On Friday September 14, 2018 shortly after 9PM, River Forest officers responded to the 1400 block of William for a possible break-in. Officers determined that a Residential Burglary had occurred. Entry to the house was gained by forcing in the rear door via a pry type tool/method. The offender(s) ransacked the residence and stole jewelry. The residents reported that the incident had occurred between 6:50PM and 9:10PM. The River Forest Police Detective Unit is conducting an investigation into the event. No other recent or similar Burglary incidents have been reported in the Village.
Earlier in the afternoon on Friday the 14th, a resident on the 200 block of Franklin called 911 to report a subject “pulling on car door handles” in his alley. Responding officers spotted the offender and subject led police on a five-block foot pursuit. The offender was caught and the victim positively identified the subject as the one he saw tampering with autos in his alley. The offender, Douglas Simmons, 23-years old of Chicago, was also found to be wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet from the Cook County Sheriff’s Department. Simmons self-reported to officers that he was on house-arrest for a previous crime. Due to the victim not sustaining any loss, Simmons was charged with Criminal Trespass to Railroad Property and Obstructing a Police Officer. The incident was reported to the Sheriff’s Department for possible lodging of additional charges. We commend the resident for having the prudence to call 911, which prevented further crimes from being committed in the Village.
Please remember to:
- Call 911 to report illegal or suspicious activity.
- Lock car and house doors, plus keep windows secure.
- Use/activate alarm systems.
- Use/activate camera security systems.
- Use exterior lighting to improve visibility and overall safety.
- Never enter a residence or vehicle, if you suspect a crime has been committed, until police are on-scene and have advised you it is safe to enter.
Please contact the RFPD Detective Unit or Crime Prevention Unit at (708) 366-7125 with any information that would assist in the investigations or with general questions.