Armed catalytic converter thieves threaten woman near Chopin Park, teen suspect with machete arrested near Olympia Park, driver’s ed cars stolen from Taft HS

A WOMAN reported that another woman pointed a gun at her at about 5:55 a.m. Saturday, May 27, after she saw two men stealing a catalytic converter from a vehicle parked in the 5300 block of West Newport Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The 50-year-old woman reported that she saw two men using a jack to lift a vehicle and heard the sound of a machine cutting something, when a woman exited a dark gray sedan and pointed a handgun at her, according to police.
The woman reported that all three people fled east on Newport in the gray sedan and left a blue car jack behind, police said. Officers recovered the carjack, according to police.
The female with the gun was described as Black, age 20 to 30 and 5-4 to 5-6. The two men that lifted the vehicle were described as Black, age 20 to 30, 5-10 to 6-0 and 150 to 170 pounds, wearing black hooded sweatshirts and black pants. L

A WOMAN reported that she was robbed at about 1:45
a.m. Thursday, May 25, at the CTA Jefferson Park transit station in the 4900 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The woman reported that another woman pushed her, then stole her pink bag containing clothing, shoes and miscellaneous items from a shopping cart and fled to a train, according to police.
The assailant was described as Black and wearing pink and purple clothing.

A 14-YEAR-OLD TEEN was taken into custody at about 10:35
p.m. Friday, May 26, after he allegedly threatened several people with a machete and then attempted to hide the weapon in the rear yard of a home in the 6400 block of North Olympia Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
Officers near Olympia Park were flagged down by a child that said teen was threatening other children with a machete in his waistband, according to police. Officers relocated to the west end of the park when they were flagged down by a resident that reported that he just chased a teenager matching the description from the rear yard of his home, police said. Officers found a teenager matching the description walking northbound in the 6500 block of North Oxford Avenue, and detained him, according to police.

Three driver’s education cars for Taft High School were reported stolen at about 4:10 a.m. Monday, May 22, from a gated lot on school grounds in the 6500 block of West Bryn Mawr Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police. 
Taft principal Mark Grishaber said that most of the school’s driver education vehicles, including an electric car, were not taken. He added that the school is planning to replace the fence around the driver’s education lot and implement extra security procedures.
Footage taken from a surveillance camera showed two people, each wearing a sweatshirt, cut open the lock and make entry to the lot, according to police. A trailer on the lot also was forced open, and keys to the cars were stolen, police said.
Two of the stolen vehicles were described as a white four-door Ford Focus, 2015 and 2017 models. The other was described as a silver four-door 2012 Chevrolet Malibu.
Driver’s education classes at Taft have continued since the thefts, Grishaber said.