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Burglars entered a second-floor apartment near 49th and Kildare at around mid-day Friday, May 4 and stole a 32-inch flat screen TV and a Nintendo Wii game console. The 28-year-old victim was at work when the crime was committed, but a 23-year-old neighbor on the first floor heard footsteps above her and telephoned the victim to alert her. The neighbor then saw two men leaving the building with the TV and console in their hands. When the victim returned home, she saw no signs of forcible entry, but did mention that she had recently lost her apartment keys. The witness described the two men as male white Hispanics---one 16 years old, 5'5 and 120 pounds, and the other as 19 years old, 5'8 and 115 pounds. The witness said she knew who the burglars are and provided police with a last name for both---as well as the nicknames Lalo and Wacko. Police reported that both women were highly agitated over the situation and claimed that Lalo and Wacko have been "terrorizing the neighborhood."
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The parking lot of one of the Chicago-area's most popular and famous pizzerias was the scene of an armed robbery at about 6:50 p.m. Wednesday, May 2. Two employees of Vito & Nick's Pizzeria, 8433 South Pulaski, were robbed as they sat in a car in the parking lot. The men---a 19-year-old and 21-year-old, both of suburban Burbank---were approached by two men, one of whom drew a black handgun and said, "You know what this is. Give me all your sh~t." The two employees then handed over an iPhone and a total of $232 cash. The offenders fled on foot, east through an alley. The victims described the offenders as black men, 16-20 years old, 5'8 and 120 pounds.
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A 54-year-old woman from Highland, Indiana was robbed as she was about to attend a family party near 49th and Kolin at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, May 5. The woman was getting out of her car when a man approached and asked for assistance in finding a particular address. The offender then lunged at her and yanked a gold chain and pendant off her neck, fleeing on foot east on 49th Street. The victim described the strong-arm robber as a white Hispanic man, 19-21 years old, 5'10 and 155 pounds, short hair and an olive complexion.
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A 51-year-old Clearing woman was robbed about five blocks from her home as she was getting out of her car near 64th and Central at 8:40 p.m. Saturday, May 5. She was approached by a man with a red bandana covering his face. "Give me that purse now," he told the victim, who resisted. The two struggled, and the offender pulled the purse away before fleeing south down an alley. The woman told police that her purse contained credit/debit cards and a pair of pink eyeglasses. She described the offender as a white Hispanic man, 19-21 years old, 5'6 to 5'8, and 140-150 pounds.
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A 30-year-old cab driver was robbed at gunpoint by his passenger at 3:50 a.m. Friday, May 4, as his taxi was parked near 63rd and Newland. The American United Taxi driver had picked up his passenger at 1923 West Schiller. Instructions were to transport the passenger to 63rd and Sayre. Just east of the destination, the passenger asked to be let out. When the cab stopped, the passenger drew a handgun and said, "Give me the money." The cabbie handed over $11 cash, and the offender fled north on foot. The cab driver described the robber as a white man, 25-30 years old, 5'9 and 170 pounds.
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A 43-year-old cab driver was robbed at gunpoint by his passenger at 3:45 a.m. Sunday, May 6, as his taxi minivan was parked near 63rd and Newland. The Flash Cab driver, responding to a dispatch order, had picked up his passenger at 1401 North Wicker Park Avenue. Instructions were to transport the passenger to 5600 South Harlem; but en route, the passenger requested being driven to 63rd and Newland. Once there, the passenger drew a blue steel handgun and said, "Give me the money." The cabbie handed over $70 cash, and the offender fled north on foot. The cab driver described the robber as a white Hispanic man, 24-26 years old, wearing blue jeans and a blue hooded sweatshirt. The taxi dispatcher provided police with the phone number the offender used to make the initial call for service; and the Flash Cab minivan was equipped with security cameras. Footage was shared with police.
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A 43-year-old West Elsdon man who left his home on Saturday, May 5 to go to a nearby store, returned a short time later (at about 11:00 a.m.) to find his 20-year-old daughter hollering at a man burglarizing their garage near 56th Place and Hamlin. The burglar escaped into a white Chevrolet van and drove south. Stolen were a circular saw, a tool box, miscellaneous tools and an Mp3 radio.
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An unlocked front door was apparently all a criminal needed to burglarize a home near 64th Place and Major in the late afternoon of Friday, May 4. The victim, a 34-year-old woman, left home to get her car washed. After that, at about 4:00 p.m., her two teenage children left the house. When the woman returned at 6:00 p.m., she found the front door closed but unlocked. Stolen were a laptop computer, a Sony PlayStation game console, and a purse containing $100 cash and personal identification.
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A burglar broke a lock on a service door and stole miscellaneous tools from a garage near 57th and Springfield. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 29-year-old man, at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, May 5.
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Two 17-year-old Gage Park boys, both admitted gang members, were pursued and apprehended by police shortly after 10:00 p.m. Friday, May 4, in connection with the armed robbery of a 17-year-old boy from the Little Village neighborhood. The victim was walking north on the sidewalk at 4955 South Pulaski (near the New Pindos Restaurant) when he was approached by two teenage boys, one of whom asked the victim what gang he was a member of. When the victim replied that he is not a gang member, one of the offenders reached for his waistband (implying he had a weapon) and said, "Gimme all your sh~t." The second offender then began searching the victim's pockets and took the victim's bookbag. A passing motorist, seeing the victim standing with his hands up, drove up and confronted the two assailants, who then fled on foot----south through the athletic fields next to Curie High School. The motorist took the victim into his car for protection and then called 911. Police responding to the call found and arrested two teens meeting the description provided by the victim and witness. They were transported back to where the victim and witness were, and were positively identified. The victim's bookbag, dropped by one of the two during the chase, contained his work shirt and school papers.
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An 18-year-old Clearing man told police that his Chicago Bulls cap was stolen by four or five thugs who beat him when he was walking in an alley near 63rd and Merrimac at about 9:00 p.m. Friday, May 4. One of the offenders reportedly hit the victim in the face with a baseball bat; and then punched and kicked him before fleeing north through Hale Park. The victim was treated and released from MacNeal Hospital and would only describe his assailants as white Hispanic men.
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An 18-year-old West Lawn woman walking up the steps of her home near 61st and Karlov at 5:45 p.m. Friday, May 4 was accosted from behind by two men, one of whom yanked a gold chain off her neck. The pair then fled east through a gangway and into a black, two-door Chevrolet Monte Carlo, driven by a third man. The car sped away north.The victim described the robbers as white Hispanic men, 19-21 years old with black hair and medium complexions.
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A 17-year-old Archer Heights boy was treated and released from Holy Cross Hospital on Friday night, May 4, after he was beaten with a brick by 3-4 young men who reportedly identified themselves as gang members. The victim was walking with his girlfriend at about 10:15 p.m. near 47th and Springfield---about a block from his home---when the offenders hollered gang slogans and then beat him. He did not provide police with a description of the offenders.
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A 17-year-old West Lawn boy lost a front tooth when a gang member hit him in the face with a short metal pipe in front of his home near 60th Place and Central Park, at 3:00 p.m. Friday, May 4. The incident started when two young men drove up and parked their vehicle nearby (a black Kia with chrome rims). They got out and started shouting gang slogans at two girls on the home's front porch: a 13-year-old sister of the victim and her 15-year-old girlfriend from the Clearing neighborhood. Denying gang affiliations, the 15-year-old shouted back, "We ain't with nothing." Hearing the commotion, the victim walked from the garage to the front lawn. When he asked the pair to leave, one offender struck him with the pipe; the other attempted to slash his chest with a long screwdriver. One offender then held a handgun aloft while shouting gang slogans, and then the two fled in their vehicle, north on Central Park. The offenders are described as white Hispanic men. One is 19-20 years old, 5'9 and 200-220 pounds. The other is 25-26 years old, 5'5 to 5'6 and 160-170 pounds, with rotted teeth and a facial deformation.
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Burglars kicked in a panel of the side door of a garage near 48th and Kedvale and stole a lawn mower, DJ equipment, an amplifier, two speakers and two cases of Modelo beer. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 38-year-old woman, at 7:20 a.m. Friday, May 4.
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A 17-year-old Woodlawn girl was robbed of several rings and bracelets, as well as $7 cash, at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, May 3 just outside Curie High School. Her grandfather had just driven her to school from their South Side home, when she was accosted by two teenage boys who threw her to the ground and stole her belongings. She described the offenders as white Hispanic boys, 16-17 years old and about 5'7.
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Burglars broke into a side door of a home near 55th and Keeler and stole a 55-inch TV, a digital camera, a PlayStation game console, a jewelry box, a large amount of gold jewelry and $500 cash. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 28-year-old man, at about 4:00 p.m. Thursday, May 3 when he came home from work to find his home ransacked.
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A 33-year-old West Lawn man was walking near his home near 66th and Kildare at about 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 2 when he was approached by a man who greeted him and asked him if he belongs to a gang. When the man replied no, the man who asked the question lunged at him and yanked a gold chain off his neck. The victim chased the robber but did not catch him. The victim described the offender as a white Hispanic man, 20-21 years old, 5'6 and 250 pounds, with a distinctive "row of squares" tattoo on both forearms. He also told police that the brief exchange between them was conducted in Spanish.
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A 31-year-old West Lawn man said he was on his porch near 59th and Tripp at about 6:00 p.m. Monday, April 30 when he was rushed from behind by three men, who pushed him down, beat him and stole a gold chain from around his neck and then fled in a black 1997 Jeep Cherokee. The man said he saw the license plate number and shared it with police. He described the offenders only as black Hispanic men.
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A would-be burglar failed to finish the job when he was apparently scared off at a home near 59th and Narragansett, earlier this week. The 31-year-old homeowner was away on vacation, and the attempted burglary was discovered by a 29-year-old relative of the victim, who checked on the house after work. She saw that the front storm door was broken, along with evidence of unsuccessful tampering at the front wooden door. The home is protected with an alarm system; but no alarm rang, apparently because the burglar did not gain entry.
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All Southwest Siders who were not able to attend the Chicago Police Department's recent burglary prevention seminar at Daley College are welcome to view Southwest Chicago Post footage of the event. It's long (40 minutes) and visually plain, but filled with basic, solid advice that can help everyone protect property and even lives.
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Thank You for these updates!!
ReplyDelete-- a Garfield Ridge resident