Dear Neighbors,
There have been several unfortunate crimes in our area over the past few days, but I can report to you that significant progress has been made in bringing the criminals to justice. Here are the latest details:
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Suspect Charged in Attempted Sexual Assault
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A 34-year old man, Keith Thomas, has been charged with one felony count each of attempted criminal sexual assault by force, kidnapping by force or threat of force and aggravated battery for Friday's attempted sexual assault in an alley in the 1900 block of Halsted. According to the Chicago Police Department, the attack occurred around noon when the offender pulled a resident into the alley. Thankfully, the victim was able to escape unharmed and, because of the many security cameras in the vicinity, the fleeing suspect was identified and swiftly arrested within an hour. He remains in custody.
Police credit the use of neighborhood cameras, which allowed the quick identification and capture of Thomas. If you are interested in connecting your camera with the Chicago Police Department, as we discussed in our
43rd Ward Safety meeting
in May, click
here
.
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Carjacking Vehicle Recovered
Detectives in the 19th District have recovered a carjacked vehicle originally stolen downtown last Friday, August 4th and used to attempt three other carjackings, one in the 1400 block of West Webster (2nd Ward) and one on the 2700 Block of Sheffield (43rd Ward) and one on 3500 block of Southport (44th Ward). The white Mercedes is a company car parked in the Loop. In both cases, the offender was a passenger in the Mercedes and left the car, holding up the victims with a gun. No victims were harmed. The first vehicle taken was from a delivery driver, and is a white delivery Dodge Caravan with license plate number
AB45546
. The second carjacking was thwarted when the victim left the car, took his keys with him, and ran. The third carjacking was also unsuccessful, as the offender could not get the car in gear. Detectives and the Carjacking Task Force have been working in the area to locate video, and were investigating the cars for fingerprints. The offender was described as an adult black male, 25-40 years old, wearing black pants with a belt with a large GG Gucci logo on it. Residents of these blocks are encouraged to check if they have any video and send it to the 19th District at
[email protected]
.
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Unusual Garage Theft Reported
We recently received a report about an unusual garage robbery tactic. Offenders used a ladder left by workers in the backyard to jump a fence into the adjacent property. They then used a screwdriver to enter and rob a locked garage. The neighbors house did not have a locked gate.
Regardless of the specific combination of circumstances, there are ways to protect your home and property.
- Check your yard and alley and ask your neighbors to do the same for ladders or other objects that can be used to climb a fence.
- Test your garage door lock to see how easily it can be unlocked, or removed from the door frame. See if you can dislodge the deadbolt by prying the door open.
- Install a longer deadbolt that extends farther into your door frame. A locksmith can provide recommendations as none of the big box stores sell this kind of longer security deadbolt.
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Crime Prevention Steps
Please take a moment to read the sensible advice of CPD Detectives
- Lock your doors and windows, on your home and your garage. This is important even when someone is home. More than a third of robberies occur through unlocked entrances.
- Don't sit in your parked car and engage in long social media activities, including texting. Criminals need your keys to take your car.
- Stay alert to your surroundings, especially at night and avoid any distractions like a cell phone. Avoid walking alone at night, and stick to well lit areas
- Be cautious of anyone knocking on your door or on the block offering services. If someone identifies as a law enforcement official or utility worker, ask for identification.
- Avoid leaving items in plain sight in your vehicle, even for a few minutes.
- Make sure your alarm system is operating, especially if you have cameras.
- Have a plan for emergency situations. Make the right call. Know whether you need to call 911 or 311. Communicate with friends and family about when you are walking. Report suspicious activity, if you feel unsafe, call 9-1-1.
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Michele Smith
43rd Ward Alderman
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