Berwyn Police Blotter
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Fronts of houses marred with gang graffiti, lewd image
November 19, 2008, 3:41 PM
The front brick walls of five houses in the 2300 block of Wesley were defaced with gang graffiti; one address had a penis drawn on its front wall. In the 2200 block of Oak Park/Grove alley, a dumpster and a trash can were sprayed with graffiti.
Gang activity • Graffiti / vandalism / criminal damage • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Insults to parents lead to battery arrest
November 19, 2008, 4:13 PM
An officer parked in a lot at Cermak and Ridgeland was approached by a 13-year-old boy. The boy had tears in his eyes and spit on the right side of his face. According to the report, a man made an offensive remark about the boy’s mom, the boy responded with a remark about the man’s father, and the man pushed the boy and spit in his face. Michael R. Malone, 19, of 6425 34th, was charged with battery
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Semi-literate robber rips off Cermak Road bank
November 19, 2008, 12:12 PM
A teller at Fifth/Third Bank, 7112 Cermak, told police she was with a customer when she noticed a man walk in and start staring at her. She saw him get a withdrawal slip and appear to write on it. When he approached her window, he handed her a blank withdrawal slip and a tan bit of cardboard on which was written, in red ink, “THIS IS A ROBBY”. The man told the teller “Give me the money from the top drawer only” and repeatedly told her to hurry up. The teller handed over stacks of currency in various denominations, but when she reached for the stack that contained the dye-pack*, the man said, “No, I don’t want that one.” The robber kept one hand in the pocket of his hoodie, leading the teller to believe he had a weapon. He got away with between $7,000 and $8,000 in bills. The victim said she could identify him.
The teller described the robber as a male black, 25-30, 5’6”, medium build, with a fair complexion and a slight mustache and beard. He wore a black stocking cap or do-rag, a very baggy white hoodie with red and green designs, and baggy black jeans.
*
http://science.howstuffworks.com/question671.htm
Main Street • Robbery • Suspicious people, objects or events • Weapons-related • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Street fight suspects charged with battery, get vehicles impounded
November 19, 2008, 11:10 AM
A report of a street fight led police to the 1900 block of Highland, where police found a man lying on the ground in a fetal position with a group of people standing around. The prone man’s sister pointed out two men she said battered her brother. They were Juan A. Herrera, 29, of 1313 Gunderson, and Juan Hernandez, 27, of 1311 Ridgeland. Hernandez told police he witnessed the burglary the previous day of Herrera’s residence, and saw a man leave 1313 Gunderson in a blue Chevy Caprice with a missing right front hubcap. He said he was riding around 19th and Highland when he spotted the Caprice. He telephoned Herrera and two went to 1904 Highland to confront the man in the front passenger seat of the Caprice. Herrera said he and Hernandez removed the victim from the car because its driver, his sister, was about to drive away.
The victim’s sister said two other men also kicked and hit her brother, then fled on foot southbound. Police stopped two men at Vacin and Highland. One was a cousin of Herrera; they said they came to the scene to “help”.
Multiple witnesses heard screaming and saw a group of men punch and kick the victim as he lay on the ground by the Caprice. All four men were positively identified by witnesses as the offenders.
Police arrested Herrera and Hernandez, as well as Nestor Huerta, 19, of 831 south Western, Chicago, and Omar M. Pareja, 30, of 2434 60th Ct, Cicero. All four were charged with battery.
Herrera’s Chevy Tahoe was impounded, as was the Buick in which Huerta arrived at the scene.
Fire claims paralyzed man, Rottweiler and birds
November 18, 2008, 5:50 PM
At 3629 Ridgeland, a fire in the basement apartment of a paralyzed, wheelchair-bound man ended in the deaths of the man, a large Rottweiler dog and four pet birds. Family members who lived upstairs reported hearing Miguel Rodriguez, 45, screaming “FIRE” from the basement. They ran down and saw the bed—and the victim’s hand—on fire, but were unable to rescue him because of the thick black smoke filling the room. A fire investigation concluded the victim may have fallen asleep with a lit cigarette. Rodriquez was pronounced dead on arrival at MacNeal hospital.
Gang-ette accused of making phone threat to mom of ex
November 18, 2008, 9:59 PM
A woman in the 1500 block of Clinton reported being threatened during a telephone call from her son’s former girlfriend, known only as “Mercedes”. When “Mercedes” called and asked for the son, the mom informed her he wanted nothing to do with her. At this, the victim said, “Mercedes” became agitated, stating “I’m going to slit your throat, rock your world --” and completed her threat with the slogan of a well-known street gang. Caller ID revealed “Mercedes” made the threat from a phone in the 708 area code, prefix 477.
Gang activity • Suspicious people, objects or events • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Wanted man found tending bar
November 18, 2008, 9:28 PM
A anonymous tipster told police that “Dragan”, a bartender at Bootlegs was wanted on an arrest warrant. Police went to Bootlegs, 2719 Ridgeland, where they recognized the man behind the bar as “Dragan” from previous contacts. He identified himself as Dragan Aleksic, Jr, 29, of 7718 west 45th Place, Lyons, and confirmed he had an active warrant out of DuPage County. He was taken into custody and held for extradition.
Hit-and-run victims successfully chase offender
November 18, 2008, 4:09 PM
Victims of a hit-and-run at Harlem and Cermak called police to report the accident and say they were obliged to chase the offending vehicle to get it to stop. The driver of said vehicle had neither license nor insurance. Police charged Macedonio Marquez, 56, of 1526 Kenilworth, with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, improper lane use, no license, no insurance, and leaving the scene of an accident.
Suspicious people, objects or events • Traffic stops / accidents • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Chicago man comes to Berwyn with .357 Magnum, gets it stolen
November 18, 2008, 12:54 PM
Someone broke a window to steal the GPS unit from a Ford SUV in the 6200 block of Vacin.
4:56 PM
A 25-year-old man from the 6000 block of south Karlov, Chicago, told police he parked his maroon 1992 Chrysler LeBaron at 1:30 PM in the 1200 block of Oak Park Avenue. When he returned a few hours later, he said, he found his Alpine stereo had been stolen, along with a .357 Magnum handgun he had in the trunk. The victim said the car’s driver door does not lock, which gave the burglar easy access to the trunk release and thus to the gun.
Gang graffiti mars property public & private
November 18, 2008, 9:40 AM
Someone scribbled on a stop sign at 21st and Clarence.
12:29 PM
A gang boast, done in marker, was left on a mailbox at 21st and Euclid. More of the same was found on the rear wall of a business in the 6500 block of Windsor.
Gang activity • Graffiti / vandalism / criminal damage • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Vandalism roundup for Tuesday, Nov. 18
November 18, 2008, 1:04 AM
A resident of the 2100 block of Cuyler told police he heard a loud noise, looked outside and saw three male blacks running away southbound on Cuyler, then west onto Vacin. The witness went out and saw his neighbor’s van sporting a brand-new dent. He said the subjects seen running may have been teens; all three wore black hoods, one with a white skullcap.
3:35 AM
A brick took out a front bay window in the 1500 block of Highland, flinger unknown.
7:28 AM
Another broken front window was discovered in the 2100 block of Cuyler; the victim heard a loud noise at 12:45 AM but did not report it at the time.
7:57 AM
In the 3600 block of Scoville, a white Pontiac had a side window broken out with a large rock; the offender apparently failed in an attempt to remove its stereo, but managed to damage the dashboard.
8:28 AM
Both side mirrors were forcibly removed from a Chevy SUV in the 3500 block of Grove.
5:34 PM
Two windows to a basement apartment were damaged in the 1900 block of Grove. The woman victim told police she believes her brother’s ex-girlfriend—a resident of the 200 block of north Kostner, Chicago—may be the culprit, since she was seen nearby earlier in the day, and also made threatening calls to the victim.
Graffiti / vandalism / criminal damage • Suspicious people, objects or events • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Auto vandalism
November 17, 2008, 6:52 PM
A Ford minivan was found with a broken window in the 3600 block of Grove.
7:15 PM
At 37th and Gunderson, someone broke a Chevy van’s window.
Graffiti / vandalism / criminal damage • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Burglars score jewelry, electronics and loose change
November 17, 2008, 4:27 PM
In the 1200 block of Lombard, a residence was found ransacked and with an open window. Missing were a 42” plasma TV, two DVD players, a camcorder, a necklace and two gold rings.
5:15 OM
A man told police he came home to the 6500 block of 21st to find his back window broken and drawers pulled out of dressers inside the residence. Gone were three digital cameras, a video camera, a $1400 laptop, a watch and even the change from a coffee cup.
Alley loiterers caught with booze
November 17, 2008, 2:58 PM
Tactical officers checking alleys for miscreants noticed two characters standing around in the 7100 block of Roosevelt alley, drinking beer. Arrested for public consumption of alcohol were Rafael A. Alequin, 29, of 1435 Clinton, and Michael R. Callahan, 30, homeless but frequently found in that section of Berwyn.*
*
http://www.berwynpoliceblotter.com/index.php/site/comments/vagrancy_at_harlem_roosevelt/
Drugs, alcohol, DUI • Suspicious people, objects or events • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Man says he foiled knife, gun-wielding crowd bare-handed
November 17, 2008, 3:18 AM
Brookfield police reported a man in their lobby said he had been the victim of an armed robbery in Berwyn. The victim, a 24-year-old man from the 3600 block of south Morton, Brookfield, stated he got off the Metra train at Oak Park and Stanley the previous night at 11 PM. He said he stood on the platform, using his cell phone, when, suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his upper left chest. He realized he had been stabbed from behind by an unknown male Hispanic who yelled “Give me your wallet!”
The victim said he grabbed the hand holding the knife and elbowed the offender in the face, rendering him unconscious. Next, a second assailant came on, striking the Brookfield man in the head with a black handgun. The victim told police he “instinctively” grabbed the hand holding the gun and fought until his attacker gave up. He then fought off two more men and managed to render them unconscious as well. The victim told police that, altogether, he was attacked by six male Hispanics in their 20s, all in dark clothing. He added that, after he rendered the first three men unconscious, numbers 5,6 and 7 fled south on Oak Park Avenue, but not without firing “at least two rounds” in the victim’s general direction. No shell casings were found in the area when police came to investigate.
The victim said that after the incident, he walked southwest, stopping periodically because of his bleeding knife wound, until he wound up at the Brookfield police station.
The victim had cuts on his right hand and a four-inch cut on his chest, consistent with knife inuries; he also had a scrape and a bruise near his right eye. The victim told police he attributed his ability to fight off so many attackers to having been a martial arts instructor.
The victim also said the offenders made off with his wallet, his cell phone and his martial-arts black belt.
Assault, battery • Memorable incidents • Weapons-related • Unusual, mysterious, odd or just weird • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink