ARMED ROBBERY ON EAST SIDE STREET

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.