Chicago Breaking News

Man shot in Washington Park neighborhood

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:00:14 -0600

A man was shot Saturday night in the Washington Park neighborhood.

Police responded to the 5100 block of South Prairie Avenue and found the victim with gunshot wounds, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Ron Gaines.

The victim was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and described as in good condition, Gaines said.

No suspects are in custody. Police are investigating.

--Deanese Williams-Harris

Babysitter burned in fire sparked by child

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:47:00 -0600

A 25-year-old babysitter was burned and critically injured Saturday night when one of the children she was caring for set a fire in the city's Roseland neighborhood, fire officials said.

The woman, who received second-degree burns to 36 percent of her body, was rushed to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition, fire officials said.

The woman was sleeping in a second-floor bedroom at a building in the 10700 block of South Edbrooke Avenue at about 8:49 p.m. when a young boy playing with a lighter sparked the fire in the bedroom, fire spokesman Larry Langford said.

As the fire engulfed the room, the boy fled the room without telling the woman, but did tell his first-floor neighbors, who called 911, Langford said.

Fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the blaze in the two-story building, although the blaze had spread to the attic.

The woman was babysitting several children at the home, but no other injuries were reported, Langford said.

The home did have smoke detectors, but none had batteries, he added.

-- William Lee

Quinn signs Stroger veto bill

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:33:00 -0600

Gov. Pat Quinn today signed into law a measure making it easier for Cook County commissioners to override County Board President Todd Stroger, who has repeatedly used his extraordinary veto power to protect an unpopular sales tax increase.

Legislators approved the bill during their fall veto session as a way to provide cover to some suburban Cook lawmakers who may be vulnerable in next year's election due to the unpopularity of a penny-on-the-dollar-sales-tax increase Stroger championed in 2008.

Stroger's governmental affairs director Derek Blaida said the president's office "believes there are constitutional concerns and questions over changing the power of the executive branch and shifting that to the legislature during the middle of a term."

He said the president "continues to review" the possibility of a legal challenge to the new law.

Health reform bill passes U.S. House

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:21:00 -0600

The Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed landmark health care legislation Saturday night to expand coverage to tens of millions who lack it and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry. Republican opposition was nearly unanimous.

The 220-215 vote cleared the way for the Senate to begin debate on the issue that has come to overshadow all others in Congress.

A triumphant Speaker Nancy Pelosi likened the legislation to the passage of Social Security in 1935 and Medicare 30 years later.

Mother, child injured when vehicle hits hotel, cars

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:34:00 -0600

The Northwest Herald reports: A car wash employee driving a customer's vehicle crashed into several cars and the Country Inns and Suites hotel in Crystal Lake tonight, leaving a mother and her young child injured.

Get the full story: nwherald.com

Chicago soldier says he was 1st Fort Hood victim

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:52:00 -0600

A soldier from Chicago who was shot three times during the Fort Hood rampage has told relatives that he was the gunman's first victim.

Nate Hull said Saturday that his brother, 21-year-old Najee Hull, has had surgery, and one bullet is still lodged in his leg.

The suspected gunman, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was wounded by police and remained hospitalized Saturday at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.

Nate says his brother told him he was in line at the soldier readiness center when the shooter walked in Thursday. Najee Hull, who joined the Army about a year ago, was preparing for his first deployment to Afghanistan.

Nate says Najee told him that he was hit in the leg and back.

One bullet came out through Najee's chest. The other one hit his spleen, which had to be removed.

Najee Hull is a 2007 graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor high school, according to a Channel 7 report.

--The Associated Press

Suburban ice rink evacuated due to fumes

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:14:00 -0600

Hundreds of people attending a teen hockey tournament were evacuated from a west suburban ice rink late this afternoon because of a carbon monoxide leak, authorities said.

Thirteen people at Center Ice of DuPage, 1N450 Highland Ave. in unincorporated Milton Township near Glen Ellyn, were taken to area hospitals after they were overwhelmed by carbon monoxide fumes, according to officials from the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company.

Another 29 were treated at the scene and released. None of the injuries was considered serious.

Fire crews responded the ice rink at about 5:33 p.m. after a number of people complained of headaches, dizziness and vomiting, fire spokesman Craig Eldridge said.

Several hundred people were inside the rink for a teen ice hockey tournament, he said. After firefighters took high readings of carbon monoxide, they evacuated the entire rink, Eldridge said.

A mass casualty incident trailer was called in to treat the ill patients with oxygen and other medical equipment, Eldridge added.

Building engineers were working to pinpoint the cause of the leak, Eldridge said.

--William Lee

Man pleads guilty in 2008 slaying

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:35:00 -0600

One of two suspects accused of killing a southern Illinois man by hitting him in the head with a fire extinguisher has pleaded guilty.

A Chicago man still faces murder charges in the case.

Ricky Allen Cooper pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for his role in the death of 42-year-old Savoy Cunningham of Herrin.

The 24-year-old has been sentenced to 20 years in prison as part of his plea agreement.

A second man, 28-year-old Ryan Small of Chicago, still faces first-degree murder charges. He's expected to go on trial later this year.

Cunningham's body was found in a Herrin parking lot on July 2, 2008. He had been hit with an extinguisher and pummeled with fists.

Prosecutors said while Cooper didn't wield the fire extinguisher, he was still involved.

--The Associated Press

Four injured in Skyway crash

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:27:00 -0600

Four people were seriously injured in a three-car crash on the Chicago Skyway this evening.

Authorities were notified just after 6 p.m. that the crash happened on the northbound Skyway near 73rd Street, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Michael Fitzpatrick.

After the crash, four people were taken by ambulance to area hospitals, including Stroger Hospital and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, all in serious-to-critical condition, said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.

One of the victims experienced a fractured leg, but details about other injuries to victims were not immediately available, Fitzpatrick said. Of those injured, by about 7:20 p.m., the most seriously injured was a teenager or child hospitalized at the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital in critical condition; the condition of two other victims was stabilized; and the four victim was in good condition, police said.

The seriousness of the crash required fire officials to call an Emergency Medical Services Plan 1, which brings five ambulances to the scene of an incident.

It appeared that one car hit a wall along the expressway, then bounced off, causing the other two to crash, Langford said.

Further details regarding the crash were unavailable, Fitzpatrick said.

--Liam Ford

Prosecutors: CTA bus driver made false report on beating

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:27:00 -0600

A CTA bus operator who alleged he was beaten by an off-duty Chicago police officer was charged today with making a false report and obstructing justice.

But the lawyer for driver Ricardo Mendoza ripped the charges after Mendoza was ordered held on $50,000 bond by Judge Donald Panarese. Mendoza was later released on bond.

"These charges are absolutely ludicrous," said the lawyer, Craig Sandberg. "The police clearly are trying to intimidate him."

Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Sara Grgurovic said Mendoza's accounts of the alleged beating varied and were inconsistent with witness testimony and images that were captured by a camera on the bus.

"His story became more and more exaggerated," she said.

In various accounts to police, paramedics and hospital staff in the days following the Sept. 12 incident, Mendoza described being "punched and poked" initially but later claimed he was punched several times in the head, neck and shoulders, knocking him unconscious, she said in court today.

But Sandberg questioned why it took police nearly two months to file charges and suggested they were brought only after Mendoza filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit against the officer, Thomas O'Grady.

"It's a tactic they're using in the civil-rights litigation," he said.

O'Grady has not been charged for his role in the incident.

On learning of the arrest, a representative of Mendoza's union said they still believe he was beaten and feared the tape that captured the incident had been altered.

"We're definitely sticking by him,'' said Marvin Jacobs, executive board member of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241.

The confrontation between Mendoza and O'Grady happened as Mendoza was driving a No. 62 Archer bus at State and Monroe streets.

Video, which was shared with the Tribune by Sandberg, shows the off-duty officer charging onto the bus to confront Mendoza, but it was unclear if the officer threw any punches. A partition behind Mendoza obstructed the camera view of the officer's actions for a moment.

After the officer exited the bus, he quickly re-entered but was stopped by two uniformed Chicago police officers who happened to be on the bus.

There is a delay of at least a second between each frame on the video, which could explain why the punch was not caught, Sandberg said.

Mendoza, of the 5000 block of West Wellington Ave., was treated after the incident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where emergency-room doctors referred him to an ophthalmologist for unspecified eye injuries, Sandberg said. His glasses were broken in the confrontation.

Mendoza had said he was punched by the officer because the officer, who was riding a bicycle, thought Mendoza had cut him off in traffic.

According to a federal lawsuit, O'Grady erupted in a "violent fit" and "savagely beat" Mendoza as he remained belted in his seat.

-- Annie Sweeney and Dan Simmons

Vigil planned for local victim of Ft. Hood shooting

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:22:00 -0600

High school classmates of Army Pfc. Francheska Velez will hold a candlelight vigil Monday in an effort to comfort the slain soldier's grieving parents following the Ft. Hood massacre.

Her friends are inviting the public to join them at 4 p.m. in the 4300 block of West Kamerling Avenue near the home where Velez grew up. Participants are asked to bring a white candle to light during the service.

The family has not yet scheduled funeral services because they don't know when her body will be flown back to Chicago.

Velez, 21,was one of 13 people killed Thursday when authorities say an Army psychiatrist opened fire at a processing center in Ft. Hood, Texas. Army Pfc. Michael Pearson of Bolingbrook was also killed in the attack.

A 2006 graduate of Kelvyn Park High School, Velez had returned from Iraq only three days earlier to begin maternity leave. She was due around May, relatives said.

Her mother, Eillen Velez, was hospitalized Thursday night after learning of her youngest child's death. Her emotions remained raw Saturday as she monitored news updates about the shootings.

As she watched Velez's parents struggle with the grief, her childhood friend Cindy Saida recalled the way Velez often comforted people and she wanted to emulate that strength. She asked Juan Guillermo and Eillen Velez if she could hold a vigil near the house and received their blessing.

She and several former high school classmates spent Saturday afternoon at the Velez home making posters for the vigil and reminiscing about their fallen friend.

"Francheska would have liked this very much," Saida said. "She always wanted to help people. She always knew how to turn everything around."

--Stacy St. Clair

City H1N1 vaccinations up to 51,000

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:16:00 -0600

With another 8,244 H1N1 flu vaccinations delivered by the Chicago Department of Public Health today, the total has reached 50,951 in seven days of clinic operations, according to a CDPH release.

In addition to the seven locations where Chicagoans at increased risk have been getting vaccinations, the shots or nasal sprays also have been available at some doctors' offices and other public health sites.

The H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available at retail pharmacies in the weeks ahead, giving people more opportunities to get vaccinated, the CDPH said.

To date since early October, about 327,600 doses of the vaccine have arrived at some 500 providers in the city, including hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices. About 80,000 additional doses arrive each week, the CDPH said.

About 1 million doses of the vaccine have been shipped to Illinois to date, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The city expects to continue providing the vaccinations to Chicago residents at increased risk at seven locations through Nov. 21.

Those considered at increased risk are:
--Pregnant women
--Children and young adults age 6 months to 24 years
--People who live with and/or care for infants younger than 6 months
--People age 25-64 with chronic health conditions like asthma or diabetes
--Health care workers.

The seven locations are:
--Kennedy King College, 740 W. 63rd St.
--Olive Harvey College, 10001 S. Woodlawn Ave.
--Richard J. Daley College, 7500 S. Pulaski Rd.
--Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave.
--Arturo Velasquez Institute, 2800 S. Western Ave.
--Wright College, 4300 N. Narragansett Ave.
--Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Van Buren St.

The Malcolm X College site is open Saturdays only, while the other six sites are open Tuesdays and Thursdays 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The city Web site on vaccines and other information on flu prevention is www.cityofchicago.org/swineflu.

--Heywood Hoffman

2 caught in shooting after car runs out of gas

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:43:00 -0600

Burbank investigators were questioning two people in the shooting of a man outside a nightclub early today after the suspects led police on a 10-mile chase that ended when their vehicle ran out of gas, police said.

The victim, a man in his 20s, was in critical condition today at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. The shooting occurred outside a nightclub near 77th Street and Cicero Avenue about 2 a.m. today, said Burbank Police Capt. Tim Klein.

Police were still trying to figure out the details of the incident, but it appeared the victim and his attackers knew each other and may have been at the bar together before the incident, Klein said.

The man was shot in a parking lot outside the nightclub. A friend of his tried to drive him to a hospital but did not know the area well enough and got lost. Eventually, they flagged down a Chicago Police officer near 80th Street and Western Avenue, Klein said, and the victim was then taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, he said.

Meanwhile, the men believed to be the attackers took off in another vehicle and were spotted by Alsip police a short time later, Klein said. The men led police on a pursuit until their car ran out of gas near 151st Street and Will-Cook Road in Orland Park, where they were arrested, Klein said.

The two suspects are being questioned by police, who are consulting with the Cook County state's attorneys office regarding charges, Klein said.

-- Liam Ford

Phones, Web at Chicago Police HQ down 4 hours

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:35:00 -0600

A fire-protection system was triggered late this morning at Chicago Police Headquarters, knocking out telephone and computer systems for about four hours, a police spokesman said.

The fire-protection system went off in a telecommunications room, automatically knocking out power to at least part of Police Headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave., said Police News Affairs spokesman Roderick Drew. Power was quickly restored to the building at large, and telecommunications equipment -- including internal and external telephone systems and Internet service -- was restored a little before 3:30 p.m. today, Drew said.

There was no fire in the equipment room, but it was not immediately known what triggered the fire-protection system, Drew said. Fire Department personnel were dispatched to the building, Drew said.

The company that installed the fire suppression system dispatched workers to reset the system, allowing communications equipment to work again by just before 3:30 p.m., Drew said.

Anyone trying to reach phone numbers at headquarters received a busy signal. Police Department Web sites also were unreachable. Emergency 911 service and police radio communications were unaffected by the disruption, Drew said.

Police command staff are able to communicate using cell phones, including BlackBerry devices, and are routing cell phone calls to staff working at headquarters today, Drew said. The communications disruption did not require anyone at the building to be relocated to other parts of the building, he said.

-- Liam Ford

Gages Lake man gets 33 years for murdering wife

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:32:38 -0600

The Lake County News-Sun reports: John Dean of Gages Lake was sentenced to 33 years in prison Friday after he had earlier pleaded guilty in Lake County Circuit Court to stabbing his wife Nadine to death after an argument in February 2007.

Get the full story: suburbanchicagonews.com