Friday Blotter: Man Attempts To Steal Police Car From Station Lot

Attempted criminal trepass to vehicle

On Tuesday, March 15, Fleet Supervisor Timothy Doherty observed a man attempting to enter several squad cars in the police station parking lot. Officers went to the parking lot and saw the offender, Benjamin Hirsch Enggas, 19, of the 1700 block of Spruce Avenue, whom officers recognized from previous incidents, attempting to enter a vehicle using a key, according to the police report.

Officers asked Enggas what he was doing, to which he replied, "I'm trying to get into a squad car," according to the report. He claimed to have found the key in his home. It was later determined that the key was not a squad car key.

Police asked Enggas why he was trying to get into a car, to which he replied, "I was only going to take a squad car for a little while to show my friends," according to the report.  He did add that he planned to bring the vehicle back.

Battery

Wednesday, March 23, police responded to a call from a high school student who reported being beaten by strangers. He said that while he and his brother were sitting outside a convenience store at 586 E. Oakton St., six Hispanic males pulled up in a van, jumped out and began striking and kicking the victim, asking "Who you with?" The offenders then jumped back into the van and sped off. A witness, who was walking to a bus stop in the area, confirmed the victim's story. The victim does not know the offenders, as he only moved to the area a few weeks ago, according to reports.

Illegal consumption of alcohol by minor

Wednesday, March 23, police observed a vehicle that had been involved in an accident earlier that day parked on Thacker Street. The driver had fled the scene. While the vehicle was being towed, the driver, Jorge Sanchez, 18, of the 2000 block of S. Pine Street, approached officers and admitted that he had been driving the vehicle and fled the accident scene because, "I thought it was the other guy's fault," according to reports. Police smelled alcohol on Sanchez's breath and he admitted that he had been drinking, but said that he was not drinking at the time of the crash, according to reports. Sanchez was taken into custody for leaving the scene of a traffic crash and illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor.

Theft

Wednesday, March 23, police responded to a report of theft at an office building at 1400 E. Touhy Ave. The victim said that while she was at work she received a call from her credit card company about possible fraud. She checked her purse, which she leaves in her office, and discovered that someone had stolen her wallet that afternoon. The victim related that she had seen a suspicious black male walking around the building earlier in the day. Police reviewed security tapes and confirmed that a black male and black female had been wandering in the hallways of the building and looking into office spaces.