August 2015 - Page 4 of 5

HOT PROPERTY: Huge Dumpster Fire Is Second Blaze At Old Leona’s Restaurant This Summer

August 10, 2015 10:05 PM CWBChicago

A large dumpster fire behind the former Leona’s restaurant, 3215 N. Sheffield, early Saturday is one of the latest alley fires to be reported in our area. Neither police nor fire investigators have officially deemed the fire to be suspicious. The restaurant’s back porch burned in a fire on June 6. That wasn’t officially suspicious

JUMPED FROM BEHIND: Two More Mugged As Cheap-Shot Robberies Continue

August 9, 2015 7:39 PM CWBChicago

The local late night robbery scene continues to be vibrant despite the recent arrests of two suspected muggers. At 2:45 Friday morning, a woman reported that she was followed to her front door and attacked from behind in the 3600 block of Southport. Few details are available as the woman was unable to get a

BEACH BUMS: Late-Night Robberies Reported In Crowds Leaving Montrose

August 9, 2015 7:24 PM CWBChicago

Visitors to the Montrose Beach area may be wise to pack up and leave before the park closes at 11 o’clock nightly. A slightly less gang-infested Montrose Beach is seen in 1946. Robberies and batteries have been reported at closing time recently as large crowds are moved from the park by Chicago police. Wednesday evening,

GONE: Uptown Man Says “Hipster Thief” Stole His Beloved Car

August 8, 2015 1:21 AM CWBChicago

Dan Gawne says he’s heartbroken. He says someone used a screwdriver to break into his building in the 4700 block of N. Racine yesterday morning and proceeded to steal Gawe’s car from the garage. “My only guess is that he found the valet key in the glove box,” Gawne said. “Lesson learned there I suppose.”

BELOW THE BELT: With Helpful Witness, Cops Snag Two Robbery Suspects

August 7, 2015 2:57 AM CWBChicago

Sandifer (L) and Wolaridge. Update: Bail has been set at $150,000. Each. ——— A tenacious witness and equally tenacious cops successfully tracked down two attempted robbery offenders near Addison and Paulina early Thursday morning. Police said a 33-year-old woman was jumped and threatened with a belt by two men who tried to take her purse

OFF GUARD: After Convicted Police Impersonator Is Put On Patrol, Halsted Security Firm Reviews Hiring Process

August 6, 2015 12:52 PM CWBChicago

A security company that provides private patrols in Boystown is “reviewing its hiring process,” Northalsted Business Alliance Executive Director Christopher Barrett Politan said, after one of its guards was found to have pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer in November 2000. The guard, Ronald J. Lye, and a co-worker were accused in 1999 of

BOYSTOWN: Woman Robs TCF Bank

August 6, 2015 11:01 AM CWBChicago

Hey, lady! You’re supposed to hold the note in the hand that has the glove! A Boystown bank was robbed by a woman who claimed to have a gun Wednesday afternoon according to the FBI and Chicago police. A person of interest was being questioned late Wednesday night, but no charges were filed. Cops say

UNDER THE GUN: Two Armed Robberies In One Hour Tuesday

August 5, 2015 6:40 AM CWBChicago

At least two robberies at gunpoint were reported in less than an hour by victims in nearby Lake View and Uptown last night. • At 10:33PM, a man told police that he was robbed at gunpoint near Melrose and Greenview in Lake View. The offender, who escaped with the victim’s canvas shoulder bag, wallet, and

“NOW YOU GOT AIDS”: Home Intruders And Robbery Disturb Normally Quiet Newport Avenue

August 4, 2015 3:47 PM CWBChicago

Neighbors who live just a couple of doors apart in the 900 block of Newport reported intruders in their third floor apartments last week. One case was weird. The other resulted in a battery. The incidents are just the latest in a series of unusual activities on the normally peaceful block. Friday evening at 5:45PM,

(GUN)MEN AT WORK: Uptown Phone Store Robbery May Be Tied To “Construction Crew”

August 4, 2015 6:08 AM CWBChicago

Investigators believe that at least one member of a crew that robs cell phone stores while wearing construction outfits struck in our area Monday afternoon. Police say a man entered the store, located in the 4400 block of Broadway, at high noon and produced a black handgun. A female worker fled out the back door

THANKS, BAT MAN: Car Break-In, Confrontation With Resident Ends In 5 Year Prison Term

August 4, 2015 2:40 AM CWBChicago

A convicted burglar who was confronted by a baseball bat-wielding citizen who saw him breaking into a car near Clark and Diversey last September has pleaded guilty to theft. Mack Perry, 50, received a 5 year prison sentence and was ordered to submit a DNA sample. Last fall, the noise of a late night car

HOT SPOT: Former Boystown Bar Owner Pleads Guilty To Arson

August 4, 2015 2:24 AM CWBChicago

Frank Elliott, the former Boystown bar owner who was accused of having another gay bar he owned in Oak Park set afire as part of an insurance scheme in 2012, has reached a plea deal. Elliott pleaded guilty to one count of arson and one count of insurance fraud. In exchange for his plea, Elliott

AND YOU GET A ROBBERY! AND YOU GET A ROBBERY!: Home Invasion, Robberies Fill Hot Weekend

August 3, 2015 9:35 PM CWBChicago

At least four robberies were reported this weekend in the immediate neighborhood as a late-blooming summer crime spree continues. And, despite a local alderman’s promise that “increased resources” would be dedicated to police efforts in our area, the 19th district ran completely out of cops for more than two hours during the crime-laden overnight hours

Month: August 2015