Teen arrested for targeting bicycle shop

by BRIAN NADIG

A teenager was arrested after he allegedly tried to break into bike shop in Portage Park where he stole bicycles twice earlier in the day, and three teenagers were arrested after guns were found in an alley in Jefferson Park.

Those incidents were reported at the Aug. 17 meeting of the 16th (Jefferson Park) Police District Advisory Committee. The committee also discussed an incident in which a man was apprehended after he allegedly pointed a gun at officers in the Belmont-Central area.

District commander William Looney said that it is unusual for a thief to target the same business three times in less than 24 hours but that a 15-year-old male did so on Thursday, Aug. 3, at Rudy’s Cycle and Fitness, 5711 W. Irving Park Road.

The suspect shoplifted a bicycle and then returned to take a second bicycle later the same day, but employees recognized the teen from the first incident and were able to apprehend him outside the store, according to police. The teenager reportedly wore different clothes except for his shoes during the two incidents.

The 15-year-old returned at night and unsuccessfully tried to break into the store, but he was unable to break both layers of glass in the storefront, police said. A surveillance camera recorded the incident, and the teen was arrested in connection with the incident on Wednesday, Aug. 16, police said.

Also in the district, three teenage males were arrested at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, after officers responded to a call of someone with a gun in an alley in the 5600 block of West Higgins Avenue, police said.

Officers saw that several people were standing in the doorway of a garage and discovered that a gun, $120 in cash and a small bag of marijuana were in plain view, police said. A starter revolver, a starter pistol, a sawed-off shotgun and 30 grams of a substance suspected of being marijuana were found, and one of the officers reportedly was attacked while placing one of the suspects into custody, police said.

Also at the meeting, Looney praised the actions of two officers who resolved what he said was a dangerous situation peacefully. The suspect was arrested at about 9 a.m. Saturday, July 29, in the 3300 North Oriole Avenue. The suspect was identified by police as Roger M. Hennessy, age 36, of the 3300 block of North Oriole Avenue.

The officers were responding to a report of a man who displayed two knives threatening another man. A 45-year-old man reported that a man approached him and shouted, "What you looking at? Get out of my neighborhood, call the cops," and that the man then chased after him and continued to shout at him while holding two knives, according to police.

Officers saw the man sitting on his front porch holding a handgun and that he stood up, pointed the weapon at the officers, walked toward them and shouted "What are you going to do?" before walking northbound in the middle of the street toward them, police said.

It also was reported that the district is receiving four recent police academy graduates, bringing the total number of patrol officers and supervisors in the district to about 250, Looney said. Two years ago the district had about 180 officers and 30 supervisors.

"We’re manning all of our cars," Looney said. "Last year we were down on the midnight watch."

Looney also reported that a foot patrol officer in the Belmont-Central business district has good job of meeting merchants and those who frequent the area and that he is helping to identify a possible suspect in a recent robbery in the district. "That’s what a foot guy does," he said.

The committee honored officers Thomas Surma, Robert Gniot, Michael Brosnan and Marco Bruno and sergeants Gregory Hoffman and Joseph Molina for the arrest of two suspects in the June 15 burglary of a home in the 6800 block of West Hobart Avenue. A third man, who is believed to have driven the suspected burglars, has not been apprehended, police said.

Three girls, age 8 to 11, hid in the house during the break-in, and one of them called police. The Chicago Police Department later presented a citizen’s appreciation award to the girls and a witness who helped apprehend the two suspects.two officers who resolved what he said was a dangerous situation peacefully. The suspect was arrested at about 9 a.m. Saturday, July 29, in the 3300 North Oriole Avenue. The suspect was identified by police as Roger M. Hennessy, age 36, of the 3300 block of North Oriole Avenue.

The officers were responding to a report of a man who displayed two knives threatening another man. A 45-year-old man reported that a man approached him and shouted, "What you looking at? Get out of my neighborhood, call the cops," and that the man then chased after him and continued to shout at him while holding two knives, according to police.

Officers saw the man sitting on his front porch holding a handgun and that he stood up, pointed the weapon at the officers, walked toward them and shouted "What are you going to do?" before walking northbound in the middle of the street toward them, police said.

It also was reported that the district is receiving four recent police academy graduates, bringing the total number of patrol officers and supervisors in the district to about 250, Looney said. Two years ago the district had about 180 officers and 30 supervisors.

"We’re manning all of our cars," Looney said. "Last year we were down on the midnight watch."

Looney also reported that a foot patrol officer in the Belmont-Central business district has good job of meeting merchants and those who frequent the area and that he is helping to identify a possible suspect in a recent robbery in the district. "That’s what a foot guy does," he said.

The committee honored officers Thomas Surma, Robert Gniot, Michael Brosnan and Marco Bruno and sergeants Gregory Hoffman and Joseph Molina for the arrest of two suspects in the June 15 burglary of a home in the 6800 block of West Hobart Avenue. A third man, who is believed to have driven the suspected burglars, has not been apprehended, police said.

Three girls, age 8 to 11, hid in the house during the break-in, and one of them called police. The Chicago Police Department later presented a citizen’s appreciation award to the girls and a witness who helped apprehend the two suspects.

It also was announced that the Vietnam Veterans of America Chicago Chapter 242 will hold a town hall meeting on the effects of Agent Orange, a chemical which the U.S. military used during the Vietnam War, from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Ave. Registration starts at 12:15 p.m.

The meeting will focus on health problems related to exposure to Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals. For more information, call Pat O’Brien at 847-409-4676.

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