Catalytic converter thieves threaten residents and fire gun in separate NW Side incidents; several attacks and burglaries reported in 16th Police District
A man reported that he was robbed at about 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 17, in the 3400 block of North Laramie Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The 33-year-old man reported that he was walking to his vehicle when a man approached him with what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun and demanded that he empty his pockets, according to police. The man reported that the man took $500 in cash and fled north in the east alley of Laramie, police said.
The man was described as White/Hispanic, age 28 to 35, 5-7 and 160 to 170 pounds, and wearing a light blue skull cap, black jacket and black pants.
Shots were fired during an apparent catalytic converter theft in the 5000 block of West Agatite Avenue between 2:40 a.m. and 2:50 a.m. Saturday, March 18, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
A man reported that his surveillance footage showed three men exited a white Infiniti sedan and one of the men used a jack to steal the catalytic converter from a neighbor’s vehicle, according to police.
The man reported a second man stood lookout, while the third man retrieved a handgun from the Infiniti and fired shots in an unknown direction, then all three men fled east on Agatite toward Lavergne Avenue in the Infiniti, police said.
A witness reported that the third man fired shots at him when he looked out of his apartment window and saw the theft but the witness did not want to make a report, according to police.
One spent shell casing was recovered from the grass on the parkway, police said. Descriptions of the men in the were not provided.
A man reported that a man pointed a rifle at him during an apparent catalytic converter theft in the 6000 block of West Gunnison Street at about 2:05 a.m. Thursday, March 16, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The man reported that he heard a loud noise in front of his home, looked outside, saw a white BMW X3 or X5 sport utility vehicle parked near his vehicle and three men standing near his vehicle while one of the men was urinating, according to police.
The man reported that one of the men saw him watching them and pointed a rifle described as an AK-47 while another man cut off the catalytic converter from his vehicle, police said. The man reported that he heard the man who pointed the rifle say, “let’s go in the house” to the other two men before all three men got back into the BMW and fled east on Gunnison, according to police.
The man who pointed the gun was described as Black and 6-5, wearing black pants and a black jacket.
A man reported that a man pointed a gun at him during an apparent catalytic converter theft in the 8400 block of West Bryn Mawr Avenue at about 1:55 a.m. Monday, March 13, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The man reported that he saw three men remove a jack from beneath his vehicle and when he approached them, one of the men pointed a gun and told him to stop or he would shoot, according to police.
The man reported that the men fled in a white BMW X3 sport utility vehicle, police said. The three men were only described as wearing ski masks.
A man reported that a man attacked him at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, March 18, in the 6600 block of North Oliphant Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The 18-year-old man reported that he was walking on the sidewalk with a friend when he heard another man using a racial slur and began arguing with him, according to police. The 18-year-old man reported that the man followed him and his friend to a parking lot, then punched him multiple times in the face and head, police said. The man was listed in stable condition after he was treated at Lutheran General Hospital for lacerations to his left eye, nose, lip and several broken teeth, and monitored for a small brain bleed, according to police.
The assailant was described as White, age 25 to 30, 6-0 and 230 pounds, wearing a green baseball cap and a black sweatshirt.
A man and woman reported that a man threatened them with a machete in the 5300 block of North Harlem Avenue at about 3:15 p.m. Saturday, March 18, following an apparent road rage incident, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The man and woman reported that the road rage incident occurred while they were driving on the expressway when the driver of a silver Dodge Ram pickup truck attempted to hit their vehicle several times, according to police.
The man and woman reported that they exited at Harlem and the driver of the Dodge followed them until both vehicles stopped in traffic in the 5300 block of Harlem and the driver of the Dodge exited the truck holding a machete, police said.
The man was described as White/Hispanic, 5-10 and 110 to 120 pounds, with shaggy hair, a black moustache and a black beard, and wearing a red baseball cap and a black work uniform with a patch on the sleeve.
A man was charged with felony aggravated sexual assault and unlawful restraint following an incident at about 12:15 p.m. Sunday, March 12, at a home on Higgins Avenue near Talcott Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
Officers responded to a call of a domestic disturbance and were informed that a man and a woman were “fighting in the back room,” and a woman opened the door and was crying and said that a man forced himself on her, according to police. The man was arrested on signed complaints, police said.
The suspect was identified by police as Thomas E. Taylor, age 28, of unknown address.
A man reported that a man pointed a gun at him at about 1:50 p.m. Monday, March 13, in the alley of the 3600 block of North Plainfield Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The man reported that he parked outside when two men walked up and one of them pointed a gun at him, according to police. The man reported that he drove away, called 9-1-1 and when he returned the men were gone, police said.
The man that pointed the gun was described as White/Hispanic, age 24 to 26, 6-0 and 240 to 250 pounds, wearing a blue zipped sweater and blue jeans.
An employee of Optima Family Dental, 4956 W. Irving Park Road, reported that the office was burglarized at about 9:25 p.m. Sunday, March 19, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The employee reported that footage showed a man circled the building before he broke glass on two front doors and entered, according to police. The employee reported that they were unsure what items might be missing and officers noted blood droplets were discovered near the alarm keypad and blood smears were discovered on drawer handles, police said.
The man was described from footage as White or White/Hispanic, age 30 to 35, 5-8 and 190 pounds, with a shaved head, wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.
A woman reported that a man attempted to break into her home in the 7700 block of West Victoria Street between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 18, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The woman reported that she was sitting on her couch when she heard the front door open and heard keys jingling, according to police. The woman reported that a man entered the home, made eye contact with her and asked if the house was for sale, then asked if it was a different address and when she told him it was not, he said, “it’s a good thing you don’t have a gun” and fled, police said.
Two neighbors reported that their surveillance cameras captured footage of the man as he fled in a vehicle and provided the footage to officers, according to police.
The man was described as White, age 45 to 55, 5-7 to 5-9 and 220 to 250 pounds, unshaven, with short gray spiked hair.
An employee of Autozone, 5415 N. Harlem Ave., reported that the business was burglarized between 1:45 a.m. and 2 a.m. Thursday, March 16, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The employee reported that the front glass door was broken and several packages of vehicle headlights valued at about $500 were missing, according to police.
An employee of O’Reilly Auto Parts, 5316 N. Milwaukee Ave., reported that the front glass door of the business was broken at about 1:50 a.m. Thursday, March 16, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The employee reported that nothing appeared to be missing from the store and the only damage was to the front door, according to police.
An employee of O’Reilly Auto Parts, 7250 W. Foster Ave., reported that the business was burglarized at about 3:35 a.m. Thursday, March 16, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
The employee reported that windows on the front glass doors were broken and a wrench was found outside the interior doors, according to police. The employee reported that a hydraulic floor jack valued at $80 was missing, police said.
