Crime & Safety

OMG PD: Man Kicks Dog, Woman Hides in Car, Man Reads Bible in Bush

A roundup of some of the more bizarre items from this week's police blotters.

OAK PARK

Man Kicks Dog, Hits Woman

A 31-year-old woman was attacked while walking her dog at 12:42 p.m. March 27 in the 300 block of N. Austin. Police said a man approached her yelling, "Get that dog," then kicked the dog. The offender then punched the woman in the face and fled westbound. He's described as 45 years old, 5-foot-8 with a medium build and black hair, and he was wearing a purple coat with whie sleeves and khaki pants.

FOREST PARK

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There’s Something about Mary, Drunk Man Yells in Street

Police were called to the 7200 block of Franklin at 1:37 p.m. March 27 to check on a man yelling "I love Mary!" in the middle of the street. 

Gerard N. Thompson, 51, of Forest Park, was issued a warning to stop disturbing residents. But about 10 minutes later, three more residents in the 300 block of Circle called about Thompson's yelling. He couldn't be located at the time. 

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About 10 minutes after that, two more calls came in saying Thompson was yelling while drinking an open 22-ounce bottle of Colt 45 in the 7500 block of Lehmer.

Police finally tracked him down and issued him three local citations for disorderly conduct, open alcohol and public intoxication. He was given a May 1 court date. 

LA GRANGE

Man hiding in bushes “just reading his Bible”

A man wearing a hoodie and carrying a notepad was reportedly hiding in the bushes by First United Methodist Church, 100 S. Catherine Ave., police said. Officers spoke to the man, who said he was just reading his Bible, and sent him on his way.

WESTERN SPRINGS

Woman Hides While Man Flees on Foot from Illegally Driven Car

Officers found a woman hiding in the back of a car they approached for a license plate violation Saturday afternoon in the 4000 block of Harvey Avenue, Western Springs police said.

Turns out, neither Brittany Ramkelawan, 22, nor the car’s driver, Danny Washington, 24, were supposed to be in that car, police said.

A patrol officer noticed the car didn’t have a front license plate and that the rear plate was missing its registration sticker a few minutes earlier when the car was driving on Ogden near Gilbert, Deputy Chief Brian Budds said.

While the officer turned his car around, Washington pulled the car onto Harvey and into a driveway in the 4000 block. Washington, of the 1400 block of NW 6th Street in Ft. Lauderdale, turned the ignition off, and both he and Ramkelawan, of the 1700 block of NW 7th Street in Ft. Lauderdale, ducked down, Budds said.

Washington tried to run away as the officer approached the car, Budds said, but he didn’t make it very far.

“The offender actually tripped over his own feet and then surrendered,” he said.

A backup officer arrived and saw Ramkelawan crouching down on the back seat, he said.

The car was rented out of Florida in someone else’s name and had a stolen Illinois license plate taped over its Florida license plate, Budds said.

Washington and Ramkelawan were each charged with one count of criminal trespass to a vehicle and one count of obstructing a police officer. Washington was also charged with possession of stolen property, driving with a revoked license, driving with revoked registration and unlawful display of registration.

They posted bond and were released from the Western Springs Police Department.

Officers returned the Illinois plate to its owner and the car to the rental company, he said.

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Police Blotter information is provided by local law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.


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