Thursday, November 28, 2013

TURKEY TROTS: Man Loses Phone While "Trying To Be Nice"

It's going to be an extra special Thanksgiving in some thief's house.

A man loaned his phone to a stranger at Halsted and Roscoe around 10:45 last night and was stunned to see the man bolt off into the night with his property.

The victim gave chase northbound on Halsted Street but apparently failed to catch up with the hoodlum, who is described as male, black, in his early 20's, 5'10" tall, 140 pounds, wearing a black jacket and gray pants.

Case number for the theft is TBD.

Image: charbroil.com

HOLIDAZE: Drunken Fights Don't Take The Night Off In Wrigleyville

The Lincoln Avenue bar strip in Lincoln Park, put on an admirable sh*t show performance overnight, but it couldn't quite keep up with its big brother, Wrigleyville. Maybe next time, LP. Wrigleyville antics from Thanksgiving morning:

12:22AM—Assault in progress at Rebel Bar & Grill.

12:38AM—Battery witnessed by police officers outside Sluggers at Clark & Eddy. One arrest.

1:07AM—Clark Street police detail asks for all available cars to come to Clark Street in Wrigleyville. "Getting ugly fights breaking out."

1:13AM—Another fight at Sluggers.

1:14AM—Yet another fight outside of Sluggers. This one is moving westbound on Eddy Street.

1:39AM—Officers witness a hit and run incident at Clark and Eddy. A northbound light blue 4-door sedan strikes a pedestrian and loses its left mirror. Victim declines medical attention.

1:50AM—Glass is cracked at Strange Cargo, 3448 N. Clark.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

HAPPY THANKS-TAKING: Halsted Thieves Take Victim's Purse, Car

Having your purse taken from a bar is one thing. Having the thieves then take your car is something else altogether.

And so it went for an unlucky Boystown bar-goer overnight. The stressed-out woman flagged down officers at Roscoe and Halsted around 11:45 last night.

Unknown offenders had taken the woman's purse from a nearby tavern, then stepped outside and started beeping her car keys until they located her vehicle. They proceeded to steal it, too.

Missing is the woman's silver 2011 Honda Civic, last seen parked facing north on Halsted near Roscoe. And her purse, of course.

The victim told officers that she had an altercation with three Hispanic females shortly before her purse and car went missing, but she does not know if they are responsible for the thefts.

CPD case #TBD.

BLOTTER: Miscellaneous Reports From Tuesday

A man was spotted walking southbound on Halsted from Waveland, stuffing money from a restaurant tip jar into his pants yesterday evening. An officer later determined that the jar had been taken from Panino's pizza shop, 3702 N. Broadway, around 3:30PM.

The thief is described as male, black, 5'10" tall, 25 years old, wearing cream-colored pants and a black winter hat with a snowflake design.

CPD case #HW549170.

• • • • •

Two of three apartments in a graystone at Newport and Halsted were burglarized yesterday.

Residents returned to their homes around 3:45PM to find that the second and third floor units had been forcibly entered.

CPD case #HW549091 and HW549126.

• • • •

Police arrested a person wanted at Ragstock, 812 W. Belmont, at 1PM yesterday. It is not know if the arrest is related to a recent robbery at the resale-shop.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

A BUSHEL OF APPLES: Gunman Takes Victim's iPhone, iPad, Cash

Continuing a recent trend of robbers striking before midnight, a Lakeview woman was robbed at gunpoint just west of Illinois Masonic Medical Center at 10:50 last night. There has been no arrest.

The victim reported that the masked gunman approached her at Wellington and Kenmore, pulled out a black steel semi-automatic handgun, and took her iPhone and backpack. The backpack contained an iPad, cash, and the woman's ID.

Police believe the suspect fled to the area of the Wellington Brown Line station.

Last night's suspect is described as male, black, 5'6" to 5'10 tall, wearing all black clothing and a black ski mask that only allowed the victim to see his eyes.

CPD case #TBD.

NOTES: Center Stays Active; Aldermen Pass, Then Don't Pass Plan For More Cops

It may be cold out side, but things are staying hot at the Center on Halsted (COH), 3656 N. Halsted.

Sunday, November 24, 6:41PM
Criminal trespass in progress is reported at the COH. A man named "Robert," described as male, black, wearing a red hoodie with a yellow and black jacket, is on the second floor, but he's banned from the building. The man flees northbound in an alley behind Halsted Street before police arrive.

Tuesday, November 26, 7:25PM
A woman inside the COH claims that she was just threatened by a man and his niece. The two offenders are still inside the building. Police file an assault report in case #HW547968. It does not appear than an arrest is made.

No Cops For You!
On a voice vote yesterday, the City's Budget Committee passed a plan to use $25 million to hire 500 more cops in 2014. The money would come from the Police Department's huge overtime allotment.

But, then, one of the aldermen mentioned that the committee had to have a roll call vote, putting each alderman down on record as having voted for or against. That being the case, the entire plan was tabled by an overwhelming 18-4. So, no more cops next year.

Monday, November 25, 2013

ON THE CHEAP: Dozens Of Accidents As City Gets Stingy With The Salt

So, did the neighborhood's streets seem very slick and noticeably devoid of salt Monday?

Salt.
CTA buses, school buses, a man in a wheelchair, cars, more cars, pedestrians, and still more cars. They were all involved in dozens of traffic accidents Monday afternoon as ice-covered roads sat untreated for hours on end.

Here is a sampling:

1:44PM: As a police unit drives in to end his shift, he sees an accident at 3400 Sheffield. One vehicle is not drivable.

2:32PM: UNIT—Is Streets & San aware it's slick out and there's ice on the ground?

4:11PM: Traffic accident victims walk in to the 19th district station to file a report.

4:12PM: Auto accident, no injuries 16XX Barry.

4:20PM: Auto accident, no injuries. Irving and Hermitage.

4:22PM: Auto accident, with injuries. Addison and Lake Shore Drive.

4:28PM: Auto accident, no injuries. Grace and Clifton.

4:31PM: An officer witnesses a 3-vehicle crash involving a CTA bus at Broadway and Addison (not the same as the 4:22PM crash).

4:32PM: Auto accident involving a school bus, no injuries. Altgeld and Southport. Ambulance en route because there was a child on board.

4:36PM: Hit and run 6XX Grace. FedEx truck hit his car and fled.

4:37: Auto accident, no injuries. Halsted and Waveland at Whole Foods parking lot. One car is not drivable. No injuries.

4:40PM: OFFICER: "Would you please call Streets and San again? People are sliding all over the place."

4:47PM: An officer and a CTA driver fell down on ice at the scene of an incident. "Anybody walking, they're falling down," the officer says. Request immediate salting.

4:54PM: Auto accident, no injuries. 39XX Bell. UPS truck vs. a car. Call came in 2 hours ago.

4:57PM: Auto accident, no injuries. Sheridan and Pine Grove. Call came in an hour ago.

4:57PM: Man in a wheelchair hit by a car at Irving Park and Western. Ambulance on the way.

5:00PM: Auto accident, no injuries. Wilson and Malden.

5:02PM: A person who claims to have been involved with the CTA bus crash at Broadway and Addison walks into the police station.

5:07PM: Officers come across a minor accident 13XX Wilson. They'll send the parties into the station.

5;08PM: Auto accident, no injuries involving a CTA bus. Broadway at Sheridan.

5:13PM: Auto accident, no injuries. 1801 Lawrence.

5:15PM: Officers happen upon an accident at Broadway and Sunnyside. At least one vehicle not drivable.

5:19PM: Auto accident, no injuries. Henderson and Paulina.

5:19PM: Auto accident, no injuries. Melrose and Lincoln.

5:19PM: Auto accident, school bus vs. vehicle. No injuries. Damen and Montrose.

5:21PM: Sergeant: "Are Streets and San going to send some trucks up to do some salting?"

5:23PM: UNIT: "Sheet of ice. Let Streets and San know we definitely need salt here. 20XX Montrose. Roll an ambulance." Person on bus claims neck injuries.

5:24PM: UNIT: "It's a miracle! I've spotted a salt truck on Sheridan!"

5:27PM: Auto accident, no injuries. 30XX Lincoln. One driver refuses to exchange info.

5:44PM: Auto accident with injuries. Addison and Western.

5:48PM: Auto accident, no injuries. Broadway and Buena.

5:49PM: Auto accident. Racine and Leland.

5:50PM: Auto accident, no injuries. Barry and Greenview.

6:01PM: Auto accident, property damage. Sheffield and Addison.

6:10PM: Officer encounters an accident at Broadway and Sheridan.

6:14PM: Hit and run, 19XX Cornelia.

6:16PM: Officer says the 6:10PM accident is resolved, but a 3-car accident just took place across the street. He'll be over there. Can another unit bring him some blank traffic accident reports? He has run out.

6:17PM: Unit 1913 will take some reports to him.

6:22PM: Unit 1913 got waved down to handle an auto accident at 39XX Clark. They'll deliver those blank reports when they're done.

6:34PM: Auto accident, property damage. Lincoln and Wellington.....

MISSING PIECES: Thieves Strike Yet Another Honda

Still more reasons to not own a car in Chicago (although this Ventra thing has us reconsidering):

4:34PM Sunday
Officers on routine patrol find a silver Honda sitting on blocks in the 3600 block of Recreation Drive north of Belmont Harbor. All of the Honda's wheels are gone. Police locate the owner at a nearby residence.

If you haven't heard about the recent run of Honda wheel thefts, you can read up on them HERE.

3:33AM Monday
A caller sees a man stealing parts from underneath a red SUV at Kenmore and Barry. The offender then flees westbound in a dark SUV. He is not found.

…and from our email this morning:
The catalytic converter on our Toyota Rav 4 was stolen at some point [Saturday night or Sunday morning] on the 3000 block of N. Kenmore, and we filed a police report today.  I know that that one recurring offender was caught a few months back, but apparently this is still happening.  I wanted to pass this story along in case you were getting similar reports from others.
…Without your reporting, I would never have known what was going on with our car this morning when we turned it on to an insane amount of noise.  But I remembered the recent thefts, so we looked under the car, and voila!  Two unconnected pipes with a huge space where a catcon used to be.  It pissed us off, but I was grateful in some small way to at least be able to identify the problem immediately.

You may have noticed that the emailer's loss took place within a block of where the guy was seen crawling under a red SUV this morning.
Image: Car Planet O

NEARBY: Carjackers Whack Man With Wrench In Lincoln Park

It's been an interesting few days around Diversey and Clark/Broadway.

First, there were two robberies within a block of each other on Pine Grove. Now there's this.

Two carjackers whacked a Wicker Park man in the face with a wrench at Clark and Wrightwood shortly after 11PM last night, then sped off in the victim's tan Ford Taurus.

The offenders, described only as male and black, fled southbound on Clark.

An ambulance crew treated the victim's injuries and an officer gave him a ride home. But the story gets better.

The victim's car has already been found. Officers in the 11th district pulled the Taurus over and took its two occupants into custody at Madison and Kenton in the Austin neighborhood overnight.

The incident is classified as an aggravated vehicular hijacking in CPD case #HW546811

Back in Wrigleyville
A man called 911 from Addison and Racine early Sunday morning to report that his girlfriend had been sexually assaulted by a cabbie who drove her home.

A second caller indicated that a battery had taken place.

Initial reports indicate that the cabbie is accused of driving the victim into an alley where he assaulted her.

The victim was treated at Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

This incident was recorded as a non-aggravated criminal sexual assault in CPD case HW545991.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

VIDEO: Our Manpower-Sucking "Entertainment District"

Every weekend, we post a long list of fights that hogged our district's shrinking police resources, often preventing officers from responding forcefully and quickly to major problems like street robberies.

This weekend's list is below.

For a change, we thought we would share some videos. These are street brawls and batteries in Wrigleyville, just like the ones in our weekly lists.

The videography is poor. The videos are, of course, violent and they feature language that is definitely NSFW.

However, they will give you a good idea of what our officers are dealing with on a regular basis.

Here's one. And another. And a third. How 'bout this one?

In fact, you could just go HERE and see all of the YouTube results for "Wrigleyville Fight." Set aside an hour or two.

BATTERED AND FRIED
Here are this weekend's beatings and more from Chicago's grand "Entertainment District."

Saturday
12:56AM—Man calls from Starbucks at Clark & Belmont to report being punched in the face.

1:13AM—Officers witness a fight in front of Red Ivy, 3525 N. Clark.

1:55AM—Sluggers bar, 3540 N. Clark, is reportedly detaining a man who broke a window.

2:00AM—Clark Street bar at Clark and Halsted says patrons won't leave and they need the police to help.

2:08AM—A man says he was "attacked" by a doorman at Smart Bar, 3750 N. Clark. He calls a second time to say he's just going to leave.

2:14AM—Battery at F.O. Mahoney's 3701 N. Broadway.

2:33AM—F.O. Mahoney's says 3 white males are waiting outside for the employees to close up shop. Trio is dispersed.

2:45AM—"10 people" are reportedly fighting inside the always-lively Subway restaurant at 901 W. Belmont.

9:57PM—A man is reportedly beaten up and lying on the ground at Clark and Roscoe. Ambulance transports an "uncooperative drunk" to Illinois Masonic.

Sunday
12:08AM—Officers witness and break up a fight in the street outside of John Barleycorn, 3524 N. Clark.

2:34AM—10 men fighting at Pauly's Pizza, 3515 N. Clark.

3:00AM—"A CTA security guard" is drinking booze inside the Subway restaurant, 901 W. Belmont.