Couple killed after being hit by car

This tragic accident happened this week in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood on the Southwest Side: a pickup truck struck an elderly couple that ultimately caused their death, and now the victim's family wanted a more severe punishment for the driver. The incident occurred at about 8:50 a.m. Sunday when a Ford F150 driven by a 43-year-old man attempted to make a left turn onto Archer Avenue near Mayfield Avenue. At the time, two pedestrians, Zofia Chruszcz, 72 years of age, and her husband Ryszard Stebnicki, 74 years of age were crossing the intersection in the crosswalk en route to church according to family members.

The two, Zofia and Ryszard, were taken to area hospitals after the truck struck them down, both reported in critical condition. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, both soon succumbed to their injuries. The family has spoken out through their granddaughter, Zofia, showing its members in deep sadness, while demanding a harsher sentence on the driver for their lost loved ones. The family's call for justice reflects the pain and shock they go through trying to come to terms with this sudden tragedy.

 

 

 

 

Family of Isaac Goodlow III files federal lawsuit

 

The police department faced a wrongful death suit filed by the family of a Carol Stream man on Wednesday, who was fatally shot by law enforcement. In the shooting incident, Isaac Goodlow III, 30-year-old, was shot dead inside his home by the police on February 3rd. That incident came after police responded to a call that Goodlow and his girlfriend had a domestic dispute, according to the legal complaint filed by his family. According to the suit, police responding to the scene were informed that Goodlow's girlfriend was not in the apartment when officers arrived. The suit further alleges that the officers stayed in the building upstairs for over 50 minutes and did not attempt whatsoever to contact Goodlow before forcing their way into his apartment. The family argues that, during this time, Goodlow was innocently sleeping in his bed when police fired shots at him. The lawsuit cites concerns over the actions and decisions of the officers leading up to the shooting, questioning if the response was appropriate in the situation. For that, the reason for the family to take a case into court is supported: justice for the loss of their loved one, and secondly, holding the police responsible for what they believe to be an unjustified use of force.
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 Relatives of the late Goodlow were allowed to see a version of the body camera footage related to the incident earlier in the month; it had been censored. The family contends the footage shows Goodlow was the only person in the bed at the time of the incident. Kyenna McConico said her sister was in so much pain after she watched the video that she described it as nothing short of horrific. She told reporters in exasperation, "They lied. What they did was unjustified. They went in there and they shot my brother in his sleep. And we want justice." The family's lawsuit retains Goodlow had no weapons on him when he was shot as he was peacefully resting in his bedroom. While this was a serious incident, the police still have not revealed what specific threat they believed existed that would justify the officers shooting Goodlow. The family, however, did say that police had previously told them that Goodlow had thrown something at the officers during the encounter. That's a serious contradiction that makes highly questionable the grounds on which deadly force was used against him.

Six subjects rob passenger on train

 

The Mass Transit detectives are trying to find six suspects involved in a robbery that occurred at the CTA Red Line station earlier this month. According to authorities, the robbery is said to have occurred on 18th February at about 7:15 p.m. within the area of West 79th Street between number 0 and 100. The robbery is said to have taken a course where they attacked the victim, a 19-year-old man. The suspects allegedly approached the victim while he was on the train and assaulted him, forcing him to relinquish personal belongings. The suspects were described as five African American males estimated to be between 22-30 years of age and a Caucasian female estimated to be between 19-23 years of age. It is an ongoing investigation, finding and locating those people, whose whereabouts officials try to account for in relation to the committed crime.

Man sexually assaults teen on CTA train

 

 

 

 

A 27-year-old man was charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl on a moving CTA train Saturday evening. The incident happened while the girl was traveling in the area of North Paulina Street and the train was in the 7500 block. There, according to reports, the male suspect went up to the girl and committed the assault. The incident brought Chicago police who arrived at the scene about 5:07 p.m. The teenager was hospitalized at St. Francis Hospital right after the crime.
Suspect Anfernee Thomas, 32-years-old, has been serial criminal in Milwaukee County as his crimes stretch five different drug-related offenses starting from 2015 till date; due to nature of this recent accusation, he was then charged with felony count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Thomas was taken into custody when police found him at the Howard station in Rogers Park. The police are still investigating this case in order to get more information regarding the incident, so that the victim may experience justice.

 

 

Convienence store worker murder update

 

A judge has denied the request for bond of a man accused of killing a Chicago convenience store clerk during an attempted robbery late last month. The suspect identified as 45-year-old Jimmy Smith is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, and felony robbery. The judge stated in court Sunday he cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that the incident resulted in a life lost.

The victim, 43-year-old Shadi Almomani, was shot and killed outside his workplace on January 9th. Law enforcement officials arrested Smith on Friday and identified him as the killer of Almomani. When Smith appeared in court for the first time Saturday, the assistant state's attorney said Smith was a frequent customer of the store where Almomani worked, the Half Moon grocery store near the corner of 79th and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in the Grand Crossing neighborhood.

In the aftermath of this horrific shooting incident, the store owner, Rami Kannan, decided to permanently shut down the business, just hours after the crime. This is a perfect example of how the community around that store was affected by that one incident, aside from the victim's family. The denial of bond not only speaks to the gravity of the charges against Smith but also to the continued concern for public safety after this heinous event.

"It's not worth it. It's not worth it," he told a reporter. They just took my brother's life over what? Over money? We work. We make money."

Convienence worker in Southside murdered

 

That was a tragedy that took place in Chicago's Grand Crossing neighborhood last January, when the employee of a convenience store was murdered during the robbery attempt. Mohammad Suleumen Almomani, 43, was gunned down outside the Half Moon grocery store in the 300 block of East 79th Street. On January 9th, at about 10:16 p.m., Almomani had just finished his shift and sat in his vehicle when an armed man approached him with evil intentions.

Almomani fought valiantly to defend himself and resist the attack, but during the altercation, he was shot in the head. The incident shocked this close-knit community and mourned the loss of such a committed soul. The store owner, Rami Kanann, said Almomani had three children and had just moved to the United States from Jordan about five months before the shooting. He also used to be a police officer in his native country.

A suspect was taken into custody by police after a full-fledged investigation into the crime. Jimmy Smith, 45, of Chicago was arrested Friday in the 9400 block of South Lafayette Avenue. He now faces grave legal jeopardy: charges filed against him include one felony count for first-degree murder, another felony count for murder, and a third felony count for armed robbery in which a firearm is discharged. Police in Chicago have identified Smith as the gunman who murdered Almomani.

 

 

Chicago assistant principal Abnerd Joseph's family rally for charges to be filed

 

 

 

 

An outpouring of emotions lit up the city of Chicago as family, friends, colleagues, and the people in the community came together to remember the assistant principal Abnerd Joseph, 29, who died tragically as a result of a shooting incident that took place in his downtown condominium. The room somber, yet remembering as testimony after testimony was shared about the dedication Joseph had to his work, and the students he served at Intrinsic High School, downtown campus, where he served as Assistant Principal.

Abnerd Joseph's family wants the state's attorney to take action, charging the shooter. They say justice has to be meted out for the death of their loved one. The police, however, did not make any arrest for the incident, as they found that the man who fired during the incident was a licensed gun owner and acting in self-defense. The decision has left the family of Joseph frustrated and wanting accountability.

Through his life and career, Joseph had become well-recognized for his love of education and for inspiring students to make it through, when all reasons seemed impossible. His sudden demise has left a gaping hole within the community and staff at Intrinsic High School, where he had served as an articulate leader and mentor. It was indeed a memorial gathering, but at the same time, a call for justice, a demand from the authorities for further explanation on the death of this young man. In the midst of mourning by the people in that community, there was a simultaneous craving for understanding and closure after the unfortunate incident.

2 Male supspects wanted in several Northwest Side business robberies

 

 

 

 

 

A week ago, there was a string of brazen business robberies that shook the Northwest Side of Chicago. The incident sent an alarm to all the local residents and business owners, who urged the police to take stringent action against the two suspects believed to commit the crimes. These thefts reportedly occurred in Jefferson Park and Albany Park from February 13 through February 16, within a four-day period. Most of these criminal incidents have taken place during late evening into the early morning hours when businesses were less crowded. According to the police reports, thieves ran away with cash and merchandise worth a lot, hence incurring great losses for the establishments affected. The police have called upon those who may have information about these robberies to come forward, reiterating appeals for community awareness and cooperation in the continuing hunt for the suspects.

 

Event Time and Locations: 

• 3500 block of North Pulaski Road on Feb. 13, at 5:24 p.m. 
• 3500 block of North Cicero Avenue on Feb. 15, at 11:35 p.m. 
• 6500 block of West Belmont Avenue on Feb. 16, at 12:23 a.m.

The first suspect that the police identified was an Black American man. His height was approximately 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall. This gentleman was noted for having a slim build; this made him appear agile. He was attired with the following clothing: a black jacket and a black hooded sweatshirt, which made it easy to camouflage into the surroundings. He also wore bright purple pants, which was a very bright color contrast to his dark-colored upper garments.

The description of the second suspect is a White Hispanic male. He was described to be around 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall. He had an average build and therefore, one would say, was not something that would impress upon anyone's minds as being out of the ordinary. He was also wearing dark clothes: a black hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants to essentially make himself less noticeable. His black shoes completed the outfit, further making his entire outfit dark.

On February 4th, several robberies occurred within about an hour and a half across the Northwest Side. These were said to have occurred at places such as the 4300 block of North Kedzie Avenue and the 3100 block of West Irving Park Road. Although both took place in Irving Park, these incidents gave a notion of insecurity and un-comfortability to all the locals and business owners in the area. Since these robberies struck one after the other, law forces had to act swiftly to track down and bring into custody those who committed such crimes.