Author: Edward Campbell

The latest investigation began after deputies were called Sunday to a used car dealership on Cesar Chavez Avenue in Pontiac. Investigators found signs of forced entry, a badly damaged Dodge Charger and a Dodge Dart that had been taken from the dealership. The case quickly expanded as detectives connected the dealership break-in to two vehicles reportedly stolen from a Pontiac landscaping business during the previous two days. A Chevrolet pickup truck was reported stolen on Sept. 19 and was allegedly used to crash through a fenced parking area. The following day, another truck, a Dodge Ram, was taken from the…

An urban explorer known online as Decaying Midwest says he was assaulted by a man he believed to be a security guard while trying to find a way into the recently closed Ford City Mall in Chicago. The 28-year-old content creator, who has not publicly shared his real name, said the incident happened Monday night as he and a friend were near the former mall property on Chicago’s Southwest Side. Decaying Midwest is known for exploring abandoned and closed buildings and documenting what remains inside. The creator said he and his friend were looking for a way into the shuttered…

A swastika was found painted on a playground slide at Devonshire Park in Highland Park on Tuesday, prompting a police investigation and renewed attention to security around local parks and houses of worship. Highland Park police responded to the park after the antisemitic graffiti was reported. Park district personnel later removed the marking from the slide. City officials condemned the vandalism and said the incident is especially troubling as members of Highland Park’s Jewish community observe the High Holy Days and prepare for Sukkot. Mayor Nancy Rotering said the timing made the incident particularly painful for Jewish families in the…

A fatal confrontation in Yorkville has led to serious criminal charges against a 21-year-old Oswego man after police said a vehicle was deliberately used to strike two people during a dispute Sunday evening. Jacob T. Lestina is accused of hitting two pedestrians in the parking lot of a Planet Fitness in the 300 block of East Veterans Parkway at about 5:15 p.m. Sunday, according to police. One of the victims, Victor M. Hernandez Medina, 23, of Sandwich, later died from his injuries at a hospital. The second victim survived and was treated for injuries that police described as non-life-threatening. Police…

A ride home on an MBTA bus took a violent turn Sunday night when a Dorchester man says he stepped in after another passenger began harassing an older woman and ended up suffering multiple stab wounds. Shane Vautour said he had just finished working as a bartender and was riding the Route 22 bus when the incident unfolded. According to Vautour, an older woman boarded the bus and began speaking with other passengers before another man started yelling at her. Vautour said the man made racist and sexual remarks toward the woman and became increasingly aggressive. He told reporters that…

A 28-year-old San Jose man was arrested after police said he approached an officer and reported a killing, leading investigators to a second person found dead at another location. Police said the investigation began around 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, when an officer was flagged down by Marcelino Castro. According to authorities, Castro told the officer he had committed a homicide near Lelong Avenue and Alma Avenue. Officers went to the area, near the Guadalupe River and Highway 87, and found a deceased male. Castro was taken into custody as detectives began investigating the circumstances surrounding the death. While speaking…

A 14-year-old boy was fatally shot in Queens on Monday afternoon, and police are searching for the person responsible. The shooting happened shortly after 3:30 p.m. near 51-24 Beach Channel Drive in the Edgemere section of Far Rockaway. Police found the teenager with a gunshot wound to the back. He was taken to Cohen Children’s Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. The victim was identified as Malakai Adams, according to police. Investigators are still working to determine exactly what led to the shooting. Authorities are looking into a possible attempted robbery involving a scooter, although the circumstances remain…

The Los Angeles Police Department is preparing to expand its use of automated license plate readers while also testing a new system that could place additional surveillance cameras on existing streetlights across the city. The LAPD is seeking approval for a new 10-year agreement with Axon Enterprise valued at about $235 million. The proposed contract would cover a broad range of police technology, including roughly 1,600 in-car camera systems with automated license plate recognition capabilities, along with body-worn cameras, Tasers and digital evidence storage. At the same time, the department has agreed to a separate three-month, no-cost pilot of Axon…

Three Chicago police officers were injured Monday afternoon after an unidentified dog attacked officers in Humboldt Park, authorities said. Police shot and killed the dog during the incident. The encounter happened around 4:52 p.m. near North Christiana Avenue and West Huron Street, where officers were conducting an investigation. During the investigation, the dog approached the officers and attacked one of them. An officer fired at the animal, striking it and killing it. Three officers suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening. They were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment and were reported to be in good condition. Chicago police said…

A woman was fatally shot early Tuesday after a gun was fired through the front door of an apartment during a reported break-in at a building on Girard Avenue in North Philadelphia, police said. Officers were called to the apartment complex in the 1500 block of Girard Avenue shortly after 3 a.m. following a report of a break-in. When they arrived, Philadelphia police said they heard a gunshot coming from inside the building. They then found a woman, believed to be in her 50s, lying in a first-floor hallway with severe injuries. She had been shot in the chest, according…