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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Two teens were arrested by police after they allegedly robbed the Cash America pawn shop at 4558 S. Cicero at 9:25 a.m. Friday, June 6. Police responding to a “robbery in progress” call said they saw three masked males exit the store and flee on foot into the gangways west

Nicolas Galvez

of the store.

Two of three were apprehended on the 4500 block of South Lamon, including Nicolas Galvez, 19, of 27th and Kedvale and Jonathan Moya, 17, of 30th Street and 49th Avenue, in suburban Cicero.

Police said that two handguns and various items of clothing were recovered, allegedly shed by the three as they ran away. Store management said that the trio stole a gold chain and $3,450 cash. The CPD incident report did not indicate if the cash or chain was recovered.

Both are due in court on Friday, June 27 in Cook County Circuit Court Branch 66, 26th and California.

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A 24-year-old Chicago Ridge man was arrested by police at 11:09 a.m. Tuesday, June 3, after he allegedly was found in possession of property that had just been stolen from a home near 85th and Karlov.

Leith Sweis

Leith Sweis is scheduled appear in Cook County Circuit Court Branch 34-4, 155 W. 51st St., on Thursday, June 26.

The incident started when a neighbor of the victim saw strangers in the victim's backyard. The neighbor, a 49-year-old man, told police he then called the victim, a 27-year-old man, at work to ask if he was expecting anyone. The neighbor then called 911 and gave police a description of the offenders' and vehicle, a black Nissan SUV.

Police combing the area said they spotted the vehicle in a driveway at 8173 S. Kildare, with men loading property from the vehicle into the garage.

Sweis was taken into custody and others fled, according to police. The victim came home and positively identified the items as his. They included two TVs, a laptop computer, a video game console, and assorted tools.

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Two men were arrested after they allegedly tried to burglarize a home near 52nd and Kilpatrick at 12:29 p.m. Saturday, June 7. Police responding to a “burglary in progress” call said they arrested Walter Nicholas, 25, of 79th and Lawndale, and Peter Wasso, 21, of 73rd Place and Nottingham in unincorporated Nottingham Park. Police added that Wasso was arrested moments after police saw him fleeing into an alley, where he reportedly dropped a pry bar and a pair of gloves. Nicholas was taken into custody after police spotted him in a black Jeep in front of the residence.

The home’s owner, a 47-year-old man, was not home at the time of the incident, but his 15-year-old son was. The boy told police that he had heard Wasso ringing the front doorbell, but that he was afraid to answer. The boy added that shortly after the ringing stopped, he heard a noise at the back door and saw Wasso trying to force his way in. The boy said he ran to the door, pushed back to keep Wasso out, and called 911 at the same time.

The CPD incident report did not give court information for either man.

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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), come to the Clearing Branch Library at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 11. 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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A 17-year-old Scottsdale boy told police he was robbed by a group of teen thugs as he walked down a sidewalk near the 7-Eleven at 59th and Pulaski at 2:10 p.m. Thursday June 5. He described his attackers only as mostly white Hispanic males and a black Hispanic male who hit him in the face and body before taking his cell phone and gold chain before running away. The victim was taken by CFD ambulance to Holy Cross Hospital for treatment of cuts and bruises.

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A 49-year-old woman from south suburban Burnham told police she was robbed as she walked around West Lawn Park at 9:20 a.m. Thursday, June 5. She said she walking towards her son’s house nearby when a black minivan passed by.

A short time later, two thugs appeared from a gangway. One asked what time it was, and the other snatched a chain off her neck. The both fled on foot east, through a gangway at 6430 S. Kedvale. They are described as white Hispanic men age 23-26, 5’5 and 140-150 pounds, brown eyes, black hair and olive complexion.

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A 17-year-old West Englewood boy told police that he was robbed on the street near 83rd and Pulaski at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 4. He told police that the robber snatched away his cell phone and ran. The boy told police that the robber is a 19-year-old classmate at Bogan High School. Police and school officials were said to be investigating.

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A 94-year-old Vittum Park woman told police she was robbed by a man and woman who pushed their way into her home near 48th and La Crosse at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 3. As she answered their knock at her front door, the criminals shoved their way past her, saying, “We’re going to show you what we’re going to do.”

The female offender took the victim into the kitchen and attempted to keep her busy by requesting two glasses of ice water. When the victim tried to leave the kitchen to see what the man was doing, the woman forced her back in the kitchen. A short time later, the man rang a bell, and his accomplice fled the kitchen with two glasses of ice water and two bananas.

The victim’s granddaughter, who was down the block, told police that the two home invaders fled in a black Jeep with a spare tire mounted on the back. The offenders are described as a white man age 35-40, 5’11 and 200 pounds, with a dark brown complexion; and a white woman age 30, 5’6 and 130 pounds, with long black hair and a dark brown complexion.

Assorted jewelry was missing from the victim’s home.

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A 45-year-old West Lawn woman told police that a robber snatched two gold chains and a Virgin Mary pendant from her neck as she walked down a sidewalk at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday, June 4 near 68th and Springfield. The robber is described as a white Hispanic boy or man age 16-16, 5'10 and 180 pounds, a brown Mohawk hairstyle, medium complexion, wearing a gray t-shirt and black shorts.

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Burglars forced open the service door of a garage near 58th Place and Springfield and stole a lawn mower and a bicycle. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 58-year-old woman, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 3.

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Burglars entered a garage near 61st and Kilbourn and stole an air compressor, a chain saw, a power drill, a cement cutter and assorted tools. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 42-year-old woman, at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, June 7.

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Burglars entered the unlocked front hallway door of an apartment near 46th and Karlov and stole a gold wedding ring and a gold chain with a Blessed Virgin Mary pendant. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 37-year-old woman, when she returned from running an errand at 11 a.m. Friday, June 6.

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Burglars forced open the front window of a basement apartment near 48th and Harding and stole a laptop computer and about 50 antique coins. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 36-year-old man, when he came home from work at 3:25 p.m. Friday, June 6.

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Burglars forced open the service door of a garage near 65th and Kenneth and stole a lawn mower, a weed trimmer, a propane heater, a toolbox with tools, three extension cords and two bicycles. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 70-year-old man, at 4 a.m. May 31 but was not reported until 10:05 a.m. Thursday, June 5.

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Want to work directly with Chicago Police to prevent crime in your neighborhood? If you live in Beat 814 (see map), come to Vittum Park at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, June 12. 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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Burglars forced open the front door of a home near 65th Place and Knox and stole two gold chains. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 54-year-old man, when he came home from work at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, June 3.

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Burglars entered the rear door of a home near 49th and Tripp and stole a cell phone and a shaving razor. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 28-year-old woman, at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 3. She told police that her recently deceased grandfather had owned the home, and it was being readied for sale.

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A burglar entered the back door of a basement apartment near 47th and Springfield and stole a video game console and video games, a watch, a pair of earrings, a pair of sunglasses, $600 cash, and a half-full bottle of vicodin, a prescription painkiller. The crime was discovered by a neighbor, a 44-year-old man, at 11 a.m. May 29 when he saw the offender crawling out the basement window. He described the offender as a white man age 30-35, 5’9 and 170 pounds, blond hair and light complexion. 

The following day, the victim, a 38-year-old man on vacation, received a call from Walgreens, telling that a man was trying to refill his vicodin prescription.

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