Police Close Preserve In Search For Missing Oak Lawn Man

Police closed a Cook County forest preserve Wednesday morning as they continued to search for a missing Oak Lawn man.

Algimantas Bauza, 58, has been missing since Saturday, authorities said. He left his Oak Lawn in the early morning to go hiking at Country Lane Woods in Willow Springs. Police and firefighters searched the woods over the weekend and on Monday. A police dog got a "hit" on a pond area in the forest preserve, located west of LaGrange Road on 95th Street, but have not yet found the man.

On Wednesday, police shut down access to the forest preserve and stopped people from entering the area. About a dozen emergency vehicles were parked near the preserve's entrance. At least one search dog was at the scene.

Bauza's wife spoke with him on his cellphone at 8 a.m. Saturday. When she tried him again several hours later, he did not answer the call. Later that afternoon, Bauza's wife found his vehicle and searched the woods. She then contacted Willow Springs police.

According to family, Bauza was being treated for depression brought on by difficulty sleeping.

Anyone with information about Bauza is asked to call the Oak Lawn Police Department at 708-422-8292.