Residents scare away suspected wheel thieves

by BRIAN NADIG

All too often on social media pictures have been posted of cars sitting on bricks because the vehicle’s wheels had been stolen, but in one recent incident residents scared away the suspected thieves and police later arrested them.

The arrests, along with several recent shootings in the area, were discussed at the Dec. 13 meeting of the 16th (Jefferson Park) Police District Advisory Committee.

Several residents in the 6100 block of West Berenice Avenue reported that they were alerted to the theft after they heard a loud bang and dog barking at about 2:55 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9, according to police. At least two men who were seen near the car fled after one of the residents yelled at them, and witnesses gave officers a description of their car, police said.

Two suspects were arrested a short time later after officers reported seeing their vehicle in the 5600 block of West Byron Street, police said. A reported stolen wheel was recovered from the trunk of the suspects’ car, police said.

Meanwhile, it also was reported that arrests were made in two recent shootings over Thanksgiving weekend.

On Friday, Nov. 23, a woman was shot in the upper leg as part of an altercation that involved her boyfriend and two other men in an alley in the 4600 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, while on Saturday, Nov. 25, a man was shot twice in his right arm and once in his left arm as part of a domestic dispute in 5100 block of West Cullom Avenue, police said.

Also, the advisory committee selected Vincent Baldassano as “Officer of the Month” for his Oct. 24 arrest of three suspects in an incident near Foster and Neenah avenues. Stolen items reportedly were found in the suspects’ vehicle, police said.