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 27-year-old Clearing man and a 19-year-old Summit man were arrested by police after

Miguel Lozano

they allegedly participated in a drug transaction in front of 6446 South Sayre at 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, March 26.

Police said that Miguel Lozano of 65th and Sayre and Flavio Montesdeocamora of 63rd Place and 74th Avenue were spotted with cocaine on them and in their SUVs.

Because the incident occurred within 500 feet of a school (St. Rene Goupil), police said that narcotics charges would be increased to aggravated. The CPD incident report gave no indication on a court date.

Flavio Montesdeocamora

The arrests were publicly announced as a "success story" by police at the CAPS Beat 812 meeting on Wednesday, April 9.

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A 21-year-old Brighton Park man told police that three thugs attempted to rob him as he walked down a sidewalk in front of 3930 West 46th Street at 11:20 p.m. Friday, April 11. He said they pulled up in a black GMC Yukon, asked what gang he was in and then tried to grab his bag away from him.

When the victim ran away, one of the trio fired two rounds in his direction, but missed. They then sped away east on 46th Street. They are described as white Hispanic men age 20-25, 5'9 to 5'10 and 160-190 pounds, with black hair and olive complexion.

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Want to work directly with Chicago Police to prevent crime in your neighborhood? If you

live in Beat 811 (see map), come to Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 15. 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 19-year-old Sleepy Hollow man told police that three thugs robbed him as he walked west on a sidewalk in front of 4058 West 47th Street at 9:00 p.m. Thursday, April 10. The trio approached on foot, pulled a pistol and ordered the victim to the ground. Once there, the gun was put to the back of his head, and he was ordered not to move.

The stole his wallet and then ran away east on 47th Street. The victim refused medical attention, police said, and described his attackers as white Hispanic men age 25-26, 5'10 and 200 pounds.

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A 19-year-old man was arrested after he was reportedly found holding a black pellet gun on the street in front of 4855 South Leclaire at 4:17 p.m. Thursday, April 10. Police responding to a "man with a gun" call said they spotted Daniel Hernandez of 50th and Kilpatrick at the scene. He dropped the weapon on command and was arrested, according to police.

Police said that Hernandez is a gangbanger. He is scheduled to answer charges in Cook County Circuit Court 34-4 on Thursday, May 8, police added.

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A 30-year-old West Lawn man described by police as intoxicated was hit in the forehead with a baseball bat and robbed of his cell phone as he walked down a sidewalk near 59th and Kostner at 3:35 a.m. Sunday, April 13.

The victim, who was transported via CFD ambulance to Holy Cross Hospital, said the offender approached him and asked, "What up, n~gga?" before beating him. The robber is described only as a white Hispanic man.

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A 27-year-old Naperville man, prompted by his father, told police that he was robbed when he attempted to purchase illegal drugs on the street near 62nd and Keating at about 5:00 p.m. Sunday, April 6. The incident was reported to police six days later.

The man claimed he was directed to the location by his contact, whom he only knows by a first name. The contact failed to show, but the robber did, and the victim was muscled out of a backpack that contained a cell phone, $90 cash, a checkbook, 45 units of Suboxone and 60 10-mg units of Lexapro, prescription medications that can be used to treat anxiety disorders and drug addiction.

The strong-arm robber is described as a white man age 38-42, 6'0 and 180, brown eyes, short brown hair, medium complexion. The victim also claimed that he was set up and robbed in a similar fashion near a motel in Oak Lawn, but had not yet reported the crime to Oak Lawn police.

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A 31-year-old West Elsdon man told police that a thug tried to rob him as he parked his car in the alley behind his home near 55th and Kolmar at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 6. The offender reached in the vehicle and attempted to yank a gold chain off the victim's neck. The victim successfully resisted and sped away to contact police.

The would-be robber is described as a white Hispanic man age 17-18, 5'7 to 5'9 and 170-190 pounds, black hair in a "bald" style haircut, bad facial acne, wearing a yellow hoody.

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Burglars kicked in the back door of a home near 85th and Kenton and stole three watches worth a total of $2,500, and a white gold cross and necklace. The crime was discovered by the victim's father, a 64-year-old man, who told police he was trimming the home's front bushes at the time of the incident, 10:25 a.m. Wednesday, April 9.

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Burglars entered the side door of a home near 51st and Springfield and stole a TV, three laptop computers and a black safe with a .45 caliber Glock handgun and ammunition inside. The crime was discovered by a neighbor, a 63-year-old man, who called the husband of the victim, a 51-year-old woman, to alert him to the incident.

The four burglars are described only as black boys age 14-17.

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Burglars removed the back door of a home near 67th and Tripp and stole assorted jewelry and $1,500 cash. The crime was discovered by the victims, a 40-year-old woman and an 85-year-old man, when they came home at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 8.

Police investigating the crime were told by a neighbor that three men who live on the block have recently been seen in the area, knocking on front doors of homes.

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Burglars kicked in the front door of an apartment near 63rd Place and Linder and stole assorted jewelry, an iPod and $550 cash. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 41-year-old woman, at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 9.

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Burglars entered the side window of a home near 58th and Kilbourn and stole two laptop computers and a set of Beats headphones. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 55-year-old woman, when she came home from work at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10.

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Burglars broke the rear window of a home near 58th and Kildare and stole a laptop computer, an iPad, an iPod, and three pairs of True Religion-brand jeans. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 39-year-old man, when he came home from work at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10.

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CPD Busts Man, Seizes $155,000 in Pot From Home Near 50th and Kilpatrick

Released at 10:12 p.m. tonight by CPD:

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California Woman Busted by CPD on $15,000 Marijuana Rap at Midway Airport

Just sent out by CPD at 8:18 p.m. this evening:

Basic Brothers Inc. Rescues, Restores a Piece of Chicago's Archer Ave. History

What started as a heartbreaking loss of history on Archer Avenue is turning into triumph,

thanks to quick thinking by Clear-Ridge Historical Society officials and the generosity and skill of the restoration experts at Basic Brothers Inc.

"The Bartlett Gates are one of the very last reminders of the early history of this area, when developer Frederick H. Bartlett transformed an area of open prairies and small farms from about 1912-20, into the Bartlett Highlands residential development, roughly from Austin Avenue to Harlem Avenue along the Archer Avenue corridor---and that was later renamed Garfield Ridge when it was annexed to the city," said Rob Bitunjac, president of the Clear-Ridge Historical Society. "While the gates themselves are long gone, the gateposts endured for decades--but

one by one, they were damaged and lost. Of the dozens that once stood along Archer, just a few remain, and the Bartlett Gate on the northwest corner of Archer and Melvina has stood as the best preserved example, by far, thanks to Mike and Nancy Fitzpatrick, the owners of Community Cleaners, who have taken such good care of it.

"So when we learned that a young driver had lost control of her car and smashed that gatepost on Saturday night, November 30 , it was a low point, at least for the moment," Bitunjac added.

In the wake of the tragedy, Basic Brothers Inc. (BBI) President Brian Basic learned of the situation and immediately stepped forward with an offer of much needed help.

"Since 1949, Basic Brothers has been building and re-building Chicago, brick by brick,"

Basic said. "We have the experience, the expertise and the commitment to this city to take on this project, with an eye on restoring this important piece of history and, in the end, bringing it back better than it was."

BBI is doing the work entirely pro bono, at no cost to the Clear-Ridge Historical Society.

The city's record cold and snow prevented the broken gatepost from being moved safely, so it was secured in place until March, when a Basic Brothers crew hoisted it onto a truck, transported it to BBI's nearby headquarters and workshop, and started cleaning and restoring it.

BBI re-cast the gatepost's broken base, and completion of the gatepost itself, as well as a formal re-dedication, is anticipated within weeks.

"Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own rich history," Basic added. "But that's something none of us should take for granted. Had this situation occurred in some other areas, the gatepost remnants would have been removed by Streets and Sanitation and ended up lost in a landfill. Fortunately, Garfield Ridge has the Clear-Ridge Historical Society, men and women dedicated to preserving the past as a way of building a better future. Their quick action to inform us about the situation got the ball rolling, and we'll be proud to stand with them at the re-dedication of the Bartlett Gate."

"The Clear-Ridge Historical Society--and really, the entire Garfield Ridge neighborhood and the city itself--all owe a debt of gratitude to Basic Brothers," Bitunjac added. "We are most fortunate to have one of the Chicago area's top masonry restoration companies right here in our back yard--and the fact that they are a multi-generational, family-owned and -operated company with their own proud history and commitment to Chicago, well, that just put it all over the top. We look forward to the day in the near future when we can unveil and re-dedicate this important part of our history."

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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.

* * *

Police arrested a 41-year-old man from suburban Burbank after he allegedly tried to break into

Bernardo Zamora

a home and garage near 47th and Kedvale, at about 5:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 1.

Bernardo Zamora of 79th and Austin is scheduled to appear in Cook County Circuit Court Branch 48, 155 West 51st Street, on Tuesday, April 8, according to a CPD incident report.

Police said that Zamora's 28-year-old wife said she was asleep in the home and startled awake by the sound of Zamora attempting to pry open a basement door.

A 27-year-old man who lives in the same building told police that when he confronted Zamora, he fled outside. The witness said he chased and caught Zamora, and then held him until police arrived. While in police custody, Zamora allegedly admitted that he is a gangbanger and that he was trying to get into the house and garage to retrieve license plates .

The victim told police that license plates had been stolen off her vehicle before, both while it was parked in her garage and in front at the curb.

Zamora is listed on the Cook County Department of Corrections website as being in custody for a traffic-related offense. CPD did not say if that charge relates to the incident near 47th and Kedvale.

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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, April 9. 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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An 85-year-old Garfield Ride woman told police that a man who claimed to be a Chicago Department of Water Management inspector scammed his way into her home near 52nd and Monitor at 1:45 p.m. Saturday, April 5.

The woman said the incident started when she heard a loud banging at her back door. When she answered it, the man (wearing photo identification) claimed that he was there to check if her tap water was contaminated. He displayed a device (a black box with a protruding yellow wire) that he said he would use to test her water quality.

The woman was skeptical and told the man she would try the device herself, so she took it from his hands and placed it under running water at a sink. The man said she was using not using the device correctly and stepped inside the house. Upon seeing that, the elderly woman hollered, "What are you doing in here? Get out! I'm calling the police!"

The victim said she then pushed the man to the door, although he briefly came back inside to grab his device, claiming that it "cost a lot of money."

The woman said she then saw the man talking on a cell phone and gesturing toward a second man who was standing in the alley. Both men then departed.

Police investigating the incident were told by a neighbor that he had seen an older white van circling the block several times.

Nothing was reported stolen, and the elderly woman described the offender as a white Hispanic man age 30-40, 6'0 and 250 pounds, with black hair. The man in the alley was only described as being about 5'7 tall.

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An 84-year-old West Lawn woman was robbed by a thug on a sidewalk in front of 6600 South Knox at 5:58 p.m. Monday, March 31. The woman told police that the robber approached her from behind and said, "Give me your bag." When she hesitated, he grabbed it, dragging her to the ground in the process. He fled with the purse, which contained $60 cash.

The robber is described as a black man age 20-30, 6'0 and 175 pounds, wearing a black baseball cap, a gray jacket and blue pants.

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A 48-year-old West Side man told police that two unknown assailants pushed him to the ground, roughed him up and stole his wallet, which contained $300 cash. The incident reportedly occurred at about 8:15 p.m. Thursday, April 3 as the victim exited his vehicle as it was parked at 4943 West 47th Street.

The victim was later treated for minor injuries at St. Anthony Hospital. He told police that the robbers fled in a white Chevy Caprice.

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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, April 10. 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 20-year-old Burbank man told police that an unknown assailant hit him on the head with a bottle in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 6 at or near Groucho's Bar & Grill, 8355 South Pulaski.

He was transported by CFD ambulance to Christ Hospital, where he was treated for a minor cut to the head, according a CPD incident report.

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Burglars forced open the overhead door of a garage near 62nd and Karlov and stole a snow blower, a socket set, a set of golf clubs, a combination drill-saw, a screw gun and a roofing air gun. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 41-year-old man, when he came home from work at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 3.

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Burglars pried open the side door of a home near 69th and Karlov and stole a cell phone, an iPad, an iPod, a Sony PlayStation 3 and five video games, and a Nike book bag. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 31-year-old woman, when she came home from work at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 3.

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Hot Tacos for a Cool School

Just passing along some delicious news from our friends at St. Nicholas of Tolentine School.

St. Nicholas of Tolentine School (“A Place Where Students

Flourish and Talents Flow") is getting ready for its 3rd Annual Taco Night from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, May 2 at the school, 3741 West 62nd Street.

Dinner tickets are $8 each at the door, $6 via pre-sale, and include a dinner of rice, beans, taco, salad and dessert. See the flyer to the right for more details.

Parents, parishioners, alumni and all members of the community are invited to take part in the event.

Taco Night helps fund the “Cool the School” air conditioning project for the school. We want to provide the best learning environment for our students. St. Nicholas has decided to go above and beyond our normal operating budget and begin an exciting capital drive to fund air conditioning that will serve all classrooms at our school.

The school is in the process of receiving donations and raffle items for the big fundraising night. Taco Night is a delicious, two-hour event hosted at the school from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.  For more information regarding this event or the school, please contact the school office at (773) 735-0772.

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Positive attitudes, hard work at St. Nick's

Just sharing a press release from our friends at St. Nicholas of Tolentine School.

St. Nicholas of Tolentine School is celebrating their PAWS Students for the month of March.

PAWS stands for Positive Attitudes & Working Students. It is a reward system set into place for students that are “caught” demonstrating one of three positive behaviors: respect, responsibility and/or hard work. The students receive “Gotcha Tickets” when they exhibit these behaviors. The tickets are then collected by the teachers at the end of each month and the students who receive the most Gotcha Tickets in each grade receive recognition for their behavior over the morning announcements and throughout the month their pictures are posted in the hallways throughout the school.

To learn more about St. Nicholas of Tolentine School (“A place where students flourish and talents flow”), please contact the school office at (773) 735-0772.

Picture: (Left column front to back) Analy Martinez, Devanne Cuellar, Julissa Arechiga, Samantha Alvarado, Arely Solis, Matthew Gonzalez. (Right column front to back) Noah Castro, Daniela Montalvo, Judith Hernandez, Adriana Rodriquez, Anthony Jimenez. Not Pictured: Joseluis Sanchez, Isaac Estrada, Isaiah Zavala.

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