COPS CRACKING HOME BURGLARIES

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.