friends, a 21-year-old man from the Belmont Cragin neighborhood and a 26-year-old man from suburban Schiller Park, told police the victim was injured in a drive-by shooting more than a block away. The victim told police that the 26-year-old shot him when a handgun he was showing him discharged. Police report that the victim gave his account with great difficulty because he was frightened.

The victim was taken by ambulance to Christ Hospital and Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

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A 12-year-old Clearing boy using the bathroom in the fieldhouse at Hale Park said that a man looked at him in an inappropriate manner and threatened him with a raised fist.

Police said that the boy walked into the bathroom at about 7:25 p.m. Wednesday, June 6. He said he went to use a urinal and noticed a man looking at him. The boy reportedly asked, "Why are you looking at me?" The man reportedly answered, "No, I wasn't." The boy told police he then said, "Yes, you did look at me." The man then reportedly responded, "No, I didn't."

The boy said that the man then raised a fist in a threatening manner; and then boy then ran out to the baseball diamonds to alert his father---who immediately called police.

When police arrived, the man was not around. According to police, the boy described him as about 6'3 and 350 pounds, 40-50 years old, brown eyes, brown hair in a comb-over style, light complexion, beige polo shirt and blue jeans.

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Burglars forced open the back door of a house near 66th and Central Park and stole two Sony Playstation game systems, one PlayStation video game, two Apple iPads, one MacBook and an external hard drive.

The crime was discovered by a next-door neighbor, a 30-year-old woman, who saw the door open at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 6 and called police.

The victim, a 19-year-old man, told police that earlier in the morning, he saw a suspicious man going door to door in the neighborhood, claiming to be lost when people answered their doors. He described the man as a black man, 30-35 years old, wearing a baggy white t-shirt and blue jeans.

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Burglars forced open a side window of a home near 59th and Komensky and stole a laptop computer, two stereo speakers, an amplifier, two pairs of Nike Jordan shoes, assorted jewelry and a tool box with tools. The burglars tried but failed to steal a TV that was secured in the home.

The crime was discovered by the victim, a 44-year-old man, at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 5 when he came home from work.

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Burglars opened an unlocked window in the rear of a home near 69th and Komensky and stole seven TVs, a laptop computer, two Sony PlayStation 3 video game systems, various PlayStation 3 games, a Nintendo Wii, two Amazon Kindles, five watches and two wedding rings.

The crime was discovered by the victim, a 34-year-old woman, at 8:10 a.m. Monday, June 4 when she came home from work. A neighbor told police that she had earlier seen a white van in the alley, which may have been connected to the crime.

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Burglars kicked open the back door of a home near 55th and Melvina and stole an Xbox video game console.

The crime was discovered by the victim, a 46-year-old woman, when she returned from work at 6:50 p.m.Monday, June 4. The victim also noted that a rock had been thrown through a back window of the home.

A person who spoke with police at the scene said she had seen several men standing in front of the home at about 5:30 p.m., but apparently gave no other information.

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Want to work directly with Chicago Police to prevent crime in your neighborhood? If you live in Beat 812 (see map above), come to the Clearing Branch Library at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 13 and attend your monthly CAPS meeting. If you live in Beat 814, come to Vittum Park at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, June 14. Hear updates on crime in your neighborhood and learn how you can work with neighbors and police to make the community safer and better for all.

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