Thursday, December 27, 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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An alert neighbor who saw three suspicious men carrying what appeared to be burglary loot called 911, playing a pivotal role in helping police foil a Christmas Day garage burglary in West Elsdon.


Mario Queroz
At about 6:20 a.m. Tuesday, December 25, police responding saw two men and a 16-year-old boy carrying various items as they walked north up a sidewalk in front of 5142 South Keeler. 

When the trio saw police, they reportedly dropped the items and fled on foot. The boy, who lives near 43rd and Komensky, was apprehended as he emerged from a yard at 5129 South Keeler. One of the two men, 19-year-old Mario Queroz of 32nd and Keeler, was found hiding in a back yard at 5134 South Tripp.

The other man escaped, police reported. He is described as a white man about age 18, 5'10 and 160 pounds, blond/strawberry hair in a "fade" style. The two suspects arrested gave police information on him.

The items that were dropped by the trio included a power drill, a GPS unit and a snow blower. Police said that Queroz provided information that led police to a garage near 57th and Keeler. The owner, a 40-year-old man, came to the CPD Eighth District Station and identified the items as his.

Police said there was no sign of forced entry at the garage, and that Queroz denied entering the garage---claiming that he only carried the items once they were outside.

According to authorities, Queroz is scheduled to appear in Cook County Circuit Court Branch 34, 155 West 51st Street, on Friday, January 4.


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6287 South Archer

Burglars used a brick to smash the front glass door of the Doma shipping store, 6287 South Archer, went inside and stole a TV off the wall on Christmas Day.

The crime occurred at about 6:23 p.m. Tuesday, December 25. An alarm was triggered, and police responded. A 28-year-old employee was alerted.

The crime was at least the fifth such smash-and grab burglary in the immediate area in 2012. TV sets were also stolen from two dentists' office, a chiropractor and a barber---all on Archer Avenue in CPD Beat 811.


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A 37-year-old Back of the Yards woman was robbed at gunpoint, with two small children in her car, moments after she withdrew $120 cash from an ATM at Bank of America, 6135 South Pulaski.
6135 South Pulaski

The crime occurred at 6:07 p.m. Wednesday, December 26. The victim told police that the robber said "Gimme your money. I don't wanna hurt your kid."

After she handed over the cash, the thug accused her of holding back some of the cash; but when she showed him an empty wallet, he fled on foot toward the back of the parking lot, scaling a low concrete wall and then running north down the adjacent alley.

The victim described the offender as a black man age 30-37, 5'9 and 200 pounds, brown eyes, dark complexion, wearing a black cap with a white horizontal stripe, dark-colored jean jacket and black jeans.


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A 44-year-old West Lawn woman renting a video on Christmas Eve was robbed at gunpoint outside the CVS store at 6301 South Pulaski.
6301 South Pulaski

At 8:35 p.m. Monday, December 24, the woman was at the Redbox kiosk with her 13-year-old daughter when a thug approached, displayed a brown pistol with a black handle and said "Don't be scared. Give me your card and PIN number."

The woman handed over her debit card and PIN. The criminal then ran away south.

He was described as a black man age 33-38, 5'5 and 180 pounds, dark complexion, "toupee" hairstyle, wearing a black jacket.


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Burglars entered a garage near 63rd Place and Nashville and stole an air compressor, a lawn mower, a grass edger, a weed trimmer, about 20 power tools, a tool chest with tools, and two bicycles.

The crime was discovered by the victim, a 78-year-old woman, at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 26.


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A 43-year-old woman returning to her home near 54th and Tripp at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, December 26 noticed that her back door had been forced open. She walked inside to investigate and found a teenage burglar still inside a first-floor bedroom. She struggled with the criminal, tackled him in the kitchen and made him sit in a chair while she retrieved two video game controllers from the pockets of his hoodie.

Moments later, the burglar bolted, ran out the basement door, through the yard and down an alley.

The crook was described as a white Hispanic boy age 15-18, 5'10 and 125 pounds, brown eyes, black hair in a ponytail, thin moustache, wearing a black hoodie, black pants and a black cap with a red brim.


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Burglars crawled through an unlocked front window of a home near 69th and Kedvale and stole two TVs, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a notebook computer, two cameras, a MIDI keyboard, a set of headphones and two speakers.

The crime was discovered by the victim, a 20-year-old man, at 4:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 25.

His 19-year-old roommate had discovered the crime hours earlier, but mistakenly thought the victim had taken them.


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Burglars opened a basement window of a home near 66th and Springfield and stole two credit cards and two Xbox games.

The crime was discovered by the victim, a 47-year-old woman, at 1:40 a.m. Tuesday, December 25 when she returned from a family party and saw lights on in the house and a bedroom in disarray.


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Burglars stacked coolers under the kitchen window of a home near 57th Place and Springfield, forced opened the window, crawled inside and stole three laptop computers, two cameras, and assorted jewelry.

The crime was discovered by the victim, a 50-year-old man, when he returned home from a family party at 2:45 a.m. Tuesday, December 25.


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A 40-year-old man working in his garage near 65th Place and Springfield was robbed at gunpoint by two thugs.

The crime occurred at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, December 23. One robber pointed a black pistol at the victim's head and demanded money. The victim handed over his cell phone and $110 cash. The offenders then ran away east through the alley and south on Springfield.

They were described as black men age 18-21, 5'11 to 6'1 and 165-180 pounds, brown eyes and short black hair.


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A 40-year-old West Elsdon woman was robbed at gunpoint near the Jewel/Osco at 5320 South Pulaski at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, December 23.

She handed over $5 cash before the criminal ran away. He was described as a black man age 40-45, 5'6 and 145 pounds, light complexion, wearing a dark blue jacket, black sweatpants and a black skull cap.


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A 20-year-old West Elsdon woman told police that someone pushed her and grabbed her cell phone when she was at the CTA Orange Line station at 5106 South Pulaski at about 9:00 p.m. Sunday, December 23.

The robber fled east across Pulaski and down an alley. He was described as a white Hispanic boy or man age 15-20, 5'3 and 125 pounds, brown eyes, short black hair, dark complexion, wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans and a black skull cap.


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Burglars broke through the back door of a home near 86th and Kostner and stole a shotgun, a TV and a desktop computer.

The crime was discovered by the victim's brother, a 45-year-old Ohio man, at 10:00 p.m. Sunday, December 23, when he saw the back door window shattered and a piece of concrete on the floor.


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Want to work directly with Chicago Police to prevent crime in your neighborhood? If you live in Beat 815 or Beat 821 (see map), come to St. Bruno School (south entrance) at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 2. If you live in Beat 834, come to Bogan High School at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, January 3. 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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2 comments:

  1. Thank you, each, for all you have done. You are remarkable.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "She struggled with the criminal, tackled him in the kitchen and made him sit in a chair while she retrieved two video game controllers from the pockets of his hoodie."

    love it

    ReplyDelete