'SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY' COULD BE CRIME

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!