Three Arrested in River Forest for November Burglaries, Theft

River Forest police arrested three people in November in separate burglary and theft incidents.

River Forest Police were called the morning of Nov. 6 for reports of a suspicious person pushing a large generator down the sidewalk near Lake Street and Ashland, according to River Forest police.

Police determined the generator had been taken in a nearby garage burglary. Five other burglary and theft incidents were reported in the area of Franklin and Ashland, north of Lake Street. The generator, a bicycle and a snow blower were identified by their owners.

Claude Turner, 48 of Chicago, was charged with felony theft and was held on $10,000 bond, police reported. Turner’s next court date is scheduled for Dec. 3.

On Nov. 16 the Illinois state police contacted River Forest police after they found a man wanted on a River Forest original warrant for residential burglary.

Kwincy Johnson, 24 of Chicago, was identified as an offender in the May investigation, police reported. Johnson had gone into a home in the 600 block of Keystone in the middle of the night on May 20 and took electronics, purses and cash.

Investigators recovered several items, which helped link Johnson to the crime. Investigators got a voluntary statement from Johnson in which he implicated himself in the incident. Johnson was charged with residential burglary, and bond was set at $100,000/10 percent. The case will be sent to a grand jury for indictment on Dec. 3.

On Nov. 22, police were called by a resident in the 600 block of Keystone who said a person was standing at his back door at about 3:45 a.m.

Officers found a man identified as the offender by witnesses in the area.

Stefon Booker, 24 of Chicago, was arrested for criminal trespass to property, police reported. Further investigation revealed Booker sold a watch and computer taken in a night-time residential burglary Nov. 16 in the area of Thomas and Ashland. Booker was charged with felony theft and criminal trespass.

Booker is suspected to have been involved in other incidents in the area, and investigators continue to work on those cases. Booker had been previously arrested and charged by the River Forest Police with residential burglary for incidents in June 2015.

Booker was sentenced to 24 months felony probation for those crimes. With regard to the new charges, Booker is being held at the Cook County Jail on $50,000/10 percent bond with a Dec. 3 court date assigned, police reported.

“We applaud the residents who called in the suspicious activity and assisted police with the exhaustive investigations,” said deputy chief James O’Shea in a statement. “We encourage the use of outside lighting, locked doors and windows, security cameras, and alarm systems to help deter these types of crimes or to assist with the apprehension and prosecution of criminal offenders.”

Photos courtesy of the River Forest Police Department. Left: Claude Turner. Middle: Stefon Booker. Right: Kwincy Johnson