Sunday, March 30, 2014

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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Police arrested a 37-year-old West Lawn man and charged him with unlawful possession of
Gustavo Prieto
a weapon after he allegedly fired a pistol into the air while outside his home near 61st and Karlov.

Gustavo Prieto is scheduled to appear in court to answer charges on Monday, March 31 in Cook County Circuit Court Branch 48, 155 West 51st Street.

Police responding to a "shots fired" call at 1:13 a.m. Sunday, March 23 said they found four spent 9 mm shells near the rear of Prieto's home. As they investigated further by ringing the front doorbell, they said they saw Prieto hide a pistol behind a wall-mounted TV.

Upon receiving permission from Prieto's mother (the home's owner) to search the premises, police said they found an empty ammunition magazine on the kitchen table and the gun behind the TV.

Police described Prieto as "very intoxicated" and belligerent. While in custody at the Eighth District station, he allegedly told police, "I f~cking fought for this country in Vietnam and Iraq. Leave me f~cking alone" and that he allegedly claimed to be a gangbanger.

Police added that a computer check revealed that the gun was not registered and that Prieto is a convicted felon.

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A 21-year-old South Side man has been charged with aggravated robbery after he allegedly took a cell phone from and then stabbed an 18-year-old Brighton Park man on the street in front of 5550 South Pulaski.

Dorian D. Miller of 99th and Wentworth was arrested on the street by police at about 11:50 a.m. Tuesday, March 25. The victim told police that he had initially encountered Miller near 54th and Pulaski, where Miller had asked to borrow his cell phone, but then allegedly bolted south with the phone.

A local business executive who said he saw the incident offered to give the victim a ride to search for Miller. He did, and they found Miller two blocks south. When the victim got out and confronted him, Miller allegedly pulled a knife and said, "You come near me and I'm gonna cut you."

The victim then started fighting with Miller, who allegedly stabbed the victim once in the left thigh and twice in the lower right leg before police intervened. The victim was transported via CFD ambulance to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was said to be in good condition.

Miller is a student at Daley College, according to a CPD incident report.


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



A 22-year-old West Elsdon man told police that he was robbed as he stood outside his home near 53rd and Kolin. The crime occurred at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 26. The victim said that the assailant came up from behind and knocked him to the ground.

The robber stole the victim's wallet, cell phone and gym shoes before fleeing on foot northbound. The criminal is described as a white Hispanic man age 17-25, 5'10 to 6'2 and 140-180 pounds, wearing a dark bandanna, a black hoody and black pants.


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An elderly couple in the Ashburn neighborhood told police that two con men attempted to swindle them in their home near 85th Place and Pulaski. The crime occurred at 11:20 a.m. Tuesday, March 25. The men posed as ComEd inspectors and claimed they needed to come inside the home and check for problems. They were let into the house, with one staying with the 85-year-old wife and the other going into the basement with her husband.

At some point, the woman told police, the men claimed that ComEd had overcharged them for electricity, and that they offered to help them get a refund if they would put up a $50 bill.

When the couple refused, the men left in a hurry, the couple said. It was unclear is anything had been stolen from the house, according to the police report. The con artists are described as white men age 50-59, both about 5'8 and 190 pounds.


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Two men posing as utility company employees talked a 94-year-old man into letting them into a residence near 46th and Kilpatrick and then ransacked a bedroom and stole a gold ring.

The crime occurred at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25. The victim, a 67-year-old woman, saw the two men in the gangway when she returned home from running errands. The two thieves are described only as white Hispanic men age 20-30.


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Want to work directly with Chicago Police to prevent crime in your neighborhood? If you
live in Beat 834 (see map), come to Bogan High School at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 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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Police responding to a "burglary in progress" call at 11:46 a.m. Wednesday, March 19 nabbed two 16-year-old boys (one from Chicago Lawn, the other from West Englewood) as they cowered in a bedroom closet of a home near 68th and Kostner.

Police arriving at the scene said the saw the home's basement door forced open and the interior ransacked. After finding the boys (both students at Gage Park High School), police subdued and arrested them.

Items they allegedly had attempted to steal from the home included assorted jewelry, collectible gold and silver coins, a laptop computer, and $43 cash, were returned to the owner, an 85-year-old woman who was out of state on vacation.



A 60-year-old Ashburn man startled and frightened away a burglar who was halfway through a bedroom window of a home near Pippin and Springfield. The crime occurred at 11:05 a.m. Thursday, March 27. The victim told police that he was in his basement when he heard a loud noise on the first floor and dogs barking. He ran upstairs and saw the criminal. While he was taking off his belt and preparing to swat the intruder, the burglar threw a window handle at him and fled in a  gray pick-up truck.

The offender is described as a black man age 20-28, 5'8 and 160 pounds, brown eyes, short black hair, medium complexion, wearing a red t-shirt and puffy green vest.

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Want to fight crime in Police Beat 811 (central and west Garfield Ridge)? Attend the next meeting of the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch, set for 7:00 p.m. at Valley Forge Park, 7001 West 59th Street. Monthly meeting. Open
to the public. One of Chicago's most active and effective citizen-led crime fighting groups. If you live or own a business in central or western Garfield Ridge (anything west of Central Avenue), this is the group to join! This month: learn about the GRNW's new "backside" initiative to spruce up alleys and promote neighborhood pride.

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Burglars forced open the service door of a garage near 65th and Hamlin and stole a lawn mower and a snow blower. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 53-year-old man, at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 25.

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Burglars pried open the service door of a garage near 60th and Kilpatrick and stole a lawn mower, a roto tiller, a chain saw, and two buckets of swimming pool-cleaning chemicals. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 62-year-old man, at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 25.

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Burglars forced open the front door of a vacant home near 67th Place and Springfield and stole a furnace, a refrigerator, a stove, an automatic dishwasher, and a compressor from an air conditioning unit. The crime was discovered at 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 24 by a property manager for Fifth Third Bank, the owner of the house.

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Burglars pried open the service door of a garage near 60th and Keating and stole two snow blowers. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 64-year-old woman, at noon Monday, March 17.

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Burglars pried open the service door of a garage near 53rd and Lawndale and stole a lawn mower and a hydraulic car jack. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 56-year-old woman, at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25.

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A burglar forced open the back door of a home near 51st and Laporte and stole a laptop computer. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 64-year-old woman, when she came home from work at 6:20 p.m. Friday, March 21.

A 17-year-old neighbor told police he had seen a man exiting the home at about 2:45 p.m., but did not call 911. The burglar is described as a white man, 5'7 and 170 pounds, wearing a red baseball cap, red sweater and black pants.

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Burglars kicked in the service door of a garage near 68th and Keeler and stole a four-door, copper colored,1999 Jeep Wrangler. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 26-year-old man, at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, March 22.

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Burglars entered the side window of a basement apartment near 55th and Kenneth and stole assorted items of clothing and $800 cash. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 26-year-old man, when he came home at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 29.

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Burglars entered a home near 61st Place and Lawndale and stole a spare key to a car, a Keurig coffee maker, a Sony PlayStation 2, a TV, a Nintendo Wii, 20 Wii games, a cordless phone and a laundry basket. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 35-year-old woman, at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, March 27. Police said they saw no sign of forced entry.

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Burglars entered a garage near 63rd and Neenah and stole a lawn mower and a green garden hose wound around a tan-colored reel. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 63-year-old woman, at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 25, when she saw that the overhead door was open. Police said they saw no sign of forced entry, and the victim insisted that she had closed the door the previous night. She also claimed the crime was the second time her garage has been burglarized in recent months.

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