A 55-year-old man was sprayed in the face with capsicum spray at the Desplaines stop of the Blue Line CTA line on Nov. 6 at 10:33 p.m. The victim said he’d been followed around the station by the perpetrator. When the victim asked the perpetrator why he was being followed, the perpetrator sprayed him in the face. The perpetrator later explained to the police officer that he was loitering at the stop because he’s homeless. He said the victim called him a “bitch.” According to the police report, the perpetrator said he doesn’t let anyone call him a bitch, so he sprayed the victim with pepper spray. The used container of capsicum spray was taken into evidence, and the perpetrator was arrested for battery.
Gold Mercedes getaway car
A red-haired woman loaded up two fabric shopping bags with $845.80 of liquor at CVS on Nov. 6, then exited the store without paying. According to an employee at the store, the woman then fled the scene in a gold Mercedes SUV with a chrome roof rack, speeding through the Dunkin Donuts parking lot and heading north on Harlem Avenue. Upon watching the video, police discovered the woman had actually driven her gold car south on Harlem.
Armed robberies
A man, face obscured by a gray zip-up hoodie, entered the Cricket store at 1215 S. Harlem Ave. on Nov. 5 at 7:50 p.m. and pulled a large black handgun from his pocket. According to the victim, an employee at Cricket, the gunman pointed the weapon at the employee and said, “Stay in the corner; don’t f***ing move.” The offender, who reportedly wore black winter gloves during the entire encounter, allegedly opened two cash registers and took what the employee believes to be $330. The district manager arrived while the police officers were there but was unable to access security camera footage because she didn’t have the password. The offender was described as 5-8 to 5-10, either black or Hispanic, wearing blue jeans, a grey zip-up hoodie and black gloves. He exited the store and reportedly walked northbound at a leisurely pace. The perpetrator was not caught.
A 24-year-old man’s walk to Wing Stop was interrupted by two men, one with a gun, who stopped him in the alley of 1100 S. Harlem on Nov. 4 at 1:30 p.m. The victim was listening to music on his Apple iPhone headphones when, he said, two black males started running toward him. One he described as holding a black handgun in his right hand and pointing it at the victim. A black cloth ski mask obscured his face. The second offender, according to the victim, seemed to be the lookout. The victim said the man with the gun had a “mocha” complexion, and the second was light-skinned. Neither, he said, appeared to have facial hair. The victim put his hands up as soon as the gun was pointed at him, then removed his earbuds. The man with the gun reportedly told him to, “Give me your s**t.” The victim said he emptied his pockets and handed over the following items to the offenders: one iPhone 6s worth approximately $600 and one black US Polo leather wallet containing his driver’s license, ID card, Paypal debit card, Ventra card, Link card and $50 in cash. The perpetrators were not apprehended.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Nov. 4-10, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.
