The Cops

MAN WHO AIMED GUN AT TRIO IN PRISON

2009-11-30T19:59:00.000-08:00

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FOR THE LATEST POLICE REPORTS, SEE BELOW MAIN STORY
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A Brookfield man with an extensive criminal record who was arrested by La Grange police this past summer after pointing a loaded gun at a woman and two men outside a bar one block west of the village limits will be spending the next seven years behind bars.

Stanley Wisniowicz, 47, who was on parole from serving a 2-year sentence in state prison when he was charged with numerous felonies in connection with the Aug. 4 altercation outside of Brixie's in neighboring Brookfield, was sentenced in mid-November, according to the Cook County State's Attorneys Office.

The incident began at about 2:20 a.m. that day when Wisniowicz said something to the 27-year-old Hanover Park woman as she boarded a motorcycle driven by one of the men. After a verbal altercation over what one Brookfield police officer called "nothing" much, the offender pulled out at Smith & Wesson .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and aimed it at the three.

Shortly thereafter, he ran a block and a half west to the Citgo/7-Eleven at East and Ogden avenues, after dumping the gun in some bushes by the nearby abandoned Moose Lodge.

After Wisniowicz was arrested by La Grange police and turned over to Brookfield detectives, a police dog from Wood Dale discovered the weapon, which had six bullets in the clip and one in the chamber. The gun had been stolen from a Brookfield home just two weeks earlier.

Wisniowicz, originally charged with three counts of aggravated assault, possession of stolen firearms, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, possession without a Firearm Owners Identification card and possession of ammunition without a FOID card, was sentenced after entering a guilty plea on just two felony charges: being an armed habitual criminal and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Held on a half-million-dollar bond since his arrest, Wisniowicz was just released from prison six months earlier. He was convicted in 2001 on three counts of residential burglary and was sentenced to 10 years in prison and was convicted on similar charges in 1987 and 1997. His first convicted at the age of 23 for an attempted burglary in 1986.

MAJOR CRIME TAKES A HOLIDAY

2009-11-21T22:26:00.000-08:00

With the exception of a few vehicle burglaries and thefts, not much major crime was reported these past few weeks around town. Here are a sampling of police reports culled from the blotter this past week.

Crime of the month?
A $280 piece of police forensics equipment was reported stolen from the Park District of La Grange recreation center, 536 East Ave., at 4:14 p.m. Nov. 6 -- despite the fact the facility was filled with numerous Cook County Sheriff's Police officers attending a forensics training academy in conjunction with Louisiana State University that week.

Break-ins, thefts
Those burglaries included a reported theft from a vehicle in the 1100 block of Arlington Street in the overnight hours of Nov. 16-17; a reported theft of $51.74 worth of gasoline from Shell, 4701 S. Gilbert Ave., at 1:40 p.m. Nov. 16 by a blonde-haired white woman in her 40s wearing glasses and driving a beige minivan who drove off after having her credit card denied; the theft of a copper gutter from the west side of St. Francis Xavier Church, 124 N. Spring Ave., reported shortly before noon Nov. 12; the theft of a green Raleigh mountain bike with gold lettering on the frame from the 100 block of North Catherine Avenue in the overnight hours of Nov. 10; a theft of random items from a home in the 300 block of West Calendar Avenue reported at 5 p.m. Nov. 7; the theft of a cell phone charger valued at $9.50 from a green Ford Explorer in the 100 block of South Waiola Avenue in the overnight hours of Nov. 5 and the theft of a bicycle from a garage in the 300 block of South Waiola Avenue, reported shortly before 3 p.m. Nov. 2.

In addition, an attempted burglary was reported in Denning Park in the 4900 block of Willow Springs Road at 8:44 a.m. Nov. 15, when an employee discovered that someone gained entry to a Park District of La Grange building. A group of kids were reported in the park after hours, it was reported to police at 10:10 p.m. Nov. 14. The kids, however, could not be located by responding officers.

A car stolen previously reported stolen from La Grange was reported recovered by Summit police shortly after 5 p.m. Nov. 16.

Gang warfare?
Perhaps the most serious would-be crime came from a tipster regarding suspicious activity near Cossitt and Stone avenues in the daylight hours of Nov. 17. Seems a group of six male Hispanics were seen walking toward the park on Stone from Cossitt a little after 3 p.m. -- one wearing a black jacket with the word "echo" on it who was carrying a brick in his hand and another with a light grey hoodie and carrying a lead pipe -- looking as though they might fight. They were never located by police.

Police also investigated the report of a Northlake man who said he was threatened by a man wielding a crowbar following a traffic altercation in Brookfield shortly before 12:30 p.m. Nov. 13. The victim, a passenger in a car being driven by a 16-year-old girl, said the altercation began when the driver of a blue Volkswagen believed the driver of the victim cut him off and pulled out the crowbar at him. The alleged offender, identified through his license plate as a 23-year-old La Grange Highlands resident, then took off down eastbound Burlington Avenue to 6th Avenue and was last seen driving east on Harris Avenue. The alleged offender was not home, but out driving his car when police tracked down his address.

DUI warrant
Robert Helgar, 29, of Berwyn, received two citations for having an outstanding warrant for a drunk driving charge out of DeKalb County after police made a traffic stop on him at 50th Street and La Grange Road shortly after 5:30 p.m. Nov. 17.

Illegal crossing
Police cited 17-year-old Christopher Beck with an ordinance ticket after he was caught illegally crossing the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad tracks where there is no grade crossing just west of East Avenue at Maple Avenue at 11:50 p.m. Nov. 12. The spot where he crossed is near the Park District of La Grange recreation center.

Missing children
The 12-year-old daughter of a police officer reported missing shortly after 9 a.m. Nov. 17 after being last seen northbound on Bluff Avenue near 47th Street. Police found her soon afterward several blocks north at Tilden and Franklin avenues.

Ten days earlier, a 14-year-old bipolar Brookfield boy was reported as a missing habitual runaway after his mother lost sight of him down the block from the Police Department. He was not found at a Brookfield party he was believed to have attended or in Memorial Park in La Grange Park where he may have been visiting.

A white man with a bandage on his head was reported to have walked out of Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, 5101 S. Willow Springs Road, shortly before 8 a.m. Nov. 5. The 911 caller said the patient appeared confused and was last seen headed northbound on Willow Springs Road, but police could not locate the man.

A warm place
A 65-year-old homeless woman was escorted out of a gas station restroom she had refused to leave in the 100 block of North La Grange Road at 5:55 p.m. Nov. 16.

Smells like fire
It used to be the case not too long ago that the smell of burning leaves at the curbside or side of the road in some local communities did little more than signal the arrival of autumn in some local communities, but nowadays the familiar odor causes some folks to call 911. Such was the case of not one, but two calls alerting authorities to dispatch the La Grange Fire Department to the corner of Ogden and Madison avenues in the early morning in the ours of Nov. 18. The first call came in at 12:48 a.m. and prompted firefighters to extinguish the fire, possibly caused by a car parked on top of them. Then, at 5:20 a.m., the leaves were found to be on fire again and were put out again, this time after a car with a hot engine was parked on top of them.

Firefighters found themselves on a unique call at 7:50 a.m. Nov. 16 when a Lyons Township High School senior, 17-year-old Morris Beck, needed assistance with a ring stuck on his finger. They were called back to the school at 11:37 a.m. that day to transport 16-year-old Matt Finnegan to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital when he suffered a bloody nose after falling down a set of stairs.

Shortly after 10 a.m. Nov. 13, paramedics rushed a 15-month-old girl, Sofia Vega, to the hospital after she was reported choking in a home in the 900 block of South 7th Avenue. And on Nov. 11, a Brookfield boy told police he was beat up by another boy that day at the LT North campus, 100 W. Cossitt Ave.

An employee of CEP Inc., 4903 S. Gilbert Ave., reported suffering a headache and reported a possible gas leak at 9:20 a.m. Nov. 11. The odor was later discovered to be an area sewer problem.

And at 2:50 p.m. Nov. 1, a 2-year-old boy was rushed to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital after he took two 25-milligram tablets of Matoprolol in a home in the 100 block of Malden Avenue.

Gang "Floods" Area to Burglarize Homes

2009-11-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

The following is an update, issued by Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel, on the recent rash of burglaries in the area.

This week, a street gang, the Sin City Boys, who mainly operate on the West side of Chicago , but has affiliations in Berwyn/Cicero, had actively sent out their juvenile members to commit residential burglaries and home invasions during the daytime hours in the West Suburban area. On Monday and Tuesday, the gang leadership sent out as many as 30 juveniles to commit crimes in Riverside , Brookfield , Forest Park , River Forest , Western Springs, and Downers Grove .

The WEDGE (gang & drug) unit received intelligence on this activity and teamed up with MCAT to begin surveillance and get saturated patrols out early Monday morning in the above mentioned communities. Monday morning and early afternoon, our Detective Sergeant, Dave Krull, heard a radio broadcast of a burglary in progress. Det. Krull responded in plain clothes and saw two of the three subjects hiding behind a garage in Lyons . Krull, along with fellow MCAT members, took up foot pursuit and after several minutes took all 3 juvenile gang members into custody in Lyons . These three suspects had parked a stolen motor vehicle (found containing other stolen property from burglaries) about a block from the burglary scene; a vehicle that had been reported stolen over the weekend in Lyons .

While processing those juveniles in Lyons , another call went out for LaGrange Park , North Riverside, and River Forest . Sgt. Krull was deployed as part of MCAT into the area. He and the other three MCAT members spotted the vehicle that had been reported by one of the victims as being involved in the burglary in Berwyn . On (Madison Avenue in Forest Park , they initiated a traffic stop with assistance from Forest Park . In that vehicle, three adult male Sin City Boys gang members were arrested and 7 handguns were discovered along with proceeds from burglaries. Those suspects were taken into custody and brought to Berwyn (where the call originated). During investigation, Berwyn detectives were able to receive consent to search and obtained a search warrant for 2 residences in Berwyn (where gang members were living or storing property). Officers executed the warrants and recovered 1.8 million dollars street value narcotics, mainly cocaine, and recovered 10 more weapons, among them a MAC10 pistol machine gun. In addition, two of the three Sin City Boys are believed to be involved in an unsolved homicide in Berwyn and those individuals are still being investigated as of today. We brought in the DEA and the FBI on this large scale case.

The Riverside burglary was on the 3600 block of Harlem and rare coins stolen. There are coins that are still unidentified in the property room at Berwyn PD. Riverside will likely be indicting the arrested gang members on that burglary, but currently we are awaiting results from some physical and DNA evidence (blood) as their MO was to break windows to get obtain entry into the residences.

I would like you to know that some outstanding work was done by Detective Sgt. Krull and by Sgt. Frank Pontrelli (who performed the evidence work in the case). Krull has worked non-stop, not only as the Riverside Detective, but also on the MCAT task force. Krull was directly involved in the arrest of all 6 suspects, and in Lyons , in the apprehension of suspects.

Due to this occurrence, I redirected patrol operations and fully staffed day shift to the extent possible. I put administrative personnel in uniform out on the street to saturate our village with marked patrol units and I believe it was a success. Detective Krull found that when speaking with the suspects in Lyons , they had come to Riverside first and happened to see a Riverside Police squad on routine patrol on Olmsted Road and they decided to go elsewhere, which was when they headed for Lyons . They also said that they knew many of the Riverside homes had alarms and they did not want to deal with those.

In closing, this is the first time in my 25 year career that I have ever heard of gang members admitting flooding a specific area with a number of their members to commit burglaries, in attempt to simply overload departments and confuse police agencies by their activity generating so many calls and reports coming in to department simultaneously.

I think this speaks volumes about the task forces we are involved in; MCAT, NIPAS and WESTAF. The time, expense and manpower we put in on these teams is well worth it, when you consider the assistance and information that we get from other agencies in return when this type of crime occurs.
If you have any questions, please call me.

Thomas Weitzel
Chief of Police
Riverside Police Department
31 Riverside Road
Riverside , IL 60546
708-447-2127
tweitzel@riverside.il.us

COPS CRACKING HOME BURGLARIES

2009-10-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Four people have been arrested over the past month by the La Grange police in connection with a series of residential burglaries.

As a result, more than 100 pieces of property have been recovered.

In each case, arrests were made because of observant residents who called in reports of a suspicious person, vehicle, noise or activity -- which we reported on in this very space last week, encouraging residents to continue to call 911 whenever they suspect anything is awry.

Now, the village is reminding you as well.

The increase in home burglaries in La Grange since June or July is not limited to La Grange, stated Police Chief Michael Holub, whose investigators have not only worked with their peers in neighboring communities to crack similar or related crimes there, but are aware of dozens of burglaries in such neighboring communities as Brookfield, La Grange Park and Western Springs.

Although no residential burglaries occurred in La Grange this week, its investigators did assist Brookfield police in a break-in within the 4000 block of Forest Avenue reported at 11:35 a.m. Oct. 26.

A prime example of resident vigilance occurred earlier this week, for instance, on Oct. 26, when a South Madison Avenue homeowner witnessed a silver vehicle with four men of possibly Indian descent attempting to break into vehicles near Cossitt and Madison avenues.

Although police did not find any vehicles damaged or disturbed when they arrived, when the seeming offenders were seen, they took off down westbound 47th Street from Madison at a high rate of speed.

One of the men sported a full beard and the vehicle had heavy damage on its driver's side.

So, while nobody was busted that time, calling 911 quickly and with as accurate as possible descriptions of suspicious persons or vehicles is the best decision someone can make.

Body found
Although certainly not a burglary, another alert 911 caller told police they found a white woman with blonde hair and wearing a brown jacket, blue jeans and white shoes laying in the dirt at Tilden and Calendar avenues at about 2:30 p.m. Oct. 27. Although further details of the report have not yet been confirmed, the caller indicated the woman was shaking and still breathing, but could not be revived.

On a lighter note, La Grange police were alerted to a suspicious white man walking down the 1200 block of South Brainard Avenue at about 5:30 p.m. Oct. 27. The man, with salt-and-pepper hair, wearing dark clothing and carrying paperwork, appeared by a passerby to be highly intoxicated. The case was turned over to the proper jurisdiction, the Countryside PD.

Burglaries, thefts and vandalism
An unidentified piece of equipment was discovered stolen from the La Grange Public Library, 10 W. Cossitt Ave., the library director reported to police at 11:27 a.m. Oct. 26.

An unlocked vehicle was broken into as it was parked at the North campus of Lyons Township High School, it was reported at 6:13 p.m. Oct. 27.

A purse was reported stolen from a vehicle parked at Park and Cossitt avenues at about 9:15 p.m., while the vehicle owner's son was at school.

Eek! A large spider valued at $30 was reported stolen from the front porch of a home in the 100 block of South 8th Avenue. The report was filed with police at 10:05 a.m. Oct. 27.

A customer of John's Auto Body, 26 E. Plainfield Road, alleged at 6:24 p.m. Oct. 26 that several items were stolen from a truck they were having repaired at the shop the prior week, even though the vehicle sat unlocked on a Chicago street for a day before it was towed from where it had been involved in an an accident and then towed to La Grange from there. Although the truck owner told police they believed the theft took place here, police advised the owner to file a report with Chicago police.

A vehicle was reported damaged Oct. 25 as it was parked in the 100 block of North Peck Avenue.

A light post in front of Anna's Hallmark, 10 W. Burlington Ave., was vandalized with "non gang-related" Halloween graffiti, it was reported at 9:21 a.m. Oct. 26.

A portable toilet in a driveway in the 900 block of South Spring Avenue had been dumped over twice since Oct. 23, a resident reported to police at 4:55 p.m. Oct. 25.

People crimes and cases
A woman driving a tan Oldsmobile registered in Brookfield requested a special watch due to a threat she received in the way of text messages on her cell phone, but then refused to provide any other information besides her first name or wait for an officer to arrive before she drove off. Police were unable to locate the woman, who said she works at a business in the 300 block of Washington Avenue.

The superintendent's administrative assistant in School District 105 was treated for a knee injury at Adventist La Grange Hospital after she fell on school grounds at 1001 S. Spring Ave. about 4:30 p.m. Oct. 26. A 911 call alerted paramedics to the accident involving Denise Struve, 57, of Hodgkins, after it was believed she may have broken a kneecap.

Medical assistance was refused by the mother of an 11-year-old La Grange boy who was reported jumped by two male blacks as he left the La Grange Community Center at Lincoln and Washington avenues at around 3 p.m. Oct. 25.

An African-American man was reported to be sleeping in the La Grange Post Office, 121 W. Hillgrove Ave. at 10:15 p.m. Oct. 25, but police found a 44-year-old woman asleep there before sending her on her way.

Fire calls
La Grange firefighters responded to a report of an interior gas leak at a home in the 700 block of South Spring Avenue just before 8:30 a.m. Oct. 26.

'SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY' COULD BE CRIME

2009-10-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

Not much crime going on but lots of "suspicious activity" being reported this past week in and around La Grange -- but that doesn't always mean nothing's going on. In fact, it's the sign of alert and observant neighbors, who call the cops whenever they suspect something's awry. Unfortunately, some calls turn out to be false alarms: the would-be suspicious-looking people are gone on arrival or are unable to be located.

Then again, there's the time when a west suburban homeowner told police she thought she saw a few suspicious-looking men with headwear standing next to a corner house up the street. Police responded and found the "men" to be statues of the Three Wise Men. Or last week's report of a La Grange resident who mistook a boy with a toy sword for a suspicious man pacing back and forth with the real thing.

Still, while we all make mistakes, calling 911 is never a bad idea. Sometimes, a call means a solved crime or the arrest of an offender.

Such was the case of a resident in the 300 block of South Kensington Avenue, who thought they heard someone trying to enter their back door shortly at about 11:15 p.m. Oct. 17, even though a rear gate was latched and the back door was locked . Police arrived to find the exterior of the house secure and no signs of an attempted break-in.

Or, for example, the resident in the 400 block of South Stone Avenue who told police they believe they witnessed a drug deal taking place in Elm Park at about 1:25 p.m. Oct. 17. The caller, whose report was delayed by 15 minutes, said he saw a man with a Navy blue top, white lounge pants and blonde hair sitting in the park when a 2-door older tan hatchback pulled up northbound Stone. Its driver got out and the two walked together up northbound Stone and exchanged a plastic bag, before the driver returned to his vehicle and drove off north on Stone. The other man walked down southbound Stone before turning into a yard near Maple Avenue. Neither man could not be located by police, but a special watch was assigned to the area.

A day earlier, an employee of Trader Joe's, 25 N. La Grange Road, reported seeing a man looking in car windows behind the store at about 7 p.m. that night. The suspicious man, who also was not tracked down, was wearing a dark ski mask, glasses and a blue and white jacket.

A very alert employee of Starbucks, 38 S. La Grange Road, told police they noticed a regular customer in the store shortly before 9 p.m. Oct. 16 who appeared to be touching himself as he stared at a group of teenage girls. Police could not locate the man.

In yet another case, police were called to the 100 block of Washington Avenue at 9:44 p.m. Oct. 16 to investigate a 911 call from an 18-year-old La Grange man who said he was approached by five males, one in a red jacket and another in black shorts, who came up to him with a bicycle and told him they found his bike and threatened to hit him. However, while he said he does not own a bike, he was suspicious they may steal something from him.

A 38-year-old resident in the 400 block of East Maple Avenue told police a young man with sandy blonde hair and wearing a vest came to her house at about 8 a.m. Oct. 16 and identified himself as a ComEd employee, telling her the utility needed to work in her backyard. But ComEd informed her they had nobody in the area that day. The man took off in an unknown direction and was not located by police.

A resident in the 200 block of Leitch Avenue reported to police shortly after 5 p.m. Oct. 14 they found empty beer cans and bottles in a nearby athletic field and requested a special watch on weekends because they believe kids may be drinking there at night.

Not much crime, remember?
A boy's wallet was reported stolen from a locker in the North campus of Lyons Township High School, 100 S. Brainard Ave., on Oct. 20. The report was filed with police at about 4:30 p.m. that day.

A tire was reported stolen in the 600 block of South La Grange Road on Oct. 17, it was reported the morning of Oct. 19.

Nine BB holes were discovered in a garage in the 400 block of Benton Avenue shortly before 2 p.m. Oct. 19. However, a 24-year-old neighbor who recently had his gun confiscated by his father was considered a suspect.

A 32-year-old La Grange man, David Bennett of 19 Hayes, was arrested for domestic battery after his live-in girlfriend, also 32, was transported to La Grange Adventist Hospital for an injured shoulder shortly after midnight Oct. 20. Their 10-month-old daughter was turned over to the custody of a Chicago couple.

A homeless couple was cited for open alcohol after police said the two were caught drinking alcohol on the Hillgrove side of the La Grange Road train depot at 7:10 p.m. Oct. 19. The citation was issued to 51-year-old Michael Bates and 55-year-old Mary Zimmerman. A day earlier, police said Zimmerman was picked up at 125 N. La Grange Road shortly before 7 p.m. and transported to Loyola University Medical Center because she was feeling suicidal.

Etcetera, etc.
Besides that darn loose dog wreaking havoc and chasing mail carriers on South Hayes Avenue of late, there's the guy angering neighbors for letting his two pit pulls defecate in an empty lot at Maple and Bluff avenues without cleaning up after them. Then there's the panhandlers hanging out at 7-Eleven, the evening basketball players at Sedgwick and nighttime softball players at Gordon harassing Park District employees and refusing to leave their respective parks at closing time, the college student producing a film behind Village Hall with real toy guns (police got advance notice of that one), the kids loitering and pulling the panic alarm in the downtown parking deck, the Brookfield woman who police said they caught lying when she claimed her car was struck in the deck when really she rear-ended someone else earlier that day at 31st Street and La Grange Road in La Grange Park -- and the very nice gentleman at Gurrie Middle School, 1001 S. Spring Ave., who at around 7 a.m. Oct. 16, turned into police a lawn chair and scarecrow Halloween decoration reported stolen from a resident in the 900 block of Stone Avenue (see last week's theft reports).

Other than that ...
A 5-year-old girl was treated at Hinsdale Adventist Hospital after she was vomiting and experiencing a possible seizure at around 11 a.m. Oct. 20 at St. John's Church, 505 S. Park Road.

La Grange Park firefighters responded to a smell of natural gas in the 600 block of North Edgewood Lane shortly before 2 p.m. Oct. 20.

A 1-year-old boy was treated at La Grange Adventist Hospital after having seizures in the first block of Park Road at about 3:45 p.m. Oct. 19.

Til' next week, that's all folks!

RESIDENT THWARTS WOULD-BE BURGLAR

2009-10-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

A resident in the 800 block of South La Grange Road almost caught a car burglar before he broke into a Subaru and a Honda by unknown means shortly after 1:30 a.m. Oct. 14. The male subject, described as a white man in his 20s with shaggy hair and a thin build and wearing dark clothing and a possible windbreaker type jacket, was last seen running eastbound on 51st Street and southbound on La Grange Road.

Other break-ins, thefts, failed tries
A grey backpack containing text books, XBox controllers with a rechargeable cord, an IPod and a spiral notebook worth an estimated $175 were reported stolen from an unlocked vehicle belonging to a 23-year-old man in the 900 block of South Madison Avenue shortly after 4 p.m. Oct. 12.

Miscellaneous items were stolen from an unlocked car in the A200 block of South Ashland Avenue, it was reported to police at about 11:30 a.m. Oct. 11.

A lawn chair and straw decoration on display for Halloween in the front yard of a home in the 900 block of South Stone Avenue was reported stolen sometime between the night of Oct. 9 and about 9:45 a.m. Oct. 10.

A customer at Borders, 1 N. La Grange Road, told police she was pickpocketed from someone inside the store sometime before 10:50 a.m. Oct. 8. She said she did not see who did it.

A wallet was reported stolen Oct. 7 at Lyons Township High School, 100 S. Brainard Ave.

Police recovered an unoccupied vehicle in the behind a home in the 400 block of East Avenue that came back stolen out of Buffalo, N.Y., at about 4 p.m. Oct. 10.

False alarm
Five teens were issued local ordinance tickets for loitering after they were found allegedly playing with a panic alarm on the first floor of the parking deck downtown. They include Tikira Kirk, 16, of La Grange; Wendy Mora, 15, of La Grange; Marc Herns, 16, of La Grange; Cynthyia Actame, 15, of La Grange and Dobson LaKeith, 15, of Niles.

Odd, but true
A 53-year-old Cicero man in a blue jacket was awoken by police after he was reported sleeping on the volleyball court at Sedgwick Park, 47th Street and East Avenue, shortly after 11 a.m. Oct. 11. And shortly after 10 p.m. Oct. 9, two homeless men in their 40s laying in an alley in the first block of La Grange Road.

A boy with a toy was mistaken for a suspicious man pacing back and forth and wielding a possible sword in the 300 block of Waiola Avenue on the afternoon of Oct. 11.

A fake human leg was stolen from a decorative skeleton on display for Halloween on the front lawn of a house in the 1000 block of South Spring Avenue sometime between the night of Oct. 9 and 9:40 a.m. Oct. 10.

Boy, the things that make it to the blotter. Someone actually complained to police because a man was seen walking his pit bull near Bluff and Maple avenues and not picking up after the dog. Oh my!

Last but not least comes the suspicious 40-year-old fella in the 700 block of 9th Avenue who was spotted by someone sitting in a dark vehicle on the south side of 50th Street at 9th, facing the wrong direction, shortly after 5:45 a.m. Oct. 8. Turns out he was the owner of the vehicle who lived nearby and decided to sit in waiting keeping watch on his own house for an unknown culprit who keeps allowing their dog to defecate on his lawn.

Vandalism
A resident in the 100 block of North Park Avenue reported finding gang graffiti on his garage at 5:22 p.m. Oct. 13.

A large group of kids were also dispersed by police as they congregated at the fountain adjacent to Village Hall in the first block of La Grange Road shortly before 9 p.m. Oct. 12. An unknown offender in the crowd was believed to have placed soap in the fountain as well. The fountain was also discovered soaped at 9:35 p.m. that night, causing officials to shut it down.

A vehicle was reported egged between 10:30 a.m. Oct. 11 and 11:13 a.m. Oct. 12 in the 100 block of Washington Avenue.

A car window was reported broken in the 200 block of East Plainfield Road at about 7:15 p.m. Oct. 9.

Both passenger side tires of a vehicle were slashed as it was in the parking lot of Grayhill, 561 W. Hillgrove Ave., it was reported at 2:28 p.m. Oct. 7. The victim told police they believe a fellow employee was the suspect, but doesn't want to press charges at this time.

Lots of suspicious activity
A 24-year-old man was accused of setting fires outside of a house in the 400 block of Benton, the latest report phoned into police on the afternoon of Oct. 13. The man apparently agreed to stop, but showed up again that day with a yellow bottle of possible flammable liquid.

Someone's unattended wheelchair was discovered without a rider against a fence at the North campus soccer field of Lyons Township High School at Park and Elm avenues at 6:35 p.m. Oct. 12.

A screen was reported missing from a window of a vacant house in the 200 block of East Avenue and the inside lights were discovered on at 9:20 p.m. Oct. 13, when the house is normally dark and the screens are in place.

A dog with a collar around its neck was reported running loose twice in one day on the village's East Side, but was gone when police responded to calls during the morning and afternoon Oct. 13. The morning report was made by a mail carrier at Washington and Sawyer avenues; the first caller saw the dog running around by Tilden and Franklin avenues. The dog is believed to be a pet from the first block of Hayes Avenue.

A heavy-set Latino man wearing a spring jacket and hat tried to enter someone's house in the 500 block of South 8th Avenue at about 4 p.m. Oct. 8. He told the homeowner he had to dig in his backyard when no such work was scheduled. The resident closed the door on him and he left.

Gas smells, fires
A natural gas leak was discovered at a meter behind a house in the 600 block of South Waiola Avenue shortly before 10:45 a.m. Oct. 13. Nicor was notified. A gas odor was also discovered inside stores in the 100 block of West Calendar Court on the afternoon of Oct. 12 and painters were found to be working in vacant storefront. The workers were told to stop painting for a while. And at 3:40 p.m. Oct. 11, Nicor also was called out to take care of a leak when someone smelled gas in the 200 block of South Brainard Avenue.

Several subjects were sent on their way without charges after someone reported they started a fire under the Ogden Avenue bridge shortly after 8 p.m. Oct. 12.

Firefighters extinguished a laundry room fire in the 300 block of South Kensington Avenue called in to police at 7:58 p.m. Oct. 10.

Firefighters also responded to a mutual aid call from Western Springs of a smell of electrical wiring burning inside a home in the 4700 block of Wolf Road. The source was a faulty wall outlet.

Vagrancy violators
A white man and white woman were reported trying to shake down people for money outside of the 7-Eleven, 201 W. Hillgrove Ave., at about 11:20 p.m. Oct. 11. The vagrants were gone by the time police arrived.

People crimes
A 14-year-old Aurora boy was released without charges to the custody of his aunt after police said he crossed the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks with the gates down on northbound La Grange Road at Burlington Avenue about 5:30 p.m. Oct. 9.

A special watch was placed on a house in the 100 block of East Avenue where an unknown man put two mattresses under the porch in the rear of a bank-owned house. The caller, who discovered the beds at about 1 p.m. Oct. 9, told police they feared someone may be planning to set the house on fire. Or, perhaps, sleep there?

ARMED ROBBERY ON EAST SIDE STREET

2009-10-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

A 20-year-old La Grange woman was robbed of an unknown amount of cash by a man wearing a black ski mask and black clothing as she and a friend walked in the 100 block of Sawyer Avenue at 3:10 p.m. Oct. 2.

Police said the victim reported she was robbed when the suspect implied he had a gun and demanded money.

The woman gave the man her money, but the offender did not confront the man. Neither were harmed.

The offender, a 6-foot-tall African-American man with a medium build, was last seen on foot near Cossitt Avenue after running through several adjacent residential yards.

Although no arrests have been made, reports indicated two subjects were seen running into a home in the first block of Washington Avenue. One had an unidentified object in his hand.

Onto other things
Besides that, there weren't many other serious crimes reported in the past week, perhaps because autumn is quickly settling in with cold temps and blustery winds.

Not too many trees or limbs were reported down following the unusually high winds on the night of Oct. 6, except a few near 51st Street and Brainard Avenue and in the 100 block of Ashland Avenue.

Slippery when wet
Last week's rains caused a few fender-benders, not the least of which was a single-car accident that interrupted traffic for a bit on the evening of Oct. 3 at La Grange Road and 47th Street. Seems Jared Johnson, 17, of 5120 Fair Elms, Western Springs was attempting a left turn in the intersection onto westbound 47th at about 8:30 p.m. when he lost control of the 2003 Honda Accord he was driving and struck a light pole in the parkway after he slid on the wet pavement. His two teenage passengers were not hurt, but he was transported to La Grange Adventist Hospital for treatment of his injuries. No tickets were issued in the crash.

Burglaries and thefts
A bicycle was reported stolen from an unlocked garage in the 300 block of South Stone Avenue shortly before 6 p.m. Oct. 4. Two days later, at about 9:30 p.m. Oct. 6, another bicycle was reported stolen from outside the La Grange Road train station, 25 W. Burlington Ave., as it was locked up on the north side of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks. Yet another bicycle was stolen from outside Horton's, 60 S. La Grange Road, on the night of Oct. 1. The GT mountain bike, reported stolen at 1 p.m. Oct. 2, was maroon with white lettering. It was not indicated whether the bike was locked at the time.

A license plate sticker was reported stolen in La Grange or Chicago at 6 p.m. Oct. 3. The owner of the vehicle lives in the 600 block of South Catherine Avenue.

The front door of a vacant house for sale in the 600 block of South Spring Avenue was discovered open shortly before 10 a.m. Oct. 4. It was not known if entry was gained.

A Latino man age 25 to 30 and wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt was seen trying to pry open a first floor window of an apartment in the 900 block of South 8th Avenue shortly after 11:30 p.m. Oct. 2. Police responded and were unable to locate the man. No entry was gained.

Vandalism
A 911 caller informed police a group of kids were throwing eggs at cars at Ogden and Waiola avenues at about 9:30 p.m. Oct. 6. But they were gone by the time an officer arrived.

The passenger side quarter panel of a gold Yukon was keyed by an unknown vandal as it was parked in the first block of West Hillgrove Avenue, it was reported at 11:41 a.m. Oct. 2. The vandalism occurred sometime between Sept. 18 and 25.

Blaze news
No injuries were reported when La Grange firefighters responded to a report of a possible grill fire on a balcony next to a building in the first block of Ashland Avenue at 4:35 p.m. Oct. 4. In La Grange Park, firefighters extinguished an oven fire in the 700 block of Community called in shortly after 10 a.m. that same day.

People news
A 17-year-old student at Lyons Township High School was found allegedly intoxicated and in possession of illegal fireworks in her first floor locker of the North campus, 100 S. Brainard Ave., it was reported at 11:15 a.m. Oct. 2. Police said Carissa Zavaleta, 4175 Eberly Ave., Brookfield, was issued a local ordinance ticket for illegal possession of fireworks and the school handled the alleged intoxication. In addition, a parent of the girl was notified and the school gave her information about alcoholism.

Police provided standby assistance for investigators with the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services as they attempted to remove three children in protective custody from a home in the first block of North Peck Avenue shortly before 4 a.m. Oct. 2. The attempt was unsuccessful, as the homeowners did not allow entry, police said. Another attempt was made about 4:15 p.m. the previous afternoon, but the homeowners did not answer the door. Details about the case were not immediately available.

A 49-year-old homeless man was caught sleeping under a porch of a duplex residence in the first block of North Catherine Avenue at 9:40 a.m. Oct. 6. The man was told not to return.

A 12-year-old Gurrie Middle School student got her finger stuck in a sewing machine while in a first floor classroom of the school, 1001 S. Spring Ave., at about 1 p.m. Oct. 5. The girl's mother refused medical assistance.

Two teens were seen begging for gas money while seated inside or standing outside a purple PT Cruiser in the parking lot of Walgreens, 2 N. La Grange Road, at about 9:45 p.m. Oct. 3, it was reported to police. The teens were not located.

A 14-year-old La Grange girl was transported to Riveredge Hospital after her 42-year-old mother told police the girl lost control and was hitting her in the home they share in the first block of South Spring Avenue. The incident was reported to police at 4:49 p.m. Oct. 2.

A waste of time
A neighboring resident of La Grange Adventist Hospital got what was coming to them on the morning of Oct. 1. Seems security at the hospital, 5101 S. La Grange Road, reports the unincorporated La Grange Highlands resident who lives just south of the facility's grounds has been dumping lawn and tree waste on the hospital property. The property owner was asked not to do so, as it is private property and security even posted signs to that effect, to no avail. The person keeps dumping there, they told police that morning. The waste, in turn, was dumped back on the offender's property.

POLICE ARREST WOULD-BE BURGLAR

2009-09-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

La Grange police were on their toes again this week when they quickly responded to a report of a suspicious man near a vehicle in a church parking lot and arrived to find a teenager wielding a tire iron with the alleged intent of breaking in to steal a GPS device.

Arrested on a single count of attempted burglary to a motor vehicle was Dennis L. Tabor, 17, of 1007 S. La Grange Road, La Grange. The incident occurred between 10:10 and 10:20 am. Sept. 28 outside of the First Presbyterian Church of La Grange in the 132 Catherine Ave.

When police received the call, it was reported a man with glasses and a black coat had parked an older tan 2-door vehicle in the church lot and kept getting in and out of it to look inside a blue vehicle also parked in the lot. Police responded and found the man on the north side of the lot.

Detective Rob Wardlaw said the teen, who admitted to his desire to smash the window to carry out the theft, will be tried as an adult.

This case, he added, was not believed connected to any of the recent burglaries in the village or to last week's burglary arrest.

Burglaries & thefts
The owner of The UPS Store, 106 W. Calendar Court, reported someone broke into his business between Sept. 26 and 28 and stole an undetermined amount of cash from a cash drawer. The package delivery store was closed Sept. 27, but police said there was no forced entry.

A day later, at 4:04 p.m. Sept. 29, a resident in the 300 block of Sunset Avenue reported their copper gutters had been stolen from their house earlier that day.

A boys black BMX-type Viper bicycle was reported stolen from a front yard in the 300 block of East Elm Avenue on Sept. 26. The theft was reported at 8:23 a.m. Sept. 29.

A resident in the 400 block of South Park Road reported the theft of a FedEx package from their house. The package, with undisclosed contents, was reported missing at 11:20 a.m. Sept. 27.

In a related note, a resident in the 500 block of South Catherine Avenue told police they witnessed an unknown male in a dark hoodie run away from their car after setting off the alarm at about 7:45 p.m. Sept. 23. The subject, whom police could not locate, was last seen running up northbound Ashland Avenue from westbound 50th Street.

On Sept. 29, three male black teens in dark clothing also were seen messing with bicycle locks at about 4 p.m. outside of the La Grange Public Library, 10 W. Cossitt Ave. They, too, were gone by the time police arrived.

Odd, but true
A resident living near West Field near the Lyons Township High School's North campus at Edgewood and Cossitt avenues made a delayed report at 9 a.m. Sept. 25 indicating a mutilated duck and a squirrel were found, both decapitated, in the park, along with several beer bottles. The items were believed left there between 5 p.m. Sept. 19 and Sept. 21.

Vandalism
Kids were seen egging homes in the 900 block of Catherine Avenue at 53rd Street shortly before 11 p.m. Sept. 27. Someone's daughter was also egged that day, but at about 8 p.m., while she was in the 800 block of South 8th Avenue. Another neighbor reported seeing someone in a black SUV, possibly a Ford Explorer, possibly throw an egg at a car. That person was last seen on southbound 50th Street at 8th Avenue.

A cola product was thrown at a residential garage in the 1000 block of South Spring Avenue at 2:05 a.m. Sept. 26. The vandalism, reported the following afternoon, was videotaped by the homeowner.

Beer cans and items belonging to kids were found in a yard in the 600 block of South 7th Avenue shortly after 9 a.m. Sept. 26, where it is believed unknown offenders had been drinking.

BB holes were discovered in two windows of a vacant house in the 100 block of East Avenue, it was reported at about 6 p.m. Sept. 23.

People news
The Fire Department helped free an unidentified child from an elevator in the Park District of La Grange Recreation Center, 536 East Ave., after 11 a.m. Sept. 29.

No tickets were issued against the driver of a van who told police he hit the gas when he meant to brake in a parking lot and ran over the parking block, through a shrub and ran into the brick wall of La Grange Pediatrics, 1400 W. 47th St., at about 4 p.m. Sept. 23. The driver, a 16-year-old from Western Springs, and a 52-year-old female passenger, refused medical treatment.
A 17-year-old Brookfield girl claimed she was assaulted by another while at LT, 100 S. Brainard Ave., it was reported about 7 p.m. Sept. 23.

A 6-year-old La Grange boy who fell an broke his arm at Seventh Avenue School, 701 S. 7th Ave., at about 9 a.m. Sept. 23, was transported by paramedics to Adventist La Grange Hospital and treated for his injuries.

Mother Nature calling
The windy weekend weather on Monday night caused lots of mayhem in and around town, including a downed cable wire over a house at Bluff and Calendar avenues; a downed tree across a sidewalk and driveway in the 100 block of South Ashland Avenue; a downed 30-foot-tall tree with a 12-inch diameter blocking a street in the 500 block of South 8th Avenue and a downed tree blocking the southbound lanes of Brainard Avenue at 49th Street.

POLICE BUST 5-TIME BURGLAR

2009-09-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Police in both La Grange and Brookfield have been doing a fine job lately cracking the endless stream of vandalism, thefts, burglaries and home invasions that have been plaguing our communities in recent months.

Just this week, La Grange investigators were quick to the punch in breaking a case of five residential and vehicular break-ins in recent weeks with the Sept. 21 arrest of 19-year old Anthony Harris, of Chicago on five felony counts of burglary.

A resident called police early in the morning Sept. 20 to report two suspicious people in the 100 block of East Maple Avenue.

After a short foot chase of the suspects in the 300 block of South 7th Avenue, Harris was apprehended near 6th and Goodman avenues with some property he could not account for. A search of the area to determine the origin of the proceeds was conducted by La Grange officers with the assistance of Brookfield, La Grange Park, Countryside and Western Springs police.

A canine unit from the Darien Police Department also responded to the area.

A comprehensive search was conducted and the officers and investigators located burglaries in the first block of South Catherine Avenue and the 300 blocks of South Catherine and 7th avenues.

Harris was interrogated at the La Grange police station and two additional crime scenes were identified.

Evidence and property related to the burglaries has been recovered. The evidence included, but was not limited to purses, cell phones and other electronic devices.

However, Police Chief Michael Holub stated these latest cases may not be linked to others in the village earlier this summer.

"Although we have experienced previous burglaries or thefts in La Grange over the past several weeks, we do not believe Anthony Harris is involved in any of those prior cases," he stated.

Now, some happy news
A dog to remain nameless was reunited with its owner following a potentially tragic set of circumstances shortly before 4:30 p.m. Sept. 18. Seems the pet was being walked when it slipped away from its owner's grip and ran into traffic at 47th Street and 9th Avenue, obviously unaware there was a painted crosswalk right there. The dog was struck by the vehicle and became stuck beneath it, but eventually freed himself. Whew. Close call.

Unrelated thefts
Sometime between 11 p.m. Sept. 21 and 8:45 a.m. Sept. 22, a 2-foot-high-by-10-inch wide faux cement decorative lion on a square base was stolen from a front porch in the 200 block of South Kensington Avenue. The figure was valued at $50. Kid's bicycles were reported stolen from a front yard in the 200 block of South Kensington and the front porch of a home in the 100 block of South 8th Avenue, both on Sept. 18

Miscellaneous items were taken when a vehicle was burglarized in the overnight hours of Sept. 21 in the 900 block of South Catherine. Also that night, several articles were shuffled around inside a possibly unlocked vehicle as it was parked in the 300 block of South 6th Avenue, but nothing was reported stolen. In the overnight hours of Sept. 15, two vehicles were burglarized in the 800 block of South La Grange Road.
A white MacBook laptop computer and black IPod were stolen when burglars forcibly entered a locked door of a home in the 100 block of Edgewood Lane in the overnight hours of Sept. 20 and rifled through an entire room while the residents were away.

A resident of the 200 block of South Kensington also reported a burglary to his home after returning from vacation shortly before 9 a.m. Sept. 21, but it was unknown if entry was gained. A ladder taken out of an open side door of the garage was found propped up against the back of the house.

Yet another resident, this time in the 200 block of South Spring Avenue, told police that they heard a noise outside about 1:15 a.m. Sept. 20 and saw two subjects running through yards. Upon investigation, they found their basement window well uncovered and several paver bricks stacked on the side. No entry was gained.

Some (other) crimes go unpunished
A boy was spotted on the roof of the AT&T building at Calendar Court and Ashland Avenue throwing rocks at cars shortly after 4:30 p.m. Sept. 18. He later told police hr was waiting for hos father, who works there, to get off for the day.

That night, at about 9:30 p.m., someone called 911 from a cell phone to report a group of kids who somehow made their way up to the roof of Cossitt School, 115 E. Cossitt Ave. (this seems a regular occurrence), and decided to start playing dodgeball with another group of kids down below. They were seen leaving the area when police arrived.

And we thought summer was over. A group of kids seen bombing cars with eggs from just west of La Grange Road at Ogden Avenue shortly before 10:30 p.m. Sept. 18 could not be located.

The driver of a Waste Management truck was not ticketed when he rear ended and knocked over a fire hydrant in the first block of Beech Avenue at Shawmut Avenue in La Grange Park shortly before 7:30 a.m. Sept. 22. The Fire Department took care of the downed hydrant.

At around 8:30 a.m. Sept. 22, a broken window was discovered at the north side of the former Rich Port YMCA, 31 E. Ogden Ave. Plywood over the window was pried off and the outer of two windows was broken, but no entry was gained.

The unknown driver of a red Corvette was doing burnouts on the street in front of a house in the 700 block of South 12th Avenue on the morning and in the early evening of Sept. 20. In the evening incident, the car turfed the front lawn as well. A special watch was requested as the homeowner believes the trouble is related to a vandalized vehicle reported to Western Springs police two days earlier.

A post was reported on fire in a park at 53rd and Spring avenues shortly after 9 a.m. Sept. 19 and a car was reported on fire at Washington and Lincoln avenues shortly before 4:30 p.m. Sept. 18.

People crimes and what-not
An unknown woman seen walking in the middle of La Grange Road traffic between 47th and 55th streets during the early evening rush hour Sept. 22 prompted several 911 calls from passersby, but police never located her.

A 54-year-old homeless man from Elgin was told to go find another place to stay after he was found establishing residency under the Ogden Avenue bridge along Tilden Avenue and adjacent to the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad tracks at 5:40 p.m. Sept. 18. A day earlier, at about the same time, a 63-year-old homeless woman was sent elsewhere after someone complained she was panhandling outside of the Hallmark gift store at 4 W. Burlington Ave.

A 36-year-old Aurora man who called police to report he had been stabbed during a fight at Bluff and Harris avenues at about 8 p.m. Sept. 18 ended up refusing medical treatment when offered. Multiple 911 calls alerted cops to the fight, which was broken up by the time they arrived.

A 17-year-old Lyons Township High School student was treated for injuries when she hit her head while in the Vaughn Building on the North campus, 100 S. Brainard Ave., it was reported at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 18.

Someone claimed they were jumped by two teens around 47th Street and 9th Avenue at about 8 .m. Sept. 17. The suspects were described as about 18 years old, each one wearing a white short, white hat and blue jeans and the other wearing a Navy blue polo shirt with a design on it. They were last seen in the 700 block of South 8th Avenue.

Two 23-year-old women were cited for simple battery after they got into a fight with each other behind a building in the 1000 block of South La Grange Road at about 3:40 p.m. Sept. 16. Cited were Danielle Zychowski of Justice and Ashley Ortega of Willow Springs.

MORE BURGLARIES, VANDALISM

2009-09-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

The most noteworthy crime report of the past week or so, if not the most bizarre in nature, did not even occur in La Grange but in neighboring Brookfield. Still, the attempted armed robbery at the Dunkin' Donuts at Maple and Ogden avenues in the early morning hours of Sept. 1 did prompt the La Grange police to respond and help search for the suspect.

Police report a white male wearing a grey shirt and riding a bicycle walked into the 24-hour doughnut shop at 2:57 a.m. and tried to hold up the place with a pipe wrench. Upon his entry, all of the employees ran out a rear door. Shortly thereafter, the suspect also took off but without any money or food and is still at large.

A La Grange police officer received a hot tip from two subjects who wished to remain anonymous at about 6:30 p.m. Sept. 15 that a possible shooting was to have occurred that night in the village. After verifying area residents were warned to stay off the streets, the officer learned a 36-year-old man from the 200 block of Sawyer Avenue was robbed and beaten by known offenders from La Grange that morning the incident could result in retaliation.

Almost a week earlier, on the evening of Sept. 9, the beating victim reported a burglary to his home. Stolen, he told police, were an assault rifle and various prescription medications.

Break-ins, thefts
No arrests were made when a break-in occurred at a home in the 700 block of South Waiola Avenue at 1:35 a.m. Sept. 11. An ADT residential alarm alerted police to the burglary, in which the offenders ran away out the rear door. Investigators and the Countryside canine unit were called out to assist in the search.

A 5-foot-3 white balding man named Chris came into the Pier One imports store, 15 N. La Grange Road, early in the business day Sept. 15 and unsuccessfully tried to return some merchandise with fake receipts. The matter was not turned over to police and, in fact, was not reported until hours, later but will be handled internally by the store's loss prevention staff, police said.

A video gaming system and other items were reported missing from an apartment unit in the first block of West Burlington Avenue that police learned is often unlocked. The report was filed shortly before 9 p.m. Sept. 10.

Someone entered a home in the 200 block of South Stone Avenue on Sept. 6 and took some items. The break-in was reported to police four days later.

A fence on the ComEd property in the 900 block of Hillgrove Avenue was cut and some cable was stolen, it was reported to police at 11:44 a.m. Sept. 15.

An unlocked boys royal blue 24-inch Magna bicycle was stolen from the 100 block of North Spring Avenue on Sept. 11. The theft was reported four days later.

An LCD projector was stolen in the overnight hours of Sept. 11 and 12 from the front yard of a home in the 400 block of East Maple Avenue, police said.

Vandalism
A decorative Chicago White Sox home plate sign was smashed to pieces and left out in the street in front of the same house in the 800 block of South 7th Avenue sometime between 5 p.m. Sept. 12 and noon Sept. 13. The sign was valued at $30.

A 50-year-old resident in the 100 block of Sawyer Avenue found paint balls on the inside of her back yard fence. There was no permanent damage.

A window was broken in a van parked in the first block of South Ashland Avenue, it was reported at 2:26 a.m. Sept. 11.

People stories
A special watch was requested about 8:30 p.m., also on Sept 15, based on a report that various subjects are rolling marijuana joints and smoking them in Sawyer Park at Lincoln and Washington avenues.

A resident of the first block of South Waiola Avenue called police shortly before 8:30 a.m. Sept.15 and reported a raccoon was stuck inside a garbage Dumpster behind her apartment building and could not get out because there was no waste inside for him to climb on and exit.
The animal was provided an escape route and was freed a few minutes later, police said.

Police are investigating a possible case of child neglect involving an infant in the first block of North Peck Avenue who suffered a broken femur shortly before 10 a.m. Sept. 11.

A 73-year-old resident of the 100 block of Hayes Avenue told police she was disrespected and harassed by a 14-year-old boy. When police came to look for him, he was gone.

A 70-year-old La Grange man also reported being harassed by a homeless man on a bicycle shortly before 11 a.m. Sept. 12 at Hillgrove and Madison avenues. When police arrived to investigate, the offender could not be found.

And on Sept. 9, a resident in the 700 block of South 6th Avenue told police a 50- to 60-year-old brunette homeless woman tried to get into her vehicle at about 4:30 p.m. that day. The offender, with missing teeth and wearing a red and white striped shirt and white Capri pants, was first seen in front of the victim's house when she asked for a ride. When she was refused, the transient woman then tried to get into the passenger seat as the victim left the area to call police. The victim was told to call police again if the woman returns.

A boy was allegedly bit by a dog at around 7 p.m. Sept. 8 in the 100 block of South 6th Avenue. The injury was reported two days later.

A 19-year-old La Grange woman reported Sept. 9 her identity was stolen when her Kohl's department store credit card went missing from her car back in April 2009. In later months, the card was illegally used in several unknown communities.

Fire call

A resident cleaning a kitchen oven inside a house in the 800 block of South 7th Avenue alerted the La Grange Fire Department the room filled up with smoke. There was no fire and a fan was provided to air out the home.

LA GRANGE KID BUSTED FOR BREAK-INS

2009-09-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

A 16-year-old La Grange boy was one of a tri0 of teens who were arrested this past week for brazenly entering several homes in Brookfield to burglarize them in recent days. Although the high schooler and a 14-year-old partner-in-crime from Brookfield were not identified by police because they are being petitioned to Cook County Juvenile Court, their 17-year-old alleged accomplice, Aurelio Ortega, also of Brookfield, is being tried as an adult. Following a Sept. 8 bond hearing at the Maybrook Courthouse in Maywood, Ortega was held on a $200,o00 bond in the Cook County Jail. Each of the alleged offenders' roles in the series of early morning home break-ins was not yet revealed, but each is being charged with four counts of residential burglary.

The most recent home invasion occurred in the early morning hours of Sept. 4, in which a home in the 4400 block of South Blanchan Avenue (that's just one block east of La Grange) was entered while residents were asleep. Stolen were a laptop computer, a cellular telephone and several DVDs. Also on Sept. 4, an LCD television set and wallet were stolen from a home in the 4400 block of South Raymond Avenue. Two other burglaries, in which cash was stolen, occurred on Aug. 28 and Sept. 1, police said.

And elsewhere in La Grange ...
A 32-year-old Brookfield man recently suspended from patron privileges for a year at the La Grange Public Library for breaking an undisclosed rule returned to the facility, 10 W. Cossitt Ave., on Sept. 5 and made a veiled bomb threat. Library Director Jeanne Dilger-Hill told police on the morning of Sept. 8 that the man threatened to blow up the place after being kicked out a day earlier. In the heat of an argument, he allegedly made a statement in reference to "blowing up the building" but attempted nothing of the sort. In fact, library officials told police they did not believe the man would follow through with the threat. Police cautioned them to alert them if the man, whose name was also undisclosed, returns again.

A burglar alarm was activated at St. James Community Baptist Church, 241 Sawyer Ave., at about 1:30 p.m. Sept. 8 alerting police that glass was breaking in a study and the north and west master bedrooms. Police responded and found the exterior secure.

Burglar alarms also were activated numerous times at Gurrie Middle School, 1001 S. Spring Ave. A cafeteria door exit was compromised at 1:40 a.m. Sept. 7, 6 p.m. Sept. 6 and at 9:50 p.m. and 5:06 a.m. Sept. 5. Each time the building was deemed secure. However, a 911 caller alerted police to kids playing on the school roof shortly after 7 p.m. Sept. 5 and the vagrants took off as police were arriving.

A GPS unit and money were reported stolen from a silver Lexus as it was parked in the 1000 block of South Madison Avenue at about 5:30 p.m. Sept. 4. It was not known if the vehicle was locked, but the break-in occurred during the previous night.

Several bicycles were stolen recently, including a boys grey sparkled Mongoose BMX-type bike with black lettering which was chained to a pole behind a building in the first block of La Grange Road at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6 and discovered missing at 1:45 p.m. Sept. 7. A 16-inch grey Diamondback with a black design left unlocked outside Chipotle, 1 S. La Grange Road, was taken at about 9 p.m. Sept. 5, it was reported the next afternoon. Shortly before 5:30 p.m. Sept. 5, a locked 17-inch red Raleigh Comfort bike valued at $329 was reported stolen from Brainard and Burlington avenues. A bicycle also was taken from outside Borders, 1 N. La Grange Road, on Sept. 3.

Four boys escaped out a rear door of Santiago's Mexican restaurant, 9 S. La Grange Road, without paying their $35 food bill sh0rtly after 9 p.m. Sept. 3. Police said the boys, who were not arrested, walked out with the bill in hand and were last seen southbound down the alley between La Grange Road and Sixth Avenue. One of the boys was wearing shorts and a white t-shirt.

A 17-year-old Countryside girl, a student at Lyons Township High School's North campus, 100 S. Brainard Ave., was caught with an alleged marijuana smell on her on at 12:40 p.m. Sept. 2. Police said the girl tested positive for the drug, but faced no charges. The incident will be handled internally by the school.

Police on routine patrol Sept. 2 discovered open garage and house doors and windows too numerous to mention and bicycles not put away outside several homes. And we wonder why there have been so many thefts and burglaries lately.

A resident in the 600 block of South Kensington Avenue reported her cars were egged by unknown vandals at about 10:15p.m. Sept. 6.

In addition, a resident in the 300 block of South Peck Avenue said her land telephone line stopped working at 4 p.m. Sept. 4. When the phone company came out, they found wires had been ripped out from the phone box on the south side of the house.

Strange but true
Last but not least, a 10- to 12-year-old La Grange boy was spotted by a neighbor driving a white Pontiac down westbound Calendar Avenue from Washington Avenue at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 6, but police could not locate the boy or the car.

To top that off, it seems 34-year-old Frank DeMichel of Roselle may have been celebrating his birthday a week early last weekend. The driver was treated at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital for undisclosed injuries he suffered when he drove his black car into a light pole at the southwest corner of East and Ogden avenues on the night of Sept. 5. Several 911 calls alerted police to the crash and the downed traffic light and DeMichel was arrested on charges of drunken driving and several other traffic violations.

STEVE KNEIFEL BACK IN TOWN; OTHER NEWS

2009-09-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

fIRST and foremost, we'd like to take the time to welcome back home La Grange Police Officer Steve Kneifel, who has spent the past nine months from his deployment with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.

Steve, who arrived home to take care of his wife and family a week or two ago, has been busy tending to family matters, but was back in action serving La Grange this week. His wife is ill and we wish her the best in her treatment and recovery.

The Police Department is giving him a big Welcome Home celebration with a party on Friday, Sept. 11 at the Robert Coulter American Legion Post in La Grange.

Stay tuned to this site for details.

In the meantime, anyone who would like to volunteer with the arrangements (or contribute food or provisions) is asked to call Police Chief Mike Holub or Jane Coleman at (708) 579-2333.

Now on to (less) important things, namely this week's police blotter:

There's been a spate of car burglaries, bicycle thefts and odd goings-on in La Grange including people hearing footsteps in their (haunted?) houses and one lady who claims hundreds of men are headed to town to get her. Oh well, the day in the life of a cop.

An employee of the Balkan Bakery (which we didn't even know existed), 541 S. La Grange Road, arrived for work shortly before 4 a.m. Sept. 2 to find the front door window busted. No entry was gained.

A 60-year-old resident in the 800 block of South Catherine Avenue reported to police that after she turned off her television for the night and headed to bed at about 11:45 p.m. Sept. 1, she heard footsteps on the second floor of her house. Police responded and found nothing disturbed.
.
However, oddly enough, a vehicle was burglarized, also in the 800 block of South Catherine, in the overnight hours of Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. The car was rifled through and change was stolen. Another vehicle, a Chevy Suburban, was burglarized as it was parked on the night of Aug. 28 in the 900 block of South Waiola Avenue.

Yet, even more strange were the claims of a 39-year-old woman in the 300 block of South Stone Avenue, who reported at 1:50 p.m. Aug. 31 that she heard footsteps in the upstairs of her house. Police again found no signs of entry and nothing disturbed.

A boy's red felt Heretic dirt bike with 20-inch wheels was stolen outside Cossitt School, 115 W. Cossitt Ave., sometime after 8 p.m. Aug. 29, it was reported two days later. The boy left it there unlocked and it was gone when he returned to retrieve it. That same weekend, a grey and red Schwinn boys mountain bike was reported stolen, but on Aug. 30. The theft, from the 600 block of South 8th Avenue, was reported at 4 p.m. the following day. And sometime between 10 p.m. Aug. 28 and 11 a.m. Aug. 2`9, a boys bike was ripped off from a yard in the 500 block of South Ashland Avenue.The black Fitbike, with 18-inch wheels, was valued at $250.

However, a boys red Schwinn Safari bicycle was found in front of a house in the first block of Drexel Avenue. Police picked it up the following day.

Word to the (un?)wise: If something of yours is stolen, report it missing immediately, not a day or two later.

Bad news
Unknown pranksters vandalized the grounds of Cossitt Elementary School over the weekend. The damage, discovered Aug. 30, included non-gang graffiti, beer bottles on the playground, drawings from colored wood chips in playground and fence supports removed from a pump near the playground. There was no permanent damage reported.

A resident of the 900 block of South Kensington Avenue said they caught a teenage boy going through their vehicle shortly before 3 a.m. Aug. 30. The boy, last seen walking away toward 52nd Street, was wearing a dark-colored jacket or shirt and shorts. Nothing was stolen.

A resident of the first block of South Ashland reported mail missing from his mailbox on Aug. 29.

A resident of the 700 block of Mason Drive reported Aug. 31 that over the past two months, her two vehicles have been damaged, once by being scratched over their entire surface and again when someone used a cigarette to burn the finish.

Bizarre behavior
Police could not make any arrests after a resident of the 500 block of South La Grange Road called at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 30 to report some upstairs tenants were throwing bricks -- yes, bricks -- at the building.

A resident of the first block of South 6th Avenue found small pieces of paper in front of his condominium with disturbing, rambling misspelled words referencing weapons, a female name and a DuPage County elementary school, a teacher and a specific date. Police forwarded the item to a regional police dispatch center.

Police are also investigating a report that a 14-year-old girl from the 500 block of South La Grange Road was dropped off at home by unknown men in an intoxicated state on Aug. 30. The girl's mother filed the report Aug. 30.

A student at Cossitt Elementary School, 115 W. Cossitt Ave., found a Ziploc-type bag containing a small amount of marijuana at the school, it was reported to police shortly after 4 p.m. Sept. 1. It was not known how it got there or to whom it belonged.

Over the course of two days and nights -- Aug. 30 and 31 -- a 37-year-old Bellwood woman tried to convince police that unknown men were out to get her and cause her and her children and other people's children harm. The claims started at 8:18 a.m. Aug. 30, when she called police from her mother's house in the 300 block of East Franklin Avenue to suggest friends of her ex-boyfriend threatened to "shoot up the place" and would arrive wearing blue, red or orange clothing. At about 8 p.m. that night, an anonymous caller believed to be the same woman told police some man was going to burn down her house and go to all the schools in La Grange to hurt kids, before she abruptly hung up. Her mother told police the daughter thought "hundreds of men" were after her, trying to hurt her. The following morning, her sister called to tell police the woman was at Cossitt School at 9 a.m. speaking to a social worker and to visit her children who are in the legal custody of her mother and sister. She returned an hour later, gave police eight license plate numbers and advised the men driving those cars were coming to the school. Earlier that morning, she contacted police to tell them "swarms of men" were coming to town to hurt children, wearing red, blue or orange clothing. Police could not locate any such people and found no order of protection barring the woman from school grounds. Hmm.

Fire calls
Firefighters extinguished an oven fire that broke out shortly before 1 p.m. Aug. 30 in the 600 block of Edgewood Lane.

Breaking news
A 34-year-old La Grange resident was one of two women shot at with BB-type guns as they walked down a Riverside street on the morning of Sept. 2 -- and police said the alleged offenders were four Riverside-Brookfield High School varsity football players.

The unidentified woman, who was the only one struck, sustained a large welt in her left hip and was treated at the scene by Riverside paramedics after they called police and provided a partial license plate number of a vehicle they witnessed driving away. The incident occurred about 11:30 a.m.

The other woman with her was not injured, but she told police she felt a pellet fly past her face, police said.

The students, whose names are being withheld until the investigation is complete, are all facing possible battery charges. At the time of their arrest, they were still wearing their football jerseys because they were at practice that morning.

The four teens had Airsoft guns in their possession, including one pistol and two rifles with orange tips on the barrels which fire hard, round plastic pellets, according to police. The fourth weapon looked like a shotgun and had no orange tip, said police, an indication they remarked could have made them return fire.

R-B students are still on summer vacation, and are scheduled to return to school next week due to ongoing building renovations.

BURGLARIES, ACCIDENTS, VANDALISM

2009-08-27T22:14:00.000-07:00

A mixture of crimes, accidents and fire calls kept La Grange and La Grange Park police and firefighters busy this past week or so.

A resident in the 500 block of South Madison Avenue awoke shortly after 8 a.m. Aug. 26 to discover someone broke into their locked car overnight and stole a purse. The resident said she heard the car alarm go off sometime during the night and turned it off with her electronic key ring from inside the house.

Someone rifled through a La Grange woman's Honda in the 200 block of North Catherine Avenue in the overnight hours of Aug. 22 and 23, it was reported at 11:18 a.m. Aug. 23. Nothing was reported missing.

A brick was thrown at a vehicle belonging to a 60-year-old woman in the 900 block of South 7th Avenue shortly before 3 p.m. Aug. 22.

Someone attempted to break into a house in the first block of Dover Avenue, it was reported at 11:15 a.m. Aug. 23. No entry was gained.

A man from unincorporated La Grange Highlands came to the La Grange Police Department at 2:45 p.m. Aug. 25 to report his 16-year-old son is a runaway and often frequents the village's downtown business district. Police took his information in case the boy is found.

Sarah Welge, 21, of 938 S. Spring Ave., told police she struck her wheelchair-bound brother, Jason Welge, 24, while backing up a vehicle at home at about 6 p.m. Aug. 25. The brother, who told police he could not feel anything, was transported to Adventist Hinsdale Hospital for observation. No tickets were issued.

Graffiti was discovered by the main entrance to the Cossitt Elementary School playground, 115 W. Cossitt Ave., shortly before 8 a.m. Aug. 24.

A substance believed to be pizza was found smeared all over an elevator control panel and the back wall of the elevator inside the downtown parking garage, 80 S. 6th Ave. The vandalism, which caused no permanent damage, was discovered shortly before 3:15 a.m. Aug. 23.

Something fishy
A 42-year-old resident of the 5000 block of South Brainard Avenue told police someone stuck a dead fish wrapped in a brown paper bag between his front and screen doors sometime between 7 a.m. Aug. 23 and 10:30 a.m, Aug. 24. The man said he suspected his ex-wife's husband, although no arrests were made.

Flower fire?
Yes, indeed. A fire was discovered in a flower box on the southwest corner of a building at Brewster Avenue and La Grange Road in neighboring La Grange Park shortly after 8 a.m. Aug. 23. aGrange firefighters who responded to the call said papers were on fire in the planter and were quickly extinguished.

La Grange Park

A 2003 Buick Century belonging to an 80-year-old woman in the 1000 block of Barnsdale Road was stolen from her apartment parking lot, it was reported at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 14. Police said the woman's occasional live-in 20-year-old nephew was suspected of taking the car without permission using an extra set of keys. The vehicle was located in Maywood at 12:50 a.m. Aug. 15.

NEW SPEED LIMIT FOR 47TH STREET

2009-08-25T02:33:00.002-07:00

Pedestrians crossing 47th Street between East Avenue at La Grange's border with Brookfield and McCook and Willow Springs Road at its border with Western Springs now have a greater safety measure on their side.

In addition to newly improved crosswalks and handicapped curb cuts in some sections of the state thoroughfare, the four-lane roadway is now posted -- as of Aug. 24 -- with new 30 mph speed limit signs, replacing the former 35 mph signs.

The new speed limit and appropriate signage was recently approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation at the request of the village, following the fatal accident just three months ago that claimed the life of a Countryside mother.

Cari Cook, 30, had been crossing the street at 8th Avenue, with her daughter in a baby stroller in front of her and her son and family dog in tow when she was struck by a passing motorist. That driver received traffic citations as a result, pleaded guilty in court and received probation.

The speed limit change was approved thanks to the bipartisan lobbying efforts of state Representatives Michael Zalewski and James Durkin, said Village President Liz Asperger at the Aug. 24 Village Board meeting.

"This has been a long effort ... by our staff," she said. "This is something we're very pleased to be able to enact as school comes back in session."

At the same meeting, trustees authorized a consultant group, KLOA, to study the appropriateness of speed adjustments along 47th Street -- where staff is suggesting a possible rollback to as low as 25 mph.

A resident of the 600 block of La Grange Road, who previously warned the board of federal studies which show a reduction of speed actually results in more accidents, cautioned village officials not to ask the consultant to study the impact of certain speeds. Asperger said she would take his request under consideration.

"I'm all for effective speed (adjustments) ... but the request for studies should be left very generic," the resident said. "You've asked KLOA to consider 30 or 25 mph, but we should ask them to evaluate appropriate speeds. I think the best way is not to say what we want speed limits to be."

Another resident, from the 600 block of South Edgewood Avenue, implored trustees to not just focus on 47th, but on the village's border with Western Springs where students cross Willow Springs Road to access Lyons Township High School's South campus.

See the big story regarding school and traffic safety in La Grange in The News this Wednesday.

2009-08-25T02:33:00.001-07:00

THIS WEEK'S COP STORIES

2009-08-20T23:01:00.000-07:00

For this week's biggest crime story, see The News.

Police are reporting no new developments in the string of thefts and burglaries that have occurred in recent weeks to resident's homes, cars and garages, but some thefts and general mayhem has been reported of late.

A male black with a light mustache, about 35 years of age, got away after stealing a carton of cigarettes from the 7-Eleven at 201 W. Hillgrove Ave. at about 1:30 a.m. Aug. 19. The suspect, whom police could not locate, was wearing a Chicago Bears jersey and blue jeans at the time.

A Public Works Department employee on his morning rounds Aug. 18 discovered graffiti on planter boxes near the downtown fountain at 53 S. La Grange Road. The marker or carton etching was simply the word "zero." The vandalism was found just before 9 a.m. Non-gang graffiti, written with a black marker, was also discovered on the back exit door of a store in the first block of Burlington Avenue, it was reported just before 1 p.m. Aug. 17. And at 9:41 p.m. Aug. 15, a resident of the 300 block of East Lincoln Avenue reported one of their landscaping lights was vandalized and found in a lawn about three houses away. It was believed kids on their way to the downtown business district may be responsible for the damage.

Although not as destructive as graffiti or vandalism, a vehicle was egged on 41st Street just west of Dover Avenue at about 3:40 a.m. Aug. 20. But just as bad three days earlier, a resident in the 900 block of South 8th Avenue reported their 2009 Nissan Versa was keyed sometime between Aug. 7 and 15. The same vehicle was keyed in two previous incidents.

Someone's storage unit was also broken into for the third time in the past two weeks, it was reported just before 6:30 p.m. Aug. 13. The break-in occurred in the first block of South Spring Avenue. And over in La Grange Park, an alarm was activated at a residence in the 600 block of North Kensington Avenue at 2:26 a.m. Aug. 15. When police arrived, they found a rear door ajar.

Bricks were reported stolen from a construction site in the Avenue, it was reported shortly before 10 a.m. Aug. 19. Two days earlier, someone went outfirst block of West Cossitt Avenue to their car at about 10:30 a.m. to find it had been burglarized overnight. Several items were reported missing.

News of the weird
Someone threw a wet telephone book at a patio window in the 800 block of South La Grange Road just before 8 p.m. Aug. 17. Go figure.

A Riverside woman was driving underneath the Ogden Avenue bridge at Tilden and Shawmut avenues at about 9 p.m. Aug. 13 when she reported "some type of substance" was dropped on her car from up above. Turns out it was an egg and, of course, there was no permanent damage.

Oddly enough, a 16-year-old Countryside boy was cited with two disorderly conduct ordinance tickets after someone witnessed him running from the same intersection (as above) just as their car got hit with an egg. David Holloway, of 5700 S. Madison Ave., was located by police at Calendar and Washington avenues, ticketed and turned over to his mother.

Poor kitty
An obviously distraught Elm Avenue resident learned the whereabouts of her reported missing cat on the afternoon of Aug. 19, when the pet's leather collar was returned to her. Seems a Public Works Department employee brought in to the Police Department the collar with a heart tag attached to it, informing them the cat was found to have been disposed of in a Dumpster behind their facility on East Avenue that day. The owner was told the cat was involved in an accident.

A 16-year-old boy and his friend told police they were riding their bicycles in the parking lot of McDonald's, 100 N. La Grange Road, shortly before 10 p.m. Aug. 18 when a woman in a silver Mitsubishi tried to hit them with her vehicle before she took off west on Ogden Avenue. One of the boys said she struck his foot. The woman, about 30, was wearing a red shirt, but police called to the scene were unable to locate any such person.

Peeping Tom?
A resident of the 200 block of South 7th Avenue told police a neighbor called to tell him they saw a tall white man in his 20s or 30s looking into the porch windows of his house at about 10:55 p.m. Aug. 17. The man was wearing a t-shirt with red lettering or a design on it and a large star on the back.

A woman visiting Thipi Thai, 50 S. La Grange Road, told police she believes she left her black and brown purse, with a silver heart on it, on the floor of the restaurant during lunch that day and returned to find it missing. The handbag contained three credit cards, house and office keys, a drivers license and miscellaneous business cards and papers. The report was made to police at about 10 p.m. that night.

Don't leave the kids in the car
Two ordinance violation tickets were issued to mother Sheila Hoffman of 301 Bluff Ave., Apt. 2E in La Grange, after a 911 caller reported seeing a black Ford with an unattended infant in the passenger seat while it was parked near La Grange Road and Ogden Avenue at about 10:10 p.m. Aug. 14. Oops?

BURGLARIES, THEFTS CONTINUE

2009-08-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

As La Grange police continue to investigate possible links among a series of garage and home and yard burglaries predominantly in the neighborhood south of the downtown business district, reports of similar crimes continued to be made this past weekend.

Although no arrests have been made, residents are certainly being vigilant by alerting police whenever they see a suspicious car or person in a neighborhood when such sightings just seem out of place.

Such is the case of a suspicious unoccupied vehicle in the Sedgwick Park parking lot at 47th Street and Bluff Avenue shortly before midnight Aug. 11. Police looked for, but did not find the owner of the vehicle. Or such things as someone noticing open garage doors in the 700 block of South Spring, the 11oo block of Arlington Street and the 400 block of South Peck avenues on the morning of Aug. 9 or in the 800 block of Ashland Avenue shortly after midnight that day. Keep it up, folks. The cops might catch someone yet.

A possible Cubs fan with a bad attitude may also be on the prowl. Seems someone stole a Chicago White Sox flag and flagpole which had been attached to a house in the 600 block of South 10th Avenue. The theft was discovered just before 10 a.m. Aug. 11.

Three and a half hours later, over at the Masonic Home, 441 S. 9th Ave., three bicycles were reported stolen from a bike rack. One of the bikes was locked, said police. A purple Schwinn, also unlocked, was reported stolen at 7:30 p.m. the previous day from the 300 block of South 6th Avenue. And on the morning of Aug. 7, a boy's silver Schwinn Dyno bicycle with yellow, red and blue writing on it was reported stolen from the first block of South Spring Avenue.

But -- police also report -- an unidentified bicycle was found in a front yard at 821 S. Madison Ave., at 7: 40 a.m. Aug. 10.

Three wooden pallets worth a total of $150 were reported stolen from behind Trader Joe's, 25 N. La Grange Road, after the theft was discovered at about 4:45 p.m. Aug. 7. A witness provided a possible license of a driver in a dark-colored minivan who was seen loading the pallets into his vehicle.

A front window was shattered at Urban Sole, 72 S. La Grange Road, at about 5 p.m. Aug. 10. However, vandalism it may not have been. A nearby store owner claims it was likely from rumbling trucks and an ongoing restaurant renovation next door.

An unidentified male victim told police their cell phone was stolen after they were jumped by an unknown offender while walking near Sawyer Park at Lincoln and Washington avenues shortly before 1:30 p.m. Aug. 7.

On to more serious matters
Someone forced entry into a residence in the 900 block of South 6th Avenue, it was reported at about 12:15 p.m. Aug. 10. A day earlier, at 11:20 a.m. Aug. 9, someone discovered a cut screen and a cracked double-pane window in the rear of a home in the 300 block of South 8th Avenue. And shortly after 12:30 a.m. Aug. 8, someone in the 200 block of East Harris Avenue came home to find all of their house doors open.

Home invasion
Two days earlier, at 11:55 p.m. Aug. 7 (that's last Friday night), a resident of the 600 block of South 10th Avenue noticed a man trying to get into the front door of a home and then flee. The stocky, estimated 5-foot-8 suspect, last seen running westbound on 49th Street, was wearing a white or grey hat and blue jeans. He was believed to be in his late 20s or early 30s. However, police called to the scene were unable to locate him.

Other odds and ends

Bat heroes
Village employees helped free an injured bat which somehow got stuck in a residential window well in the 400 block of South Sixth Avenue at 5:15 a.m. Aug. 12.

Oops!
A resident of the first block of South Ashland Avenue was also freed, after locking himself outside of his home -- on the rear balcony -- shortly after midnight Aug. 9.

GET ready to rumm-ble!
An unidentified Lyons Township High School student and his friends were followed home by 18 fellow LT students after police said they were harassed in the central business district by some students from the rival Riverside-Brookfield High School.

Sudsy morning
Seems those no-good household cleaner-wielding pranksters are up to their tricks again. Soap was found in the downtown fountain -- creating, of course, lots of bubbles -- at about 1140 a.m. Aug. 6. The fountain is located halfway between Palmer Place and the parking deck.

LG NABS GUNMAN AFTER BAR SCUFFLE

2009-08-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

La Grange police arrested a Brookfield man on parole from a state prison who was later charged with numerous felonies for allegedly aiming a loaded handgun at three people outside a popular Ogden Avenue bar on the morning of Aug. 4.

Stanley P. Wisniowicz, 47, who has been staying with family members in Brookfield since being paroled six months ago after serving a two-year sentence for theft, allegedly got into an argument with two men and a woman in the parking lot outside Brixie's Saloon, 9526 Ogden, at about 2:20 a.m. that day after making a comment to the 27-year-old Hanover Park woman as she hopped on the back of a motorcycle.

Police said an argument then ensued, which led Wisniowicz to pull out a Smith & Wesson .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol and aim it at the woman and two men with her. He then ran west before police arrived and was found by La Grange officers a block away at the Citgo/7-Eleven at Ogden and East avenues a little more than a block away.

He was subsequently charged with three counts of aggravated assault, possession of a stolen firearm, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, possession of a firearm without a firearm owners identification card and possession of ammunition without a valid FOIA card.

A police dog from Wood Dale found the gun in some bushes near a vacant Moose Lodge behind the bar.

Police said the gun was reported stolen during the overnight hours of July 19 from a home in Brookfield, although the gunman has not been linked to that crime.

In 2001, Wisniowicz was convicted on three counts of residential burglary and received a 10-year sentence. He was also convicted of residential burglary in 1987 and 1997. His first conviction was at age 23 for attempted burglary in 1986. He also has convictions for theft and for possession of a controlled substance.

Wisniowicz is being held in Cook County Jail on a $500,000 bond. His next court date is Wednesday, Aug. 12.

BURGLARIES, VANDALISM ON THE RISE

2009-07-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

Well, summer is in full swing and it appears the neighborhood pranksters -- burglars, thieves, vandals and the like -- are out in full force, terrorizing residents by stealing bicycles, breaking into cars and houses and generally making a mess of things with senseless graffiti.

The most serious unrelated incident was at 12:25 p.m. July 20, when a bicyclist was struck by a vehicle at 47th Street and La Grange Road, promptinmg several 911 calls from alert passersby. The bicyclist suffered minor injuries and was treated at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital. Police Leiutenant Chris Noel said the victim was fine and released later that day.

The most recent damage was reported at 4:24 p.m. July 20 to village property. Seems two minor dents were discovered on the side of a police vehicle hood as it was parked at 304 W. Burlington Ave.

Gang graffiti was also discovered at 10 a.m. that day on the side of a building in the first block of North Beach Avenue.

A 20-inch black, white and royal blue Trek bicycle was reported stolen from inside a garage in the 400 block of South 7th Avenue, it was reported shortly after 11 a.m. July 20.

And a patron of Noodles & Company, 1 S. La Grange Road, reported seeing a green and black snake outside the restaurant at about 8:30 p.m. that night. The varmit was caught and relocated to a more natural area of the village.

More cops and crime news later today ...

A NOISY -- BUT LOW-CRIME -- FOURTH

2009-07-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July weekend in La Grange was quite eventful for the kids and adults who decided to brave the intermittent rain and blow off fireworks and other objects this past weekend, but not so much for police -- or so it seemed. (No severed body parts, etc.)

Two days before the holiday, however, a Brookfield man received a surprise in the air: from a gravel truck which lost gravel and smashed the windshield of his '01 Pontiac Montana at 9:35 a.m. July 2. As David Walker traveled on West Ogden Avenue at Kensington Avenue the loss of load and tried to signal the driver, to no avail, before his car was damaged. No injuries were reported.

On June 30, the driver of an '06 International trailer truck clipped a railroad gate at La Grange Road and Hillgrove Avenue, at about 10:15 a.m., damaging the passenger side of his truck. No injuries were reported and no tickets were issued.

Police arrested Aurelio Ortega, 17, on an outstanding warrant out of Western Springs after they spotted him near the downtown fountain at 4:40 p.m. July 6 and pursued him when he took off on foot. The offender (of an unknown address), caught in the 100 block of Hayes Avenue, had a warrant out on him for public order crimes of resisting a police officer. He was released on his own recognizance after he was unable to post bond.

Windows of a truck were reported broken into in the 400 block of Shawmut Avenue sometime during the day July 6, it was reported to police at about 6 p.m. that day. Trucks in the lot were broken into three times recently and the owners complained police did not respond to calls.

A witness told police they saw a man in a Buick strike two vehicles at 51st Street and La Grange Road before taking off at around 8:50 p.m. July 6. Police were unable to locate any such offender.

Fireworks thrown behind a garage in the 100 block of Sawyer Avenue ignited a small fire at around 12:30 p.m. July 6. It was out before firefighters arrived, except for some smoking pieces of carpeting.

A resident of the 200 block of Sawyer told police, also that morning, that it appeared someone was trying to blow up his vehicle with fireworks sometime on the night of July 4.

A special police watch has been dispatched to the Community Center at 200 W. Washington after reports that kids are hanging outside of the facility after midnight smoking pot.

And while most fireworks offenders were either not found or sent on their way this past weekend, a trio of La Grange boys had their stash confiscated by police after an anonymous female called 911 at 8:25 p.m. July 5 to alert them the teens were setting off fireworks in the intersection of Spring and Goodman avenues. The boys,. ages 13, 15 and 13, were turned over to their parents.

On July 4, several boys and girls were given ordinance violation citations for setting fire to a portable toilet with fireworks outside of Spring Avenue School, 1001 S. Spring. The incident occurred around 4 p.m.

Also on July 4, a couple taking a late-night walk through Sedgwick Park reported seeing a portable toilet next to the outdoor volleyball courts on fire. Police were unable to determine who was responsible for the damage.

Someone either broke in or left open the door to a concession stand in Sedgwick Park at 48th and 10th streets, it was discovered at around 1 a.m. July 5.

A rock aimed at a boy went through the window of a black Honda instead in the 300 block of East Avenue, at about 8 p.m. July 4.

A group of more than 10 teens who were reported to be drunk and drinking in the southeast corner of the Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital parking lot, 5101 S. Willow Springs Road, shortly before 10 p.m. July 4, were of legal drinking age and just passing through, they told police. No tickets were issued.

Four fraudulent checks totalling of $3,039.90 were reported passed by a Chicago customer doing business with Prickly Pear, a catering service storefront on West Hillgrove Avenue. The case, turned over to Chicago police, was reported to La Grange police on July 3.

A small kitchen fire set off by cooking was extinguished by firefighters in the first block of South 6th Avenue at around 6:45 p.m. July 3.

POLICE BLOTTER FOR JULY

2009-07-01T02:42:00.000-07:00

The good news is that fewer accidents are being reported along 47th Street, which saw as many as a crash every other day in the few weeks following the May 19 fatality that resulted in the death of a 30-year-old Countryside woman.

The bad news is that despite improved traffic safety measures such as pedestrian barriers and a speed limit digital readout, drivers still seem to be traveling down the state roadway at a pretty good clip. What's it gonna take? Speed bumps?

Anyway, the most serious accident this week was not on 47th at all, but at Ogden and Waiola avenues, shortly before 5 p.m. June 28, when an '02 Olds Bravada collided with a '97 Chevy Blazer, sending one driver, 68-year-old Brookfield resident David Duax to the hospital after he was extricated from his Blazer by La Grange paramedics. Seems Katrinas Matysik, 18, of Western Springs, was eastbound on Ogden making a northbound turn onto Waiola when she thought Duax was going to stop at the yellow light but proceeded ahead and collided with him on the turn. Duax, treated at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, was ticketed for failure to yield turning left.

However, there still were four fender-benders on the stretch of 47th between La Grange Road and East Avenue between June 22 and 29, including at 2 p.m. June 29 at the entrance to the Sedgwick Park parking lot at Bluff Avenue; at La Grange Road at 10:55 a.m. June 26 and 12:15 p.m. June 22 and at East Avenue at 4:15 p.m. June 23.

While taking a ride on her Schwinn bicycle at 9:40 a.m. June 26, La Grange resident Laura Topps took a fall onto the street after hitting a curb on the east side of Brainard Avenue at Ogden and was taken by paramedics to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital. Topps, 54, of 740 S. Spring Ave., was riding northbound on the sidewalk when she fell for unknown reasons.

Another accident occurred at Ogden and Brainard shortly after 5 p.m. June 21, resulting in one injury. An '01 Chevy Impala driven by Patrick Nauss, 22, of 146 N. Dover Ave., La Grange was westbound on Ogden stopped at the intersection attempting to turn south onto southbound Brainard when he struck the driver's side front wheel and fender of an '03 Chevy Suburban driven by Jeffrey Feichtinger, 28 N. Spring Ave., La Grange, sending Feichtinger to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital. Nauss, who was cited for failure to yield, told police that due to others traveling east on Ogden, he did not see the other driver in the curb lane. After striking the Suburban, the driver went between two light poles, ran over a fire hydrant and came to rest on a sidewalk.

Police said two Western Springs boys and two La Grange girls -- all 18-years old -- reported being the victims of a simple battery while hanging out in the downtown business district at about 10:30 p.m. June 29. One of the victims is the son of a former Cook County judge.

Five kids seen playing with fireworks or believed to have been seen starting things on fire at Maple and Bluff avenues at about 4:45 p.m. June 29. Police found the children, all under the age of 10, playing with matches, and sent them home.

Two 16-year-old boys were cited for criminal trespass to property after allegedly entering Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad property at Maple Avenue at about 5:15 p.m. June 29. Those cited included Israel Guadalupe Jr. and Jorge Gomez, both of Brookfield.

A group of 10 to 15 boys were reported fighting in the 100 block of West Cossitt Avenue at about 10:10 p.m. June 29 were mostly gone when police arrived. Others were told about curfew violations and sent home.

Sad that it's come to this
A group of kids walking past an elderly man's yard in the 700 block of South Kensington Avenue said they were concerned about the man's intentions when he asked if they wanted to pick some raspberries. They refused and kept walking and later told their parents, who called police. The 77-year-old man told police he was just being friendly.

A lock was discovered broken on a garage door in the first block of Sawyer Avenue shortly after 1 p.m. June 29.

A 27-inch red boys Schwinn Sidewinder bicycle owned by a La Grange resident was reported missing after it was left at Sedgwick Park, it was reported to police June 29.

A stray dog found at 6th and Harris avenues at about 6:50 p.m. June 28 was brought to the Broadview Animal Hospital by police. The dog was a brown boxer/pit bull.

Ahhhhhhhhh La Grange!
More "unauthorized" swimmers were reported in the downtown fountain at 8:10 p.m. June 28. They were found to be by the water but not in it. Somebody should report the complainant for having waaaay too much time on their hands.

A police officer on foot patrol shortly before 3 a.m. June 27 found an open rear storage door at Horton's, 60 S. La Grange Road.

A resident of the first block of Bluff Avenue reported to police that when she arrived home on the night of June 26, she discovered someone had broken into her bedroom.

Police reported finding a 2-year-old boy near his home in the 800 block of South 7th Avenue looking for his parents shortly before 4:30 p.m. June 26. Police discovered the father asleep in the basement. The child was released to his mother, who arrived home while officers were still there.

And in the world of sports ...
An 18-year-old La Grange man told police someone dented his truck by throwing a football at it as he drove down the first block of North Poplar Avenue at about 6 p.m. June 26. The offender, who was not charged or ticketed, told police he threw the ball because the truck driver was traveling too fast down his residential street. Police told the offender not to take the law into his own hands.

SUMMER COMES IN LIKE A LAMB

2009-06-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

This week marked the official beginning of summer, but the usual things that accompany the often balmy and sweaty season -- domestic violence calls and other acts of random violence, at least in some parts of the city and suburbs -- just aren't happening here in La Grange.

However, we are pleased to report that there have been no reported traffic mishaps along 47th Street since a fender-bender during the evening rush at Peck Avenue on June 15 -- which breaks the chain I first reported on a couple of weeks ago that chronicled an estimated accident every other day.

Yet we are pleased the village has decided to take immediate steps to improve safety for pedestrians walking or riding bikes across 47th west of East Avenue by starting to install curb cuts into the parkway grass where sidewalks on the north and south sides of the busy state roadway have never been properly aligned.

Maybe the reduction in reported accidents along 47th has something to do with the nice, sunny days we've been experiencing of late, but maybe people who take that stretch to or from work or home are finally getting the picture by slowing down, paying attention to the road and drivers and others in their direct and peripheral vision, staying off the cell phone, out of the glovebox
or makeup purse or eating meals at the table instead of at the wheel.

Calling all cars
With the nice weather also brings minor activity that somehow makes it into the police blotter -- raccoons and coyotes on the loose, kids smoking and skateboarding on the parking deck and the latest popular pasttimes: Dumpster diving and swimming in the downtown fountain.

The young boys skateboarding were "caught" on the third floor of the 6th Avenue side of the deck at about 7:45 p.m. June 22, and sent on their way.

Those seen climbing in and out of a Dumpster outside Seventh Avenue School, 701 S. 7th Ave., at about 5:45 p.m. June 20 were gone by the time police arrived, and those playing nighttime basketball in Sedgwick Park, 48th Street and East Avenue shortly after midnight June 21 were sent on their way. Apparently, the Park District left the lights on after hours.

Earlier that day, kids discovered swimming in the nearby fountain -- at 3:56 and 4:06 p.m. -- were given a similar slap on the hand and told to either go away or just sit there.

Meanwhile, whoever was prematurely blowing off fireworks in the 400 block of East (or was that Eberly?) Avenue at 2 a.m. June 21 were also gone on arrival. Wait ... let me clarify that: fireworks, except for certain sparklers, snakes, smoke bombs and those little cardboard champagne bottle poppers, are against the law in Illinois.

Another trio of what several 911 callers believed were just causing trouble turned out to be just lolly-gagging around with what some witnesses at first described as a crowbar in Sedgwick Park. The calls, which were made about 9:15 p.m. June 21, described three boys or young men by the park's concession stand at 47th Street and 9th Avenue and one carrying a crobar. When found and questioned, they told police they all resided in the 400 block of 9th. They said they had found a pipe and were just walking around with it. The pipe was confiscated by an officer.

Perhaps the most serious offenders, mind you, were those bunch of kids on a canopy at Sawyer Park, Lincoln and Washington avenues, who police said were spotted by a resident throwing rocks at people shortly before 8 p.m. June 21. They, too, were nowhere to be found when the fuzz pulled up.

Police, in the meantime, established a special watch at Little People's Country, a preschool at 211 W. Hillgrove Ave., where older kids apparently have been drinking in a rear playground after the school closes and leaving empty beer bottles behind. The latest incident was reported at 5:42 p.m. June 19.

Someone who apparently was really low and, apparently, low on gas for their beige-colored sports utility vehicle drove off to who-knows-where after pumping $25.01 worth of fuel from a pump at the Shell gas station, 4701 S. Willow Springs Road, at about 2:15 p.m. June 20.

THE blue barrel?
Someone else reported to police seeing an apparently mysterious blue barrel on the side of the road near 47th and East at about 11:20 p.m. June 19. The barrel, found at 707 E. 47th, was empty. Aw, shucks.

In other news ...
One accident with injuries was reported involving a red sports utility vehicle, a silver Chevy Impala and a red fire hydrant at 5:09 p.m. June 21. The crash at Brainard and Ogden avenues prompted several 911 calls and resulted in injuries to a 41-year-old La Grange man, who was transported to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Paramedics also were called to a residence at 43 N. Spring Ave., where a 1-year-old child was injured when a chair was accidentally dropped on their toe.

Firefighters were a bit busy this past weekend, either responding to fire calls in La Grange or helping out with mutual aid assistance calls in neighboring communities. La Grange was one of seven departments which responded to a reported house fire at 824 East Ave. at 3 p.m. June 22, not long before a residential fire in Brookfield shortly before 3:30 p.m. and a 2 p.m. fire call, also in Brookfield, that day. At 9:15 that morning, they helped out with a truck fire in McCook and at 12:55 p.m., transported an elderly woman who fell in front of Women's Planned Health, 5201 S. Willow Springs Road, to La Grange Hospital.

Paramedics a day earlier brought Barbara Zlotorowicz, 60, of Crest Hill, to the same hospital after she suffered a broken leg at 86 Bluff Ave. shortly before midnight June 21. Earlier that day, they responded to a report of a structure fire in Brookfield shortly before 5 p.m. and a residential fire call in La Grange Park at 7:55 a.m.

On June 20, firefighters responded to an activated fire alarm in La Grange Park at 4:34 a.m., an 11:30 a.m. fire call in Brookfield, a fire call in McCook after 4 p.m. and a Western Springs structure fire call at 6:45 p.m.

A day earlier, at 3:45 a.m., they also assisted in a smell of smoke call at a house in Western Springs.

A stop sign was also reported down at Brainard and Ogden avenues shortly before 7 a.m. June 22, and one of the paintings in the La Grange Business Association's summerlong public art exhibit -- on display at 712 W. Burlington Ave. -- was apparently damaged by the wind, it was reported to police shortly after 6:30 a.m. June 20.

That's it. Come back soon.

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE ...

2009-06-18T01:27:00.000-07:00

We've been busy lately counting the number of accidents on 47th Street -- the latest hot spot in town that has been attracting a lot of attention from local residents, village officials and, we hear (Thank God!), the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Turns out IDOT is finally listening to calls by the village to reduce the speed limit on the state road and eventually turn jurisdiction of its entire La Grange length over to the village so it can be downsized to three lanes. They reportedly are taking a "hard look" at the proposals.

It's been exactly one month since Cari Cook of Countryside lost her life when a passing motorist struck and killed her as she hoisted her baby stroller onto a raised curb after safely crossing 47th at 8th Avenue -- but where the depressed curbs do not match up because of the misaligned streets and corners. To date, there have still been no criminal charges filed or traffic tickets issued.

Still, you'd think with all the headlines, a renewed police presence, a digital speed counter and the pedestrian crosswalk barricades at 9th Street -- let alone the ongoing silent memorial to the 30-year-old wife and mother of two on both sides of the corner featuring a white cross, balloons and handwritten notes -- that people driving through the area would exercise a little more caution. As we said back in high school, NOT!

I always love the police reports in which someone involved in an accident "didn't see" the other car, the other driver, the kid on the bike, etc. Or when they became "distracted" by something other than what was on the road in front of them. Mistakes happen, sure, but it appears 47th produces at least one crash, on average, every other day.

Perhaps the worst collision there took place a week ago, at 4:45 p.m. June 11, when two drivers and one passenger were transported to the hospital after a 46-year-old Summit man believes he "fell asleep at the wheel" and "did not recall "when he crossed the double yellow lines in the middle of 47th just east of 10th Avenue and crashed into Witte, causing a 5-car pileup, according to police.

Driving a '95 Toyota Corolla, Ekrem Memeshi allegedly crossed into oncoming eastbound traffic and struck an '03 Chevy Blazer being driven by Donald Witte, 47, of Chicago, which caused Witte to collide with two more cars. Memeshi then apparently spun around and struck an '08 Jeep Cherokee. That driver, Dwayne Burrell of Plainfield, was then forced into a fifth vehicle in the eastbound curb lane, an '03 Ford Explorer being driven by Jean Cervantes, 47, of Berwyn, which was in the eastbound curb lane next to him.

Memeshi, who received two traffic citations and multiple injuries for which he was treated in the trauma unit of Loyola University Medical Center, had to be extricated from his vehicle by firefighters using the "Jaws of Life" rescue tool.

The small car driven by Memeshi, according to one firefighter at the scene, had its entire front half "sheared off" and lost one of its front wheels on impact.

Not only was Memeshi injured, but so too was his elderly passenger, 81-year-old Naile Memisofska, of the same address. She was taken to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital by Pleasantview ambulance, as was the driver of the third vehicle, an '08 Honda Pilot, Arlynn Manasse, 62, of Downers Grove, by Western Springs paramedics.

Neither Witte, who told police he was in the center eastbound lane when Memeshi came into his lane, Cervantes or Burrell reported any injuries.

It happened so fast, Manasse told police she didn't know what happened

And so, back to the tally
Between June 9 (where we left off last week) and June 15, there were a total of 5 crashes on 47th: in the June 15 evening rush at Peck Avenue, in the June 12 evening rush at Bluff Avenue, the aforementioned at 10th, as well as one in the mid-afternoon of June 9 at East Avenue and another a little more than five hours earlier at La Grange Road.

So, I guess that's just one more than every other day.

Then there was the adult bicyclist police said was struck by an '06 Jeep shortly before noon June 10 at La Grange Road and Ogden Avenue, which resulted in injuries to 41-year-old Minerva Glosniak of North Riverside.

Reports indicate Christopher Mobily, 40, of Evanston, was pulling into a driveway at 125 N. La Grange Road from a northbound lane when the left front of his Jeep collided with Glosniak's Schwinn as she rode south on the sidewalk crossing directly in front of him -- causing her to be totally ejected from the bike and onto the pavement.

Police said Mobily told them his attention was distracted by a pedestrian walking north on the sidewalk at the driveway and he didn't see the bike enter the driveway area. Glosniak said she was struck as she turned in to the driveway, at which time she also screamed to alert the driver, to no avail.

Glosniak was treated for her injuries at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, and Mobily received one traffic citation.

Fire blotter
La Grange firefighters were called to the scene of a kitchen fire at 523 S. Brainard Ave. shortly after 8 a.m. June 16, only to find the homeowner had already extinguished the small blaze caused by an overheated coffee pot.

A day earlier, at 3:50 p.m. June 15, they were called to a house fire in the rear of 1111 S. Stone Ave., in which Nicor inspectors were dispatched. The fire turned out to be in a gas grill built into the back of the house. There were no injuries and no damage estimates were available.

Bad timing
Shortly before 3 p.m. June 15, a resident of the 300 block of Sunset Avenue reported that someone had stolen downspouts from their house.

In other news ...
Public Works crews were busy earlier this week cleaning up downed trees around town due to the lightning and torrential downpours, including large tree branches blocking the street in the 600 block of West Elm Avenue and a large tree branch hung up on power lines in the 500 block of South 10th.

ACCIDENTS A REMINDER TO PLAY IT SAFE

2009-06-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

Just one week ago, shortly before 11 a.m. June 4, another potentially tragic accident involving a young child and a vehicle occurred in La Grange, but this time it was over in the 300 block of South Brainard Avenue just south of Maple Avenue and involved the seemingly innocent decision of a young girl in crossing an otherwise busy thoroughfare right at the wrong time.

Although no tickets were issued in the incident and the 6-year-old La Grange girl was treated for minor injuries and released from Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital shortly thereafter, it was just one of those things we need to remind ourselves about safety.

Even though Cari Cook of Countryside probably didn't know she'd have difficulty lifting her baby stroller onto the opposite curb at 8th Avenue after leaving the sidewalk on the north side of 47th Street the day she was struck and killed by a passing motorist, the mismatched intersection is not an official crosswalk like those painted on 47th at 9th and La Grange Road.

The same goes for last week's accident, in which the little girl ran across Brainard, in the middle of a block, to get to a babysitter on the other side. She even yielded to a school bus before shooting across and getting struck in the southbound lane by a car driven by a 71-year-old Burbank man who was not issued any traffic citations.

Police said due to the age of the victim, a statement was not obtained from her. But the driver of the 2006 Saturn Nevada said he had just turned south on Brainard off Maple when he saw a woman standing on the west parkway of Brainard waving her hands. He then saw a child run across Brainard, but he couldn't stop in time and struck her.

A 19-year-old witness from Clarendon Hills told police she was also standing on west side of Brainard when she saw the other woman motion with her hands for the girl not to cross just before she did and was struck.

Since safety along 47th has become a main priority of the village and a newly formed resident's action group, we thought we'd take a look at how many accidents along the La Grange stretch of the road were reported to police since the May 19 fatality.

One occurred during the June 8 evening rush at Madison Avenue, another during the June 5 evening rush at La Grange Road, another came just before the May 28 evening rush at East Avenue -- and yet another at 4:15 p.m. May 20 at the 9th crossing just one block away and a little more than a day from when Cook was killed. Another fender-bender occurred at 4:20 p.m. May 19, less than five hour's after Cook's crash, again at East and 47th.

And that's not counting -- Oops! -- the 18-year-old La Grange girl and her 19-year-old Western Springs passenger who spared injuries and traffic tickets when she lost control and spun sideways into a tree on South 6th Avenue near 48th Street when she hit the gas pedal instead of the brake at 1:20 a.m. May 30.
OR
Sarah E. Lastovich, an 18-year-old Romeoville girl who was taken to the Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital for treatment and issued two traffic citations after she lost control, struck a curb, hit a tree and flipped over on the parkway in the 100 block of East while driving south just before Lincoln just 90 minutes later that morning. Police said she became distracted when she tried reaching for her cell phone.

Even though accidents are common, especially in cut-through areas like 47th, where speed and a woeful lack of attention to the road and everything around us are often big factors, it's time to wake up and drive.

Don't fret. You'll get there soon enough.

******************************************************

It's almost summer, and kids like to throw things at cars, like eggs. That was going on at 47th and Brainard at 11:15 p.m. June 9, but the culprits got away by the time police arrived. Earlier that day, at about 3 p.m., other kids were throwing bottles -- at people this time -- on the east side of the top deck of the parking garage, 80 S. 6th Ave. That report was delayed by 10 minutes and those brats also fled.

A 13-year-old boy and another male of an undisclosed age were caught shooting off fireworks at Lincoln and Sawyer avenues near Sawyer Park next to the La Grange Community Center. They weren't hurting anyone or trying to, but were advised it's wrong and sent on their way.

"Unauthorized swimmers" in the downtown village fountain on the west side of the parking deck on the warm evening of June 8 also were sent on their way, as were the estimated 50 kids standing in the street for no apparent reason in the 100 block of Washington Avenue just five minutes later.

Firefighters from La Grange, Brookfield, McCook, Western Springs and the Pleasantview Fire Protection District responded to a fire call at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, 5101 S. Willow Springs Road, at 8:18 p.m. June 9. They found and extinguished a fire in the dishwasher area of Building B.

Now here's the real bad news
A home in the 300 block of East Elm Avenue was entered and burglarized while the residents were inside at 3 a.m. June 9. The two male subjects, dressed in all black, forced their way inside and stole a Toshiba Integrated High-Def LCD television and were seen running away from the house. When police were told they possibly ran west from the house, officers tried to pursue the suspects on foot all the way to Elm and 7th Avenue, to no avail.

Police believe a side window found open on a house for rent in the 200 block of South 9th at 3:47 a.m. June 9 may have been related.

Attempted theft downtown
Three boys of unknown ages and wearing dark clothing entered Hot Rags, 43 S. La Grange Road sometime before 5:30 p.m. June 4 attempted to take some items before running from the store north on La Grange Road toward the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks, a store clerk told police. After she noticed the trio had left with a shirt, they returned it but still ran away. She said she would not be able to identify them if they returned to the business.

Children on skateboards rode through the newly poured cement in the first block of the Bluff Avenue reconstruction project, it was reported at 8:34 p.m. June 4. No damage was discovered and the skaters could not be located. Maybe the cops need skateboards.

PED-TRAFFIC BARRICADES A FAILURE? SOME NEIGHBORS, DRIVERS THINK SO

2009-06-03T17:37:00.000-07:00

In the evening rush just one day before a couple hundred residents packed into the Seventh Avenue School gymnasium, the village's attempts to calm traffic -- and neighbor's nerves -- along the 47th Street corridor near the site of the May 19 car vs. pedestrian fatality seemed to have lost steam quickly.

Not only did Police Chief Michael Holub have a speed counter with white flashing light installed
on the south side of the state roadway near 8th Avenue where a motorist struck and killed 30-year-old Cari Cook of Countryside last month, but he also had 3-foot-tall black-on-yellow barricades installed to separate lanes and caution drivers of the heavily marked pedestrian crosswalk at 9th Avenue.

But, shortly before 6 p.m. June 1, two of the temporary barricades were causing traffic problems because they were knocked down by passing motorists. The responding officer righted them and placed the others on the side of the road after determining they were causing more of an obstruction at this point than a cure to slow down cars.

At the public meeting the following night, some residents even complained how ineffective and dangerous the erection of the barricades has become.

Still, despite the best of intentions, sometimes it seems motorists just don't seem to care.

The same can also be said of another thing just about everyone takes for granted, including train engineers who can't stop on a dime like some motorists think they can: the installation of railroad crossing gates separating roadway traffic and pedestrians from passing trains.

Police reported a traffic backup at Brainard and Burlington avenues just prior to the startup of the La Grange Pet Parade on the morning of May 30. Although there were no problems when police arrived, the caller said motorists were so upset and impatient that they simply went around the gates to get to the other side. Sometimes, people never make it across.

MIA, if only for a while
In the noon hour on parade day, a Lyons woman reported losing a Sony Cybershot DSC-W230 in a black case somewhere along the parade route, and a 15-year-old boy reported missing from Lyons Township High School was eventually located at La Grange Road and Burlington Avenue. A police officer also discovered a 3-year-old boy seemingly wandering around near Burlington and Waiola avenues, but found his mother nearby shortly thereafter. Just before the end of the parade, at 10:55 a.m., another 10-year-old boy was reported missing near Ashland and Burlington avenues. He made it home safely some 25 minutes later.

An hour earlier May 30, a parade-goer turned in to police a flowered Vera Bradley cloth purse they found -- also at Ashland and Burlington avenues. The purse contained a pair of sunglasses and its case and a Sony digital camera in a black case.

A day earlier, at 11:30 a.m. May 29, someone reported losing a Samsung Blackjack cell phone in a black case near Hillgrove and Brainard avenues on May 28.

Shortly before 6 p.m. June 1, two of the temporary barricades at 47th Street and 9th Avenue were "knocked down, causing obstruction" to traffic. The responding officer righted them and put the others on the side of the road because -- according to his own police report -- they were determined to be causing "more of an obstruction at this point."

Some residents at the June 2 Village Board planning meeting focusing on safety suggestions along the 47th Street corridor also complained the barricades were just not very effective for their intended purpose. Oh well.

An accident between two vehicles during the morning rush June 2 resulted in injuries to a 62-year-old woman and the issuance of two traffic violation tickets to the offending driver. The crash, about 7:40 a.m. at Catherine and Ogden avenues, sent the victim to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital for treatment. Gustavo Reyes, 28, of Chicago, was issued the two citations.

A La Grange Park man told police that while riding his bicycle near the alley at Ashland Avenue between Calendar Court and Harris Avenue at about 10:10 a.m. June 2, someone in a car hit him. He was not knocked over, but the vehicle made contact with his leg. He reported the accident to police from his home, where he also refused any medical treatment.

No injuries were reported when an automobile driver struck a tree in a parkway at 48th Street and 6th Avenue at about 1:20 a.m. May 30. Nearly 90 minutes later, an 18-year-old woman was transported to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital after she was involved in an accident in front of 146 East Ave. Police received several 911 calls about the crash.

No charges were filed against a 66-year-old Bensenville man who police said was found to be driving with a copy of his registered handicapped parking placard in his vehicle shortly before 1 p.m. June 2. The officer destroyed the placard copy and warned the driver to only use the original placard in the future.

A 41-year-old Western Springs woman refused medical treatment after paramedics were called when she went into shock from an allergic reaction to peanuts while in her vehicle near Cossitt and Tilden avenues at about 4:30 p.m. June 1.

A Midlothian mother got a brief scare when she accidentally locked her 5-month-old child inside a Ford Explorer in the 5100 block of Willow Springs Road at about 10:20 a.m. June 1. Police helped her gain entry to the vehicle less than 15 minutes later.

In other news, the owner of two commercial spaces in the 600 block of South La Grange Road requested a special watch on her property, which has experienced an ongoing vandalism
problem from 8 p.m. on many nights in the building's courtyard and in various storefronts.

Police were also requested to provide a special watch at night on property in the first block of West Hillgrove Avenue, where homeless people have been found sleeping.

Apparently a new 'sport' of late-night troublemakers involves "Dumpster-diving." According to police, a special watch is being provided around trash bins behind Trader Joes, 25 N. La Grange Road, where someone was believed to have taken food and dumped their own garbage between midnight and 3 a.m. May 31. The crimes were reported to police shortly before 4 p.m. that day.

Street gang graffiti -- written in not spray paint but crayon -- was discovered on four residential garages in the 300 block of East Franklin Avenue, after the vandalism to two of the structures was reported to police at 11 a.m. May 29.

A pair of rose bushes valued at $25 each were reported stolen from landscaping outside the west side employee entrance of La Grange Public Library, 10 W. Cossitt Ave. The bushes were discovered missing shortly before 9:30 a.m. May 29.

A 21-inch lime green boy's bicycle was stolen from a yard in the 300 block of East Cossitt Avenue on the night of May 30, it was reported to police at 10 a.m. May 31.

A 5-1/2-foot black metal shepherd's hook, a green plastic hanging basket containing a fuschia flowered plant and an antique wood and copper tube wind chime were reported stolen from a back yard in the 300 block of South Peck Avenue. The theft was believed to have occurred between 7 p.m. May 27 and about 10:30 a.m. May 29.

A small plastic baggie containing an undisclosed amount of marijuana was reported found inside the village parking garage at 80 S. 6th Ave.

In the dog house ... er, the porch?
An alert individual told police he was walking his dog near 6th and Cossitt avenues at 3:30 a.m. May 30 when he saw a suspicious subject trying to open a door handle in a condominium unit. When police arrived, the discovered a 27-year-old man who said he was locked out and unable to awake his wife. He told the officer he would sleep on the rear porch until his family gets up at 6 a.m.

A motorcycle rider who fixes his bikes late at night in the 600 block of South 7th Avenue and whom neighbors told police often "revs" his engine late disturbing the neighborhood was warned not to work so late or else he will be ticketed for disturbing the peace.

On a similar note, construction workers were hammering or buzzing away at another time neighbors don't want to bothered in the 100 block of South 6th Avenue: at 6:55 a.m. May 30. The workers were told to stop work at First Congregational Church of La Grange until 8 a.m., as per a village ordinance which sets the times of day construction work can begin and end.

People on people crime
An 8-year-old La Grange boy accused of threatening neighborhood children at the La Grange Community Center at Washington and Lincoln avenues -- allegedly saying he would come back and kill all of them -- was not arrested, after police said the boy's grandmother would handle the situation herself. The boy was allegedly throwing rocks and yelling vulgarities at the other children, which included two girls, ages 8 and 9.

Several teens hanging out at Chipotle, 1 S. La Grange Road, shortly before 7:45 p.m. May 31, were sent on their way after police said they were witnessed harassing a homeless man sitting on a bench outside the restaurant.

Two men who illegally set up a vendor area outside Starbucks, 38 S. La Grange Road, on the second night of the carnival held on Harris and Ashland avenues were told to leave or else be cited for a village ordinance violation prohibiting unauthorized sidewalk sales.

A La Grange woman reported that an estimated 40-year-old man on a bicycle and wearing a helmet followed her to her 6th Avenue home sometime around 7:15 p.m. May 29 took a picture of her and made strange comments before taking off.

At about the same time that night, a 5-foot-10 skinny man wearing a dark blue shirt, jeans and glasses was seen watching children play in the 700 block of South 7th Avenue. Police were unable to locate the subject.

And last but not least, the firsst (almost summer) scam of the season: A resident of the 600 block of Glenwood Lane reported that on May 27, three men who claimed they were collecting money for the "QSI" charity baseball team who were given a donation then promised they would return to do some yard work never showed up. The resident cancelled their check.

Although it's not a serious crime, a woman residing in the 500 block of South La Grange Road who told police May 29 she has a problem with her mailman has prompted them to contact the La Grange Postmaster so neighborhood mail carriers can be told not to block driveways when delivering mail on foot.

COYOTES IN LA GRANGE? YOU BET!

2009-05-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

La Grange police, used to handling the neighborhood kids who pull pranks and generally like to just loiter in their latest hangouts -- Gordon Park and and the downtown parking deck -- had a whole 'nother animal to deal with earlier this week, quite literally.

After responding to a report of a pack of "wild dogs" running around by the Ogden Avenue bridge shortly before 9 p.m. May 24, they came to learn a few minutes later one resident of the first block of Hayes Avenue reported seeing coyotes in the neighborhood of late. Yes, coyotes.

But, the nice lady soon learned, the village does not handle wildlife, and she could not be reached for comment.

As for the animal behavior of the human kind, police a day earlier -- in the wee hours of the 'morn May 23 -- learned from a trusty resident in the 1100 block of South Brainard Avenue that children climbing up their neighbor's flagpole got so high they bent it toward the ground, and were last seen running north. One of the offenders, 21-year-old Nicholas J. Wilson, was caught near 51st Street and arrested for vandalism, but released on bond until his June 19 court date.

Some other brainy vandals decided to take out their frustrations on a squad car as it was parked behind the Police Department, 304 W. Burlington Ave. The damage, discovered about 3 p.m. May 23, included two dents on the roof, one above each side of the rear passenger and driver's doors.

Another group of seemingly bored kids were witnessed on their bicycles, smashing bottles in the street in the 800 block of Arlington Avenue about 4:20 p.m., also on May 23. The kids, whose address was identified by the caller, were found playing in the yard. One of the boys, a 16-year-old, had to clean up the mess.

Well-wishers of the Countryside mother who was killed by an eastbound vehicle as she tried to lift a baby stroller onto a raised curb after crossing 47th Street at 8th Avenue May 19 decided to hold an impromptu memorial in her memory at the accident site on the afternoon of May 24. But they had to ask police to send a car to the area to clock passing vehicles because too many drivers were passing the mourners at a high rate of speed.

The speed limit, which Village Manager Robert Pilipszyn is trying to convince the state to lower, is currently 35 mph between La Grange Road and nearby East/Eberly Avenue. Speed was not believed to be a factor in the accident, which remains under investigation by the Illinois State Police and the Cook County State's Attorneys Office. Cari Cook, 30, whose 4-month-old son suffered a broken leg and whose 2-year-old daughter was unhurt, was laid to rest last week.

A vehicle was burglarized in the first block of Beach Avenue, it was reported at 7:41 a.m. May 26 and a residence in the 200 block of Washington was broken into, it was reported about 1 p.m. May 23. Police in La Grange also assisted Brookfield cops in trying to locate two men in dark clothing seen trying to break in to vehicles in the 4300 block of Deyo Avenue shortly after midnight on May 25.

A child's black BMX bicycle with a gel seat and registered in another town was reported stolen after he left it OVERNIGHT in Elm Park on the night of May 24. Go figure.

Some vandals have no luck at all. Like this one who threw a flower planter at a window in the 700 block of South La Grange Road in the overnight hours of May 23: The wind0w remained intact, as did the planter -- sans dirt.

It's been nearly two months, people; time to 'fess up! That is, whoever struck and drove away from a 2003 Mercedes Benz ES20 belonging to a 50-year-old La Grange man as it was parked just south of Harris Avenue on La Grange Road at about 8 p.m. April 8. Yes, we know. Old news. But still relevant.

Several 911 calls were made when a Pace bus struck crossing gates at La Grange Road and Burlington Avenue along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad at 5:50 p.m. May 27. No injuries were reported.

A 53-year-old teacher at Cossitt Elementary School, Vicki Abbiante, was treated for injuries at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, after she was hit in the head with a ball at the school, 115 W. Cossitt Ave.

John Ptacek, 17, of 516 E. Harding Ave., La Grange Park, decided to light up in the wrong place, say police. The underage smoker was cited for illegal smoking by a minor outside of a business in the first block South La Grange Road shortly before 6 p.m. May 23.

Police were dispatched for a special watch in the 100 block of Sawyer Avenue on the night of May 23, after a resident reported his lawn is "constantly covered" in beer cans.

Several observant residents called 911 to alert firefighters to a large amount of smoke coming from behind a home in the 700 block of South La Grange Road at about 7 p.m. May 23. Turned out to be a fire pit burning in someone's yard.

However, firefighters did extinguish a dryer fire in a basement in the first block of South Spring Avenue shortly before 7 p.m. May 23.

The La Grange Fire Department assisted in an apartment fire at 1645 Forest Ave. in La Grange Park just before 8 a.m. May 23, which displaced the tenants of five units and one of their dogs, according to reports. Damages were estimated at about $40,000. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from a first floor apartment's windows and a tenant who had tried to extinguish the blaze with a fire extinguisher. One tenant was treated on the scene after going back inside to rescue a pet -- and while one cat perished, another feline was saved after being administered oxygen for smoke inhalation.

La Grange also assisted in a structure fire at 8 a.m. May 26 at 6700 S. Brainard Ave. in Countryside, which was handled by the neighboring Pleasantview Fire Protection District.

WOMAN KILLED PUSHING STROLLER AT 'TERRIBLE' CROSSING OF 47TH & 8TH Police say accident not a hit-and run

2009-05-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

Police in La Grange were still investigating yesterday how a 30-year-old Countryside woman was struck and killed by a vehicle as she bent down while trying to lift her baby's stroller onto a curb at 47th Street and 8th Avenue shortly before noon May 19.

A police dispatcher, reading from a prepared press release issued a full day earlier following the reported death pronouncement of mother of two Cari Cook at 1:20 p.m. May 19, would not stray from the text with answers to any followup questions, saying only that there was nobody in custody in connection with the fatal accident and that as of 2 p.m. no charges had been filed.

Although neighbors of the intersection indicated the accident was not a hit and run as police speculated the day of the crash, the department has only said the incident remains under investigation by the Illinois State Police and the Cook County State's Attorneys Office.

However, on May 20, police clarified earlier remarks by saying the accident was definitely not a hit-and-run, as the driver of the vehicle pulled over and offered assistance after striking the victim. A second vehicle which witnesses said swerved around that car at the time of the crash also is being sought.

At about 11:40 a.m., police said, Cook was out for a walk with her 4-month-old son walking beside her and her 2-year-old daughter strapped inside a stroller when she bent over to lift the carriage onto the curb after crossing south against traffic and was struck by an eastbound vehicle.

The boy, Carson Robert, suffered a fractured leg, but his older sister was determined to be unharmed after being examined at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital and released that day. It is the same hospital where his mother and sister were transported by paramedics.

The posted speed is 35 mph through that stretch of 47th Street between a light at LaGrange Road and a four-way stop intersection at East/Eberly avenues, however traffic typically exceeds the posted limit as motorists are usually trying to beat the freight trains that cross up ahead.

It was not known if speed or any other factor played a role in the crash -- at what neighbors call a "terrible" intersection in part because it is a pedestrian access route in which the sidewalks do not evenly meet up on either side of the street.

The family members were "fairly new" parishioners at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church in neighboring Western Springs, according to a church secretary who indicated they were not very well known yet. Father David Dowdle was not immediately available for comment.

Cook, listed in an Illinois High School Association website as a certified volleyball instructor, was a member of the parish with her husband Matthew and their children. Their son was just baptized there at a special ceremony on May 3.

Funeral arrangements were still pending at presstime.

POLICE BLOTTER FOR MARCH

2009-03-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

When I think about it, sometimes it's amazing to see the things that make it into the local police blotter. They say the blotter is just as popular as, say, the obituaries. And while we have yet to delve into that treasure trove of news, give us time.

From time to time, I forget I am not working for a publication covering a gadzillion number of towns like my last place of employment and my beat is just good old La Grange (and its sister city to the north when I feel the urge). S0 it doesn't seem too odd to report news like this little nugget I came across a few days ago:

Little Stevie Luna, not quite 16 months old, was rushed to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital shortly before 4:30 a.m. March 3 after a 911 call from his home in the 500 block of South La Grange Road ... to undergo treatment for a high fever. Let's hope he's OK by now.
But with much thanks to that little-known federal statute called HIPPA, neither we -- or the paramedics who rescued him -- may never know.

Well, while we are NOT the OnLaGrange.com your grandmother so often waxed on about, we still have that hometown feel. The kind of website you can really wrap your hands around, but one that won't soak up water like a, er, wet sponge on your doorstep in the morning.

So, La Grange-ites (is that what we're called?), here goes the latest from Officer Friendly. Most of this is a week older (or more), but we promise to be more timely next time:

As usual, Good Samaritans come in all shapes and sizes. Some are just more observant or civic-minded than others.

Good Sam I
Sometimes Good Samaritans warn authorities of impending danger, in this case on not-so-solid ice. A passerby noticed the red "don't skate" flag up in the Gordon Park skating rink on the afternoon of March 1 and people out there skating. Since the Park District had nobody available to check it out, the police went and found no people and no damage to the ice.

Good Sam II
Sometimes, Good Samaritans tell the police about a crime -- committed by themselves! As went the case with Oakbrook Terrace resident James Dvorak. He reported, also on March 3, that his vehicle struck a barricade five days earlier at Ogden and Burlington avenues. Oops. Or the La Grange guy who admitted he struck another car in the Walgreens parking lot, 2 N. La Grange Road, shortly before noon March 1.

Good Sam III
And other times, it's just paranoid people being good neighbors and reporting crime they THINK is happening. Such as the "suspicious person" seen after dark Feb. 28 -- with a flashlight -- inside someone's neighbor's house in the 400 block of South Kensington Avenue that had previously burned down. Turned out to be the homeowner checking, albeit late, for measurements.

Good Sam IV
Then there's those who discover criminal behavior, sometimes on their own property. Such was the morning of March 2 for a building owner with property in the first block of 6th Avenue who found graffiti on his east wall scrawled by an unknown member of the Latin Kings. A day earlier, residents in the 900 block of South 6th and 7th avenues reported that initial graffiti was scrawled in blue paint on alley garages. On the morning of Feb. 27, Brookfield police reported finding Lenzi Avenue (Hodgkins) Latin Kings graffiti on a train box at the tri-village intersection of 47th Street and East Avenue (where La Grange and McCook also meet). On the morning of Feb. 26, graffiti was also found written on the south side wall of the new La Grange Public Library at Cossitt Avenue and La Grange Road.

And, occasionally, spouses turning in each other, such as the woman who used a cell phone on the night of Feb. 27 to accuse her intoxicated husband of reckless driving after he left their home in the 300 block of Bluff Avenue and headed northbound toward Ogden Avenue in his blue Nissan. Lucky for him, police never caught up with him. Let's hope he pulled over and fell fast asleep.

Under the heading "fights, riots, brawls," police also never located four Hispanic men with short hair spotted fighting at 2:30 a.m. Feb. 27 outside a silver vehicle at 6th Avenue and Plainfield Road.

And, of course, our men in blue, just doing their jobs. And not always meting out punishment for high crimes and misdemeanors but people being (allegedly) bad. Such was the case with Michael Bates, 51, a homeless man arrested on an outstanding warrant for allegedly resisting and obstructing a peace officer. Bates, picked up by Brookfield police and turned over to La Grange after 9 a.m. March 2, posted bond and has a Thursday, March 19 court date in Bridgeview.

An "unruly" subject at the St. Francis Xavier Church BEDS homeless shelter, 145 N. Waiola Ave., caused police to show up at about 10:20 p.m. March 2, to remove him from said premises. Seems the 41-year-old Maywood man had a disagreement with a site manager, but was assisted to find shelter elsewhere and escorted away, without incident.

That's not the half of it, though. What seems to be a growing epidemic (could it be the economy?) is the growing number of homeless showing up in police reports. Or is spring just finally here?

No room at the inn (or the parking deck)
Earlier that night, for instance, a 21-year-old homeless man showed up in the Police Department lobby seeking assistance. He was helped out and directed to the nearest food pantry. Two days earlier, a homeless female showed up asking for help at Walgreens, 2 N. La Grange Road, after 8 p.m. Feb. 28 and was sent to the BEDS shelter that night in Western Springs. At 8 a.m. the
previous day, a Public Works employee found a homeless man sleeping in the heated lobby area of the parking deck and he was gone when the cops showed up. The previous afternoon, at about 3:15 p.m. Feb. 26, the same worker found the same man sleeping in the upper level of the lobby. At 4:30 a.m. Feb. 26, another homeless man -- (get this) identifying himself as 51-year-old Woodrow Wilson -- was found sleeping under a counter in the lobby of a building in the 100 block of West Hillgrove Avenue.

That's not to be confused with the report of a homeless man, not 90 minutes later on the morning of Feb. 27, soliciting passing motorists for money. Village records found him to be legit: he was with a group which was issued a permit to solicit for a homeless womens shelter.

Idenity theft
The wife of a La Grange police officer reported her son was a victim of identity theft after receiving a service reminder in his name from a Honda dealer advising it was time for scheduled repairs. The dealer said they had no vehicle listed in his name. The woman told police she believes an ex-boyfriend may be responsible or may have bought a vehicle in her son's name.

Burglaries & thefts
Undisclosed items were reported stolen when a car window was broken as the vehicle was parked in the first block of North La Grange Road, it was reported at 12:30 p.m. March 1.

Later that day, a theft was reported at the 7-Eleven/Citgo food mart, 9600 Ogden (at East Avenue). The clerk originally thought the two kids stole juice and candy before running from the store, but the pilfered goods only turned out to be two bags of chips worth $2.

A sterling, turquoise and coral ring valued at $45 was reported stolen at about 3 p.m. Feb. 28 from a building in the 200 block of South Kensington Avenue. Earlier that day, a theft of parts from a business vehicle was reported in the 300 block of Washington Avenue, police said. That same morning, two businesses in the 1000 block of South La Grange Road were discovered closed but unlocked with no employees around, and burglar alarms triggered when customers walked in. Police contacted the store owners to assure the stores were properly secured.

Someone hit another vehicle in the parking deck, 80 S. 6th Ave., and took off on the night of Feb. 28. Earlier that afternoon, a La Grange teenager also found their vehicle struck by an unknown offender as they were parked outside of Blockbuster in La Grange Park.

One perusing the reports might discover lots of barking dogs. But at closer look, it might just be one noisy canine (or none at all), either in the 1000 block of Waiola or Spring avenues -- and one seemingly annoyed. In one report before 7 a.m. March 1, police investigating discovered a dog only being allowed outside when it has to relieve itself and not just whenever because its master is going through hospice and is thus unavailable. The previous three mornings also found police, same times, on the same block and no barking dogs.
.....Then there was the "dog at large" at 6:50 p.m. Feb. 28 at 7th and Harris avenues, who also was gone by the time police arrived.

This one sounds like it's taken right from a popular 1960s sit-com (the one about bubblin' crude): A resident in the 400 block of Blackstone Avenue reported at 9:55 a.m. March 1 "a black, oily substance" coming from their sump pump. Leave that one for the plumber, or Jethro.

Good News Last Dept.
Detective Dave Rohlicek conducted a tobacco compliance check on several village businesses on Feb. 25 and found all of them to be in compliance by not selling cigarettes to minors.

Rain, rain, go away
So you think this week's torrential downpours left us all high and dry. Take late February, when police, fire and public works crews were bailing folks out around the clock:

Feb. 27:
-78-year-old man from 600 block of South 6th Avenue refuses treatment after having trouble breathing when, at 12:45 a.m., water rises to above electrical outlets, Comed notified
-Resident from 1000 block of South Catherine Avenue feeling nauseous and dizzy, 5:40 a.m.,
after sewage backs up into basement

Feb. 26:
-Ogden Avenue bridge shut down due to standing water at 8:30 p.m.
-flooding at 1100 S. Spring Ave.
-flooding along 48th Street, at Ashland Avenue & La Grange Road
-flooding at Malden & Ogden avenues
-flooding at Franklin & Tilden avenues
-flooding at 100 N. Peck Ave. and basements, street in 200 block
-flooding at Catherine & Maple avenues
-flooding at 53rd Street & Spring Avenue
-flooding at 500 S. Madison
-flooding on street in front of house at 700 S. Kensington Ave.
-flooding in 200 block of South 8th Avenue
-flooding in 800 block of Community Drive
-flooding in 700 block of South Madison Avenue
-flooding at Edgewood & Dirksen avenues
-flooding near 52nd Street & Brainard Avenue
-flooding at 47th Street & East Avenue
-people trying to free vehicle trapped in water, 800 S. Brainard Ave.
-basement flooding in 800 block of South Spring Avenue
-flooding in 500 block of South Sunset Avenue
-basement flooded at 218 W. Harris Ave.
-one foot of water in basement at Lorraine & Harris
-flooding at 600 Glenwood Lane
-vehicle stuck in water, 328 E. Calendar Ave.
-flooding in house, coming up through toilet, 609 S. Catherine Ave.
-Indiana Harbor Railroad gate stuck down east of Bluff at Lincoln Avenue
-basement flooding at 439 S. Madison Ave.
-smell of smoke in house, 3824 Rosemear, Brookfield

AND THAT'S JUST THE PEOPLE WHO CALLED.
Hat's off to all those who helped bail everyone else out -- this and last time!

CRIME TIPS (HOW TO STAY OUT OF BLOTTER)

2008-11-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

Police are serious on this one and we can corroborate what they have to say this time cause we read the police reports and notice how so many residents can avoid being crime victims just by exhibiting common sense.

Late last week, the La Grange Police Department issued a crime alert, noting that the village and surrounding communities continue to experience a high rate of thefts from vehicles.

Portable hand-held devices such as iPods, GPS devices and cellular phones have been the primary targets. The vast majority of the thefts have been from unlocked vehicles.

Since June, Police Chief Michael Holub says La Grange alone has experienced 83 car burglaries (thefts from cars), 65 of which were from unlocked vehicles.

Police say they've been extremely focused on these crimes. Last week, one of our police officers on the midnight shift stopped and questioned a suspicious pedestrian who had property in his possession that he could not account for. The property was subsequently linked to a vehicle burglary in La Grange.

La Grange is also involved in a regional police task force which shares information regarding these types of crimes.

Its midnight shift patrol officers have made more than 750 "security notifications" to residents who have left windows, doors and/or garages open or unsecured. Officers will continue to leave notices and will also attempt to secure an open garage or car door when vulnerabilities are observed.

The Village urges residents to lock vehicles and garages. Please call the police if you see someone parking a car on your block and walking away (parking in one location then walking to another location to steal something is typical thief behavior).

Other indicators include hearing strange noises or a dog barking excessively. When in doubt, call 9-1-1. Police would rather respond and find nothing out of the ordinary, than to not be called until after a theft has occurred.

For more information, contact the La Grange Police Department at (708) 579-2334.

And when the vandals aren't stealing everything from sunglasses, cigarettes and change to laptops and briefcases, they get into other mischief. Such as:

A week ago Monday, on Nov. 3, police and firefighters responded to a fire call in Gordon Park ... for a portable toilet fire at 12:05 a.m.

Less than seven hours later, police had to show up at 47th Street and La Grange Road (by the 7-Eleven) to remove "a piece of a car" from the street.

The previous night, at about 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2, police responded to the report of a large group of kids in Gordon Park, possibly with a bonfire in a container. When police arrived, they informed th driver of a vehicle parked in the lower YMCA lot was advised not to park there, but three others who started the fire were nowhere to be found.

At 8:50 p.m. Nov. 2, two young lovers with nothin' better to do, teenagers mind you, were caught taking off their clothes in a car parked at Maple and Sixth avenues. Police made sure they were dressed before sending them on their way. Thank you, Mr. Policeman.

Police accompanied a Calendar Court business operator to his car at about 9:30 p.m. Nov. 2 after the man told them he received a strange call and felt funny leaving alone.

Shortly after 10:15 a.m., a 66-year-old church deacon was taken to MacNeal Memorial Hospital in Berwyn after someone called 911 and told the dispatcher he suffered from an unknown problem because he was repeating himself and began swaying during a service.

Also about 11 a.m. that morning, a resident reported finding their fence spray painted in the 1300 block of Mason Drive.

At 4 a.m. Nov. 2, numerous pumpkins were discovered smashed on the sidewalks and streets in the 200 to 400 blocks of Eighth Avenue.

And, at 12:30 a.m. Nov. 2, someone reported there were 15 subjects, all dressed in black, toilet-papering a house just north of 47th Street on Brainard Avenue. When police arrived, they were unable to locate the subjects or the victimized house.

Police responded to a report of four 8- to 10-year-old skateboarders takng garbage out of a can and building a ramp with the can at Ashland and Harris avenues shortly after 7 p.m. Nov. 1.

Police also received reports of kids throwing pumpkins off of porches near 47th and Kensington Avenue at about 8 p.m. Nov. 1, but found no signs of kids or pumpkins, but a block party in progress.

At about 9 p.m. that night, police also responded to a report of kids throwing eggs at cars at La Grange Road and Ogden Avenue. The kids were gone on arrival, but an egged car was located in the Walgreens parking lot. Again, at 10:20 p.m.. eggers were reported at Ogden and Ashland avenues, but those offenders also were gone on arrival.

This next report falls under the GROW UP! category:

Two men believed to be in their 20s -- one dressed up as Indiana Jones, the other a devil -- rang a doorbell while out late and a day late trick-or-treating at 11 p.m. Nov. 1, and refused the resident's request to leave the front porch. They were gone when police arrived.

The front windows of a house were broken on the night of Oct, 31 in the 900 block of South Catherine Avenue, it was reported at 11:15 a.m. Nov. 1.

At 11 p.m. Halloween night, a resident of the 100 block of South Stone Avenue reported hearing a loud noise and realized the following day the first- and second-floor of their house was egged.

A special police watch was placed on the 100 bock of Blackstone Avenue a day after Halloween after a 9-year-old girl riding her bicycle said a vehicle which looked like an unmarked squad stopped in the street in front of her at about 12:50 a.m. Nov. 1. After she headed for home, the driver went northbound on Blackstone to eastbound Cossitt Avenue. He was described as having brown hair and wearing a sweathshirt and jeans and could have been the same man seen stealing from a Dumpster. He did not say anything to the girl. But while a neighbor saw what appeared to be someone taking what seemed like a bag out of the trunk and disposing of it.

On Halloween, someone dressed like comedian Mike Meyers was seen walking down the street looking into cars in the 600 block of Spring Avenue shortly before 5 p.m. Police said the 45-year-old man said he was just walking his kids trick-or-treating.

A man who reported his vehicle had been stolen from where he believed he parked it in the first block of Stone Avenue shortly before 6:30 p.m. Oct, 31 later found it at Arlington and Brainard.

The employee of the downtown Starbucks coffee shop, 8 S. La Grange Road, was treated at MacNeal Memorial Hospital in Berwyn. The Brookfield man, who told police his heart was racing, was transported to adnentist La Grange Memorial Hospital for treatment.

MORE COPS AND ROBBERS

2008-10-29T02:11:00.000-07:00

A lot of noisy fund-raisers, people falling, having their bicycles stolen, setting things on fire this week, plus stealing and destroying Obama signs -- and we thought the demographic was starting to change in this town. Anyway people, listen to the cops and your good conscience: lock your doors, on your cars and houses, don't leave your garage doors open or your keys in the ignition just in case you want to slip away for a cold one in Brookfield after midnight and tell your kids to do the same. This should be easy by now: lock your bicycles, wear a helmet and knee pads when you're skateboarding. Anything else? Hmm. Oh, and if you don't like the guy, don't vote for him -- but don't rip up his signs.

Heard or seen a crime or suspicious activity you don't see here? Let us know.

A Brookfield woman reported to La Grange police at 5:35 p.m. Oct. 26 that her son's bicycle with a ripped seat stolen a couple weeks ago but never reported stolen, was found chained up to another bike outside of Totally Board, the skate shop at 29 S. La Grange Road. Except they could not prove they owned it and it was locked up to another bike. So the officer told her there was nothing he could do about it.

A 97-year-old woman, Hermina Koca, fell at 601 S. 6th Ave. at about 5:45 p.m. Oct. 26 and was taken to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital for treatment. Except, as we learned the other day, we can no longer report to you the conditions of accident patients transported to Adventist hospitals (by publicly funded ambulances, mind you), for those of you who like to be in the know. Ya know what? They won't even tell the ambulance drivers when they call back to check on their patient's conditions. That lovely federal hospital privacy law. Go figure.

Also, no condition report was available for an 86-year-old man treated at the same hospital after he was reportedly "bleeding profusely" after falling in the shower room at Victorian Manor, 339 S. 9th Ave., at 9 a.m. Oct. 24. Or an 85-year-old La Grange man who was treated there after he fell down stairs in the 100 block of South Edgewood Avenue at 5:30 a.m. Oct. 23.

Janice M. Jorge, 40, of Oak Lawn, was treated for minor injuries at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital after the 1999 Pontiac bus she was driving on southbound East Avenue was struck by a BMW Coupe driven by a 25-year-old London man as the man turned left onto Lincoln Avenue from northbound East and Jorge lost control and drove off the roadway. No tickets were issued and the other driver, Rackauskas Benas, was not injured.

A bearded white man in his 20s wearing a red-hooded shirt was escorted off the grounds of the same hospital (5101 S. Willow Springs Road) shortly before 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26, after hospital staff called 911 to let police know there was a disturbance in the ER. He was gone by the time the cops got there.

Later that night, at 10:50 p.m., a "combative patient" caused the hospital to call 911 again, but this time they hung up during the call and then called back saying the patient was secured and they no longer needed assistance. The officers were sent anyway, since a 911 call was made.

Here's that item you've been waiting for, but it's no more exciting than when we first mentioned it: An unknown item was set on fire in the street in front of 216 Sunset, according to multiple 911 calls at around 10:12 p.m. Oct. 26.

This may not be a crime at all: A policeman on patrol found numerous planters and garbage cans knocked over on Calendar Avenue shortly before 11 p.m. Oct. 26. They may have been shoved over by a vandal, or perhaps by the wind.

This could fall under the 'this might not be illegal' category: La Grange assisted Brookfield police in the 4500 block of Blanchan Avenue (one block east of East Avenue) for a "suspicious" subject with a black hoodie and dark pants "passing back and forth in front of a house" at 12:50 a.m. Oct. 26. The guy could not be found when police drove by.

Another "suspicious" guy, wearing a bulky dark-colored sweat jacket was seen riding back and forth in the area of 49th Street and the 700 block of South 11th Avenue shortly before 2 a.m. Oct. 26. He was not found either.

Finally, three "suspicious" men were seen walking back and forth in front of a house before one of them went inside the same house in the 900 block of South Stone Avenue at 3:45 a.m. that night. Police checked it out and determined one of the men lived there and had a couple friends over at the time. Case closed.

Reminds us of the report a detective told years ago about the "suspicious-looking" guy in Wheaton walking down the street with a gas can in his hand. When questioned, he was walking to the nearest gas station because his car ran out of gas. Or the group of men a Carol Stream woman told police were standing still for a long time in her neighbor's lawn on a cold night in December -- who turned out to be a very stationary Joseph and two of the three Wise Men.

But really people, if you see something out of the ordinary, always call the police. It may just be somebody up to no good.

Peace was restored without incident after a 20-year-old woman got into an argument with her 21-year-old ex-boyfriend and her new 26-year-old guy at the Villa Venice condo complex at 50th Street and 7th Avenue about 2:15 a.m. Oct. 26. Police were called to quell a disturbance after a neighbor reported hearing a woman yelling, possibly at the complex.

A 14-year-old boy was found riding his bicycle in the area of Elm and Stone avenues at 4:15 a.m. Oct. 26 was brought home to his mother in the 300 block of South Waiola Avenue.

A 5-year-old BMX bicycle belonging to a La Grange Park boy was stolen from outside the La Grange Theatre, 80 S. La Grange Road, while he was inside watching a matinee from 1:20 to 3:45 p.m. Oct. 25. The serial number and make of the bicycle was unknown, said police, who also noted the bike was UNLOCKED. Enough said.

Another bicycle worth $229 was reported stolen, this time from a garage in the 700 block of South Madison Avenue, on the night of Oct. 21.

A set of mailboxes at a 6-unit apartment building in the first block of North Brainard Avenue was damaged when someone pushed the boxes down and rendered the locks inoperable, it was reported to police at about 5:10 p.m. Oct. 25. No mail was reported stolen.

A 12-year-old girl who got separated from another girl while the pair were out riding their bicycles near Elm Park after 5 p.m. Oct. 25 was found by police at Elm and Brainard avenues.

A special watch was requested in the first block of Drexel after an Obama for President campaign sign displayed on someone's lawn was discovered destroyed at about 10:20 p.m. Oct. 25. Three days earlier, another Obama sign -- this one valued at $10 -- was reported stolen, possibly the night before, from a yard in the 700 block of South Spring Avenue. Not to be outdone, some McCain for President signs also were reported stolen or torn up in the 1200 block of Forest in neighboring La Grange Park.

A police officer was sent to the parking lot of Cossitt School, 115 W. Cossitt Ave., after a group of six or seven children was seen congregating there after 10 p.m. Oct. 25.

Derrick Moore, a 46-year-old homeless man, formerly of La Grange, was arrested for simple battery after he allegedly flicked a lit cigarette at a police officer after the officer confronted him for screaming profanities at families and children at Starbucks, 38 S. La Grange Road, at about 10:25 p.m. Oct. 25. The unidentified officer was not injured.

In an unrelated incident at about 2:15 p.m. that day, a 42-year-old Riverside woman drove her 9-year-old daughter to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital for emergency treatment after the two were playing around on the sidewalk in front of Starbucks, 38 S. La Grange Road, and her daughter tripped over her long shoelace and fell, striking her forehead on the building. Witnesses said the girl was bleeding from the head after the accident.

No injuries were reported when a La Grange woman's car was struck by another vehicle by the Chase Bank at La Grange Road and Calendar Avenue shortly before 3 p.m. Oct. 25. The woman provided police with the name of the possible offending driver, but no vehicle data. Two days earlier, a vehicle was struck in the 500 block of South Kensington Avenue, sometime during the day.

A laptop computer was reported stolen from a vehicle in the 100 block of South Park Road sometime before it was discovered missing at around 9 a.m. Oct. 25, police said. At approximately 1:40 p.m. that day, a concrete saw was reported missing from a truck parked in the 900 block of South Kensington. Earlier that morning, at about 4:20 a.m., La Grange police assisted La Grange Park police at Nazareth Academy, 1509 W. Ogden Ave., after a school bus with a dome light on inside and another bus were found to have been rummaged through by an unknown thief or thieves and 20 minutes later in the 300 block of North Brainard at Park, where an open garage door and a vehicle inside with its door open led police to believe someone had burglarized it and stole compact discs from inside. A day earlier, a briefcase was reported stolen from a vehicle in the 400 block of South Ashland Avenue at about 11 a.m. A vehicle parked inside a garage also was reported burglarized at about 10 p.m. Oct. 24 in the 300 block of South Park, but its contents were just ransacked. And on the night of Oct. 21, a computer was stolen from an unlocked vehicle in the 700 block of South Madison Avenue.

Whether related or not to the Oct. 25 burglary, a computer case was reported found on the side of a building in the 800 block of South Madison shortly before 11 a.m. Oct. 22.

An undisclosed amount of petty cash and audio equipment was discovered missing from various locked rooms throughout St. Francis Xavier School, 145 S. Waiola Ave., it was reported about 2 p.m. Oct. 22.

Two suspicious men of possibly Indian descent visited a house for sale in the 900 block of South Madison about 1:40 p.m. Oct. 25, asking the female owner if they could rent it out for seven months. The woman told police the man acted odd, but left his name and number and both left in a car with Texas licence plates. The men could not be located by police. The homeowner asked police not to call the man, but police cautioned her to call them if the man returns and refuses to leave.

Police responding to loud noise complaints shortly after midnight on the morning of Oct. 25 discovered the La Grange Public Library was hosting a fund-raiser in the 700 block of South Seventh Avenue at Cossitt Avenue and asked the music be turned down. Police were also called to the same location four hours earlier for the same reason.

Local ordinance tickets for violating curfew were issued to three 15- and 16-year-old Tinley Park girls after they were found in a vehicle at Peck and Goodman avenues about 1:20 a.m. Oct. 25. The girls and two 15-year-old La Grange boys not cited were subsequently released to their parents and so-called youth contact cards were made out.

La Grange police assisted Brookfield police to break up a fight inside Brixie's Bar & Grill, 9526 W. Ogden Ave. -- just one block east of La Grange -- shortly before the bar's 4 a.m. closing time Oct. 25. Assistance was provided shortly before 2:45 a.m. the previous morning in the parking lot of the same establishment.

An unidentified Lyons Township High School student from Western Springs told police he was threatened by a fellow student by West Field at Cossitt and Gilbert avenues at 4 p.m. Oct. 24.

No tickets were issued when a semi-truck driver knocked down a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad crossing gate at La Grange Road and Hillgrove Avenue about 8:15 a.m. Oct. 24. No injuries were reported, but the truck driver kept driving down southbound La Grange Road until police pulled him over at La Grange and East 55th Street. The railroad was called to repair the gate. However, a 14-year-old boy who police caught illegally walking around the railroad gates at Cossitt and Sawyer avenues at 8:25 p.m. that evening was issued a citation.

A $1,200 check belonging to a La Grange man was reported found by a Goof Samaritan walking along the railroad tracks along Burlington Avenue at Kensington at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 23. The check was handed over to the Police Department to locate the owner.

A 51-year-old homeless man was ordered to stay out of the downtown La Grange Road train station, 35 S. La Grange Road, after a 56-year-old Oak Park man told police the homeless man became confrontational and shoved him, then left on southbound La Grange Road. The victim was not injured, but the aggressor was located at Harris and Ashland avenues and told if he returns he would be brought up on criminal trespass charges.

Also, a 44-year-old man who refused to leave the same station after asking people for money about 6:30 a.m. Oct. 23 was advised by police to return closer to his scheduled departure time.

A white man with glasses and red hair, wearing a tan shirt with khaki pants and holding a blue and white umbrella was reported soliciting without a required village permit in the 1000 block of South Ashland at 11:10 a.m. Oct. 24.

COPS AND ROBBERS

2008-10-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE LA GRANGE P.D.

Over the last month the Village of LaGrange and surrounding towns have experienced several burglaries to motor vehicles occurring between the hours of 7 PM and 6 AM. The offender(s) are primarily targeting unsecured vehicles with items left out in plain view including, but not limited to the following: purses, GPS units, radar detectors, laptop computers, loose change, etc. Residents are reminded to secure their vehicle(s) at all times and remove items from plain view located inside the vehicle(s). If anyone should observe any suspicious subjects in the neighborhood please contact the LaGrange Police Department at the emergency number of 911 or the non-emergency number of (708)579-2333. Any non-emergency questions can be directed to Inv. Robert Wardlaw or Inv. Dave Rohlicek of the LaGrange Police Department.

OTHER POLICE NEWS

Other than a string of seemingly related burglaries or attempted burglaries to vehicles about town these past few days, some errant vandalism and a myriad of accidents with injuries over the past few weeks, about the most interesting incidents of late concern a hangout some local teens apparently consider a home away from home -- and last but not least, a case of some folks getting their figurative lederhosen in a bunch.

Our latest item involves a special watch La Grange police have put out for an abandoned house at 7 S. Sawyer Ave., an East Side residence where it was reported shortly after 10 p.m. Oct. 20 that a group of teens were going in and out of, drinking and, er, fornicating, according to reports.

Burglaries took place in the 500 block of South Waiola Avenue on the morning of Oct. 19, and on the night of Oct. 16, in the 1000 block of South 7th Avenue and the 100 blocks of North Ashland and Madison avenues. Items were taken in all but one of the incidents. Attempted burglaries occurred in the 400 block of South 7th Avenue in La Grange and the 600 block of North Park Avenue in La Grange Park on the night of Oct. 19, the 300 block of South Waiola Avenue on the night of Oct. 18 and the 100 block of Madison Avenue on the night of Oct. 15. Most of the break-ins were reported the following morning. In the Waiola Avenue incident on Oct. 19, two unlocked vehicles were entered and had items taken from inside between 2 and 2:30 a.m.

An 11-year-old La Grange boy was treated at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital after he was allegedly struck by a vehicle after running between cars in traffic on the evening of Oct. 10. A 1993 Pontiac Grand Am being driven by Esmeraldo Hurtado Lopez, 44, of Chicago, was northbound on La Grange Road just north of the crosswalk at Calendar Avenue just before 6 p.m. when the boy, Graeme D. Day of 15 S. 6th Ave., Apt. 1, allegedly struck the front of the vehicle. Witnesses told police they saw the boy cross to the east after running in between southbound vehicles in traffic when he came in contact with the Grand Am in far right-hand lane. The boy allegedly told police he did not see the northbound traffic moving at the time. DeLopez received a moving violation ticket as a result and is scheduled to appear in traffic court at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.

A 41-year-old Hillside man was treated at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital after his car was rear-ended by a truck after he braked for crossing pedestrians at LaGrange Road and Ogden Avenue on the morning of Oct. 4. Police reports indicate Paul Fitzpatrick was traveling westbound on Ogden approaching La Grange Road and was struck from behind as he slowed down at the yellow traffic light shortly before 10:15 a.m. The truck driver, Dariusz Lisowski, 29, of Palos Hills, told police he was traveling in the same direction and thought Fitzpatrick's car was going to turn northbound onto La Grange Road. Damage was sustained to the car, but not the truck -- whose driver received a moving violation ticket with traffic court at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.

Several cases of vandalism also were reported in recent days in La Grange. The most recent was a lock stolen from a back yard gate of a residence in the 300 block of South La Grange Road on the night of Oct. 19. On the night of Oct. 18, a car was keyed as it was parked outside a house in the 200 block of East Elm Avenue and sometime over the previous day, someone wrote with yellow pen on a car parked in a driveway in the block just south of the La Grange Public Library (However, that resident told police the damage could have occurred the night before outside of Brixie's Saloon at Ogden and Blanchan avenues in Brookfield). Also, someone wrote in black pant on the south side of a sign at Back to Bed, 115 N. La Grange Road, the initials "SANR" on the night of Oct. 17.

Three boys were seen but never caught in Elm Park at Brainard and Elm avenues when a woman's car was hit with an egg as she drove past the park shortly after 8:15 p.m. Oct. 18.

And Halloween isn't even here yet.

On the morning of Oct. 18, employees came to Village Hall to find flowers pulled out of their pots on the building's front steps. The flowers were replaced by Public Works crews that day.

Two male blacks, roughly 5-foot-10 to 6-foot tall, wearing all black clothing with black hoodies over their heads were seen running near Sawyer and Calendar avenues following a possible burglary in progress in the 100 block of Washington Avenue shortly before midnight Oct. 17.

Pieces of scrap copper valued at about $700 were reported stolen between 3:30 and 4 p.m. Oct. 15 from a work site in the first block of South Waiola Avenue after some boarding was torn off a building. The theft was reported the following afternoon.

No arrests were made after a woman in the 300 block of Bluff Avenue told police she received telephone and text message death threats from her boyfriend between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Oct. 19. However, while the messages may have been received in Oak Park, the victim was referred to counseling with the Constance Morris House for abused women in La Grange.

A 6-year-old child was treated at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital after several 911 callers told police she was discovered unresponsive by the swingset at Waiola Park shortly before 1 p.m. Oct. 18.

A 66-year-old woman was treated at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital after police said she fell outside of the Blueberry Hill Restaurant at Harris Avenue and La Grange Road about 1:45 p.m. Oct. 18.

Firefighters responded to a smoking stove in a home at 201 N. Stone Ave., shortly before 7 p.m. Oct. 16.

Firefighters were busier than normal on Oct. 17, when they responded to a gas leak in the street at 46 S. Waiola Ave. just prior to 10:25 a.m. Nicor gas comany workers were dispatched to the scene to cap the leak. Also that day, firefighters extinguished a car fire in the 100 block of North Ashland Avenue at about 10 p.m. There were no injuries and the call was handled in less than 15 minutes. And in the 1000 block of Meadowcrest in La Grange Park, firefighters from La Grange assisted in responding to a smell of gas at a home at about 11:45 p.m.

And to end this on an upbeat note:
Police made sure loud noise complaints they received from neighbors of St. Cletus Church well after 10 p.m. on the night of Oct. 18 were addressed. Seems the Oompah music from the parish's annual Oktoberfest was a bit too loud.

ALL FIRED UP FOR F.D. OPEN HOUSE

2008-09-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

Three La Grange children will again get their names emblazoned on the passenger side windows of the Fire Department's two engines and ladder truck after next weekend's Fire Prevention Week Open House.

The names of winners, culled from entries in a first to third grade coloring contest, will be announced during the open house, to be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Fire Station, on Burlington Avenue between Ashland and Kensington avenues.

In addition to getting their first name and last initial and grade level set in a decal on the firetruck windows for a full year, mb financial of La Grange will provide each child a $25 U.S. Savings bond.

Because of insurance liability issues, children can no longer climb on firetrucks like they did back in the day. So after the firetrucks get the name decals pasted on them, each child's family is invited to the station to take pictures with their kids by the truck with their name on it.

"It's a little thing we're doing to get the community more involved in what we do," said Fire Leiutenant Dave Rapp. "I think the families and the kids think it's a real neat thing."

He said it is just as important for children to know their local firefighter/paramedics as the local police officers, cause they can look to them for help if they are ever in need.

One of the most popular attractions at the Open House is when folks get to witness two live room fires, as firefighters set two different types of blazes in the two "houses" built out of plywood, steel studs and drywall and allow kids to shoot water at them with a real fire hose -- and, of course, the assistance of real firefighters.

Rapp said visitors get to see the fire and how it spreads from a "fourth wall" inside view almost as if they were watching a movie or TV show filmed. One fire spreads in a faux bedroom with a mattress and the other replicates a living room with couches and a TV set.

Other attractions include the department's technical rescue specialists rappeling off the firehouse roof, hazardous materials technicians suiting up and stopping a chemical leak using a 150-pound chlorine storage cylinder and firefighters using the Jaws of Life to extricate a would-be accident victim from inside a crashed-up vehicle -- all the while viewing Fire Department apparatus such as Engines 1111 and 1112, ladder truck 1119 or ambulances 1114 and 1115

Hot dogs will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and refreshments will be served all day.

Prizes including CO detectors, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers will be given away and balloons and other gifts will be provided by mb financial bank, located at the southeast corner of Burlington and Kensington avenues in La Grange.

Representatives will also be on hand from Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, the La Grange Police Department, the Park District of La Grange, Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad (which runs freight trains through the East Side of town), ComEd and Nicor. IHB, says Rapp, has a "fabulous" display on their Operation Life Saver program.

Patrol Officer Eric Berg and the LPD's resident canine, Dak, were scheduled to be there, and while their appearance is promoted on Open House flyers, they are currently involved in an out-of-town investigation and may not make it, says Rapp.

Children were already treated to Fire Department visits to their classrooms, in preparation for Fire Prevention Week scheduled from Oct. 5 to 11. Last week, firefighters stopped by St. Francis Xavier and the Park District preschool.

"We certainly hope people and kids walk away having enjoyed themselves ... but also knowing we do much more than put out fires," Rapp said.

COPS AND ROBBERS

2008-09-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

The past week or so has not sparked too much serious crime in and around La Grange. Here's a sampling of a few of the police and fire reports of late:

A fence alongside a home occupied by a Village of La Grange department head in the 700 block of South 10th Avenue was started on fire by an unknown vandal, it was reported shortly after 8 a.m. Sept. 28. The fence was extinguished before the Fire Department arrived.

An 18-year-old Brookfield man taunted by a group of fellow teens who tried to start a fight with him while he played basketball in Gordon Park behind the old YMCA was able to run to safety at a nearby fast-food restaurant at about 525 p.m. Sept. 27. The teens fled before police arrived.

The contents of a wallet were stolen from the bedside of an 83-year-old La Grange man while he was being treated at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, 5101 S. Willow Springs Road, between Sept. 22 and 25. The stolen driver's license and insurance cards were reported to police at 4:40 p.m. Sept. 27.

Two unknown subjects were reported to be lying on the sidewalk at La Grange Road and Hillgrove Avenue shortly before 12:30 a.m. Sept. 26, but were gone when police arrived.

A stolen vehicle was reported parked for a few days behind Wyckoff Studios, 602 W. Burlington Ave., at about 5 p.m. Sept. 25. The vehicle was reported stolen from a La Grange resident in the 300 block of South Kensington Avenue.

A resident in the 200 block of Washington Avenue reported hearing someone telling her barking dogs to be quiet on the morning of Sept. 25. Believing someone had broken in downstairs, she locked herself in an upstairs bedroom until the arrival of police -- who found a basement and back door open, but nothing missing.

A 10-year-old boy suffering from an anxiety disorder allegedly attempted to stab a La Grange Area Department of Special Education employee with a pen, then ran southbound toward Ogden Avenue after she picked him up from school in the 200 block of South Waiola Avenue at 8:22 a.m. Sept. 25. The boy was located, but the disposition of the case was not immediately known.

A 48-year-old man who allegedly admitted to police he went to Sawyer Park in the 0-100 block of Lincoln Avenue reported he was beat up and robbed of $80 cash and his bicycle by three subjects about 5:45 p.m. Sept. 24. After the incident, the victim got into a vehicle and left and his bike was located in an alley in the 1oo block of Sawyer Avenue. The victim refused medical
attention and would not cooperate any further with police, according to reports. The suspects had two outstanding warrants in Washington and California, which reports indicated were not serviceable in Illinois.

Police were belatedly notified Sept. 24 that an unknown vehicle struck a guardrail in the alley behind the Desplaines Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America headquarters, 811 W. Hillgrove Ave., on Sept. 4. Damage was estimated at more than $500.

A brick was thrown through a window in the 900 block of South Madison Avenue, it was reported at 8:45 p.m. Sept. 23.

A suspicious person and truck was spotted inside the fence of La Grange Material, 223 Tilden Ave., shortly before 2:15 a.m. Sept. 22. When police arrived, they found the padlock of the yard cut, but nothing missing or out of place inside.

A day earlier, at 9:21 a.m. Sept. 21, a vehicle was reported burglarized in the 900 block of South Ashland Avenue.

Sometime during the night of Sept. 19 & 20, a mailbox was knocked down in the 0-100 block of Wood Lane. A similar incident reportedly occurred at a neighbor's house down the street, but went unreported until then.

A young girl and a friend were riding their bicycles in the 700 block of Madison Avenue at about 7:40 p.m. Sept. 20 when a black Chevrolet Tahoe pulled up to them and a 16- to 18-year-old inside told them he was going to kidnap them. The vehicle then drove northbound on Madison towards 47th Street, but they did not get his license number.

Landscapers were reported working in the 500 block of Spring Avenue 15 minutes prior to the 8 a.m. minimum start time allowed on Saturdays by village ordinance on the morning of Sept. 20. When an officer arrived, they were gone.

Someone smeared dog feces on a car window in the 100 block of South Catherine Avenue, it was reported at 8:05 a.m. Sept. 20.

Later that morning, at 11:12 a.m. Sept. 20, a driver allegedly lost control outside of Fantastic Sam's, 16 E. Burlington Ave., and ran the front end of his vehicle into the building and store window. The driver, 16-year-old Christopher A. Canales, was transported to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital for treatment and cited for driving without a valid license and speeding.