home invasion in S. Hammond

sparks wrote:

Friends of ours, Mark and July Smith, live on the corner of 174 th and Van Buren. They have been active in the Edison Community crime watch and distribute brochures. On sat night at about 3 am, Mark heard a noise in the alley. He went over to the fence and asked what was going on. A teenaged male replied it was none of his GD business. Mark said it was his neighborhood and was his business. The punk made a call on his cell phone and within seconds, a car pulled up with
three guys. They ripped the pickets off the fence and attacked Mark in his own backyard. He is in Community hospital with multiple injuries and may lose sight in one eye. I hope all of my friends reading this post take a minute to think about ways they can improve the security of their own families. In the blink of an eye, Mark's future has been completely changed due to the actions of some vicious animals.

First off, I feel bad about your friend. That said, by your account, this is not a home invasion. It is trespassing and assault at best. Finally, I hope your friend, and others would use common sense. If there is a "noise" in your alley at 3 a.m., you don't investigate on your own. Many times it is the Crime Watch logic that you can just go and charge out and use your "influence" to shag off teenagers.

I feel bad, too, but why didn't he just call the police when he heard the noise at 3:00 a.m.?


I hope and pray he does not lose his eye over this!

do you know, does the description of these three people fit with the carjackers?

i read about that this morning and feel horrible for the guy. not to far from where i am either. my best to mark and his family. if they need anything please let the community watch folks know. im sure they would like an opportunity to help them.

the oracle wrote:

do you know, does the description of these three people fit with the carjackers?

i read about that this morning and feel horrible for the guy. not to far from where i am either. my best to mark and his family. if they need anything please let the community watch folks know. im sure they would like an opportunity to help them.

There were four men involved, three hispanics and one black guy. They fled in a white Pontiac Bonneville. At least one of them has injuries from this attack. Mark was wailing on them with a wooden stick, trying to stop them from entering his home where his wife and teenage daughter were sleeping. The best thing you can do is mention this description on the air during tonight's show.Maybe a listener will know something. The description of the suspects is from Chief Miller.

sorry i didnt see this before show. ill mention it thursday though. thanks

the oracle wrote:

sorry i didnt see this before show. ill mention it thursday though. thanks

Thursday is too late. Another happenstance could occur.

Geeze, wonder if the one criminal that was "Black," and a "tipster" that broke in my house may be the same idiots that know how the cops work crime in Hammond.


You hand-deliver them, willing to confess, only told to take him home, so the prosecutor "can call him".


Then went on to say they had "many more serious crimes to investigate, tell your mom the stuff is gone." It wasn't about what was gone...it was me being the bold "neighborhood watch person," driving the culprit around, wanting him arrested.

The police chief called my son and told me to forget about the games, etc. I didn't give a crap about what they stoled. I gave a crap about bluffing the kid to confess, and they lost their opportunity. The Police Chief stated to my son that "they have more serious crime to pursue, and that your mom should not expect her games back". Yeah, guess since these guys got off once, they can get off again.

They may not be the same people, but once you diss them while they are READY to confess, and the cops handled it wrong...I used the same "bluffing techniques" at the time, and they made me a double victim.

Meanwhile, the people moved out swiftly. And if you want to add to upgrading the rental...as I reported before, parts of the downspouts were stolen, the white van with IL license plates is gone, the family moved out, and meanwhile, on 7426 Howard Street, where are the violations for not keeping a house of order or house of non-destruction. More and more of the house's exterior is missing. Downspouts...the white van with IL license plates that I begged a cop to check out, but he never got back to me.

I don't need a meeting at a crime watch...I did common sense. I chased idiots down from my alley 2 years ago. Fact is, I don't feel safe in South Hammond anymore. I don't. The cops played stupid with me...some one I was to trust, and they failed me. It took a community activist to almost lose an eye to call attention to what is really wrong in Hammond.

I can sit outside my front porch and tell you who is up to no good.

I thought I was secure with retired cops behind me and even in broad daylight, with a cop car in front of their house, they never answered the doorbell. I had neighbors on the corner who confessed they saw the culprits, but were unwilling to answer the neighbor hood watch crime survey.

I installed the security system, left, and I'll be back when I get support from the cops. Not crime watch meetings.