Police investigating attempted carjacking

Nov. 30, 2017 – Oak Park Police are investigating an attempted carjacking reported at about 6:20 p.m., Tuesday, November 28, in the 700 block of north Lombard Avenue.

The victim told police she had parked her car on the street and was removing her three-year-old daughter from a car seat when a man approached her from behind, displayed a handgun and demanded her keys.

A second man standing on the sidewalk approached, but when the victim asked to get her daughter out of the vehicle, the pair fled south on Lombard Avenue, then east on August Street.

The gunman is described as African American, 16 to 19 years old, between five feet teen inches and six feet tall, with a slim build, short black hair and wearing sagging baggy jeans showing red boxers showing and a dark sweatshirt.

The second man is described as African American, 16 to 19 years old, between five feet seven inches and five feet eight inches tall, weighing 140 to 150 pounds, with a medium build, and wearing dark jeans, a dark hooded sweatshirt and a green mask.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Oak Park Police Department at 708.386.3800. Information may be provided anonymously by calling 708.434.1636 or online at www.oak-park.us/crimetip.

According to Police, nearly 90 percent of all crime in Oak Park is against property, with garages and bicycles the most frequent targets of burglars and thieves. But sharing a border with the nation’s third largest city means that more violent crimes such as armed robberies and vehicle hijackings do sometimes occur in Oak Park.

The best defense, Oak Park Police say, is to try to avoiding being an easy victim.

Police recommend the following:

• If you observe a suspicious vehicle or people nearby when parking on the street or in your garage, continue driving and call 911.
• When parked, be aware of your surroundings -— if someone approaches your vehicle drive off immediately.
• Trust your instincts — if something or someone makes you uneasy, avoid the person or leave.
• If someone tries to rob you, don’t resist, but try to note details about your attacker that may help Police make an arrest.
• Report any suspicious activity or person immediately by calling 911.
• If possible, don’t walk alone during late-night hours — there is safety in numbers.
• Let a family member or friend know your destination and your estimated time of arrival or return so police can be notified as quickly as possible if there is a problem.
• Stay in well-lit areas as much as possible, avoiding alleys and secluded areas that are not heavily traveled.
• Walk on the sidewalk whenever possible, staying close to the curb, avoiding doorways, bushes and other potential hiding places.
• Walk confidently, directly, and at a steady pace, and don’t stop to talk to strangers.
• Always be aware of your surroundings — if you are wearing headphones, don’t turn up the volume so high that you cannot hear outside noises.

More information on the Oak Park’s approach to community policing is posted online at www.oak-park.us/police.