19th and 20th Districts
Burglary
An apartment in the 4700 block of N. Maplewood Ave. was burglarized sometime Wednesday, Feb. 16. An unknown person entered through the front door without force. Taken were $10 in coins, an I-Pod, a Kodak Easy Share camera, and a bangle by Alfex.
On same block
A resident left an apartment in the 4700 block of N. Maplewood Ave. at 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 2, and returned at 6 p.m. She discovered her dining room window had been forced open and the rear door was ajar. Missing were items of jewelry and $12 in coins.
Attempted burglary
Residents arrived home in the 3700 block of N. Hoyne Ave. at 3:12 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22. One adult heard footsteps and breaking glass on the second floor. Upon checking, she found an offender climbing out the broken window. She ran out the side door and saw a white car "peel" out eastbound on the south alley of Grace St. Upon arrival, responding officers accompanied the woman to the second floor, where they found that the victim’s property had been put in bags and moved toward the rear.
Electronics & cash
Someone kicked in the front door of an apartment in the 3200 block of N. Racine Ave. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, between 2:30 and 10:50 p.m. The offender took $140, one PlayStation 2, and 30 DVDs, then exited through the front door.
Burglary Team arrest
An officer on foot patrol spotted a man walking a Huffy bicycle down the street in the 1900 block of W. Roscoe St. at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23. As the officer watched, the man took the bike to the 3800 block of N. Damen Ave., where he met up with another offender and instructed him to hurry up and put it in the backyard, which he did. The two then ran south on Damen Ave. and jumped into a red 2002 Ford Focus driven by a third offender. Police stopped the car for "no turn signal" turning onto Addison, and asked them what they were doing in the area. They gave conflicting statements. After the officer told them he’d seen the bike incident, they acknowledged burglarizing a garage on Roscoe St., taking the bike, a drill press, a black DeWalt box, and a Drummel tool. One indicated that the crime was needed to feed his heroin addiction. The three were taken to the 19th District for processing.
Security alarm off
A house in the 2100 block of W. Sunnyside Ave. was burglarized between 10:55 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23. Apparently the offender rang the bell around noon, and after getting no response he pried open the basement side door. He took a Canon 35-mm camera ($500), a video camera ($400), an electronic thermostat taken from the wall ($50), an antique diamond and platinum ring, and a set of keys. The house security system was not activated at the time.
Garage door kicked in
At 5:15 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, police responded to a call of a burglary in process in the 3600 block of N. Hamilton Ave. at a garage. Upon arrival police saw a man walk across the street towards a car. When he saw the officers he moved away from the vehicle and went behind it to hide. Officers approached him and did a protective pat-down. They then summoned the burglary witness, who identified him as the man who kicked in the garage door and placed certain items outside the garage near the alley. Police recovered a vehicle emergency box, a four-way radio, a set of jumper cables, a box of maps and manuals, a box of cassette tapes and a bottle of kitty litter.
Snow blower gone
A snow blower ($350) was stolen from a garage in the 3700 block of N. Bosworth Ave. Feb. 21-24. The means of entry is unknown.
Laptop missing
In the 2300 block of W. Sunnyside Ave., a burglar struck a basement apartment Feb. 23-27. Entry was made through a front window. Stolen was a laptop with leather case, a watch and three DVDs. The apartment was left in disarray.
Safe disappears
A burglar ransacked an apartment in the 3000 block of N. Southport Ave. on Monday, Feb. 28. Taken was a 3' x 3' safe containing jewelry, silver coins, passports and tax papers.
IBM ThinkPad
In the 2000 block of W. Belle Plaine Ave., residents were gone from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28. They returned to find an IBM ThinkPad missing. The point of entry may have been a rear door not pulled tight and locked.
In darkness
In the 4500 block of N. Hamilton Ave., a burglar opened the unlocked side door of a garage and took a Trek Bicycle Hybrid ($850). The crime occurred between 1 and 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24.
Heavy loot
Someone stole a washer and dryer that were being temporarily stored in a garage in the 2600 block of N. Wilton Ave. The offender broke the side window to enter, and exited via the rear door. The crime occurred Thursday, March 3, between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Pattern of groping women
At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14, a woman walking her dog in the 1200 block of W. Nelson St. was approached from behind by a man. He reached around and grabbed her crotch. He then stood there looking at her until a vehicle turned the corner, at which time he fled. He was described as 17-20, white or white Hispanic, 5’9", 160 lb., with brown eyes. He wore a dark blue jacket with Mt. Carmel H. S. in white letters, tan hat, and tan work boots.
At 6:22 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 28, a woman was walking in the 1300 block of W. Wellington Ave. She saw a shadow of someone following her. He reached between her legs and shoved his hand about. He then fled. He was described as: 21, white, 5’ 7", 160 lb., with light brown hair. He wore a varsity jacket, blue jeans, and white gym shoes.
At 2:50 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 30, a woman who had been drinking was walking in the 3700 block of N. Magnolia Ave. A man suddenly grabbed her buttocks and made rude comments. He was described as: white, 30s, 5’9", with light brown hair and glasses.
18th and 23rd Districts
Intruder in bedroom
An alarm clock woke two residents of an apartment in the 3300 block of N. Lake Shore Dr. at 6 a.m. Wednesday, March 2. They observed a man exiting the bedroom. He went out the front door and quickly into the stairwell. He was in his 40s, 5’6", 150 lb., and bald. He wore a dark T-shirt and dark gym shorts with tan sandals.
The residents are sure their apartment door was locked before they went to bed. Similar incidents have happened to other residents in the building. At this time, the residents are unsure if any property was removed.
Narcotics & cash
In the 3700 block of N. Pine Grove Ave., a man left his apartment from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 3. He returned to find the top drawer of his dresser open and an envelope containing $350 missing. The victim had left $1,000 worth of narcotics (prescribed for a medical condition) in an unlocked safe and those too were missing. The day of the burglary coincides with the day the maintenance staff entered his apartment to change his smoke detector.
Restaurant burglary
After closing his restaurant in the 3200 block of N. Halsted St. at midnight Tuesday, March 1, the owner locked all the doors and left. The next morning at 9:15 a.m., an employee arrived to discover the front door pried open and money missing from the basement office. Taken from the small fire security box was $6,800.
License plate stolen
A woman parked her car in the 4600 block of N. Marine Dr. between noon and 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, while she was at work. She returned to find her rear Illinois license plate, 1640922, stolen.
Pickpocket
As a woman walked through the SideTrack Club, 3349 N. Halsted St., at 1 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, she felt a tug at her bag, which she was carrying under her arm. She immediately realized her wallet was missing and she confronted the offender. He became evasive, put on his coat and hurriedly exited the bar. He was described as a black male, 30-35, 5’6", 180 lb., wearing a brown leather jacket and jeans. The woman lost her IDs and $40.
Electronics swiped
A resident of a building in the 3400 block of N. Lake Shore Dr. left his apartment door unlocked on Friday, March 4, from 4 to 5:45 p.m. to permit a worker to enter. The resident discovered his laptop ($2,100) stolen.
Credit card fraud
A Lake View woman reported to police that an unknown person has used her MasterCard to make various purchases totaling $139 without permission.
Deceptive practice
A Lake View man exited a taxi on the South Side on Wednesday, March 2, at 3 a.m. and accidentally left his wallet behind. He discovered the loss at 1:15 p.m. that day and learned that someone already had used his bank card on five occasions: Amoco Foodstop on N. Halsted St. twice, for $14 and $30; K-Mart $56.50; Walgreens twice, for $79.55 and $54.38. The owner closed the account; subsequently, the offender attempted to use the card at Hair Mechanics at Homan and Chicago avenues, and at Mobil Gas on Ashland Ave., but was denied because the account was closed.
Also lost in the wallet was a driver’s license, gift card ($50), $100 and Chicago College of Law ID.
Stolen: 57 handicap shower seats
In the 900 block of W. Gordon Terrace, materials for the handicap washroom under construction were taken between Feb. 27 and March 1. Fifty-seven handicap shower seats were stolen, worth a total of $1,700.
Theft of old coin
On March 2, someone took $6 in loose change from a home in the 600 block of W. Patterson Ave. The offender also took a dime from 1895 valued at $9.
Theft from car
A woman parked her ’93 Dodge Spirit in the 4400 block of N. Clark St. from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 2. An unknown offender gained entry to her vehicle, damaged the car by removing the rear seat, and took her purse from the trunk. She lost $100, IDs, credit cards, a cell phone and a checkbook.
Forty minutes later
When a woman parked her 2000 Toyota in a parking deck in the 4400 block of N. Sheridan Rd. from 9:10 to 9:50 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28, she left the keys on the front seat and the doors unlocked. She returned to find several items missing: driver's license, debit card, phone card, two gift cards ($75), cell phone, clothing ($100) and the keys.
Theft from construction site
After four mornings in a row of discovering a theft at the construction site in the 800 block of W. Eastwood Ave., the foreman told police. Each time, copper plumbing (various diameters and lengths along with copper fittings) was missing. This piping had been removed by the current plumbers because its installation by previous plumbers had not been up to city code.
Criminal damage to property
Someone used a piece of brick to break the front (east) window of the Lorali Hotel, 1039 W. Lawrence Ave., at 12:05 a.m. Wednesday, March 2.
Alarm alerts police
A burglar alarm for the North End Bar, 3733 N. Halsted St., went off at 3:57 a.m. Wednesday, March 2. Police arrived to find the front glass door broken and the inner door pried open. No one was inside; nothing was taken.
Check in wrong hands
A local woman mailed her monthly rent check for $675 to her landlord but it never arrived. However, the canceled check eventually was returned to the woman; stamped on the back was the name of a real estate company and an indication that it was deposited in a TCF Bank. It is not known at this time if it was a criminal act or a banking error.
Two acts of vandalism
Overnight March 2-3, two storefront businesses were damaged on N. Broadway. Changez Hair Salon, 3347 N. Broadway, and Joy’s Noodles and Rice, 3257 N. Broadway, both had the front windows shattered.
Gunshot
Someone shot a hole through the bedroom window of a residence in the 2900 block of N. Sheridan Rd. on Thursday, March 3. No one was in the room at the time. The victim returned to find a hole in his window, glass on his bed and an unknown caliber spent round on the bed. The bullet was inventoried and processed to determine its source. |
