Latest news with #TinleyPark
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Tinley Park man charged in deadly Orland Park hit-and-run crash last month
A man was charged in connection with a deadly hit-and-run crash in Orland Park last month. Robert Barajar, 41, of Tinley Park, was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident, reckless homicide, disobeying a traffic signal, and speeding 26 miles per hour over the posted limit. Orland Park police said on May 31, around 3:13 a.m., the department was notified by Tinley Park police about a two-car crash that occurred at an intersection on the 15900 block of South Harlem Avenue. Officers determined that Barajar's vehicle was heading southbound on Harlem Avenue when it hit another car, driven by a 23-year-old Romeoville resident heading westbound on 159th Street. The 23-year-old driver suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Illinois, where he died. Police said after hitting the victim's car, Barajar ran from the scene on foot without rendering aid or notifying authorities of the crash. Following an investigation into the crash, Barajar was identified as the driver involved. He was arrested without incident and charged. Barajar was scheduled to appear at the 5th District Cook County Bridgeview Courthouse on Friday.
New York Times
13-05-2025
- New York Times
Finding Stats, and Stories, About ‘Crime-Free Housing' Laws
I met Catherine Lang at a Starbucks in Tinley Park, Ill., one day last summer. We exchanged niceties, acknowledging that it was, in fact, a bit weird to tell one's story to a total stranger. Then she shared with me, in great detail, how crime-free housing policies had changed her life. In 2021, when Ms. Lang was 31, she was arrested and charged with driving drunk. The police told her landlord that, because of her arrest, she would need to be evicted from her apartment in Tinley Park within a few weeks. Months later, a jury found her not guilty. But by then, Ms. Lang had moved into her parents' home a town over and was saving up to buy a place of her own. She was done with renting — it no longer felt safe, she said. For Ms. Lang, it seemed the interview was an opportunity to share her side of the story. For me, it was the culmination of months of reporting. It was the first time I had been able to sit down in person with someone who had found themselves on the wrong side of what are known as crime-free housing laws, local laws that can penalize renters for contact with law enforcement. In an investigation published today, The New York Times and The Illinois Answers Project found that, from 2019 to 2024, there were more than 2,000 cases across 25 Illinois cities in which city officials told landlords that their renters were in violation of crime-free housing ordinances. These ordinances are meant to keep neighborhoods safe by evicting dangerous criminals. But more than 1,300 cases, we found, were based on misdemeanors or noncriminal offenses. We found nearly 500 cases in which tenants — and sometimes, entire households — had been evicted from their homes between 2019 and 2024, in many cases for minor crimes or allegations that had not been fully investigated or that had gone unproven. The idea for the story came across my desk almost two years ago. I received a tip from a lawyer about a woman who was suing the village of Richton Park for evicting her under crime-free housing laws after she called the police to report a shooting on her block. At the time, I thought her story would be one of very few. But when I dug into crime-free housing policies in Illinois, I learned that housing advocates, who say the ordinances disproportionately affect people of color and low-income residents, had been trying to compile enforcement cases in the state for more than a decade, to little avail. Most of them told me it was difficult to track down people who had been affected by crime-free housing enforcement. I spoke with lawyers who had helped their clients sue cities over particularly egregious cases. One woman was threatened with eviction after her son's friend gave the police her address as his residence when he was arrested on shoplifting charges. Each story made me more eager to find a systematic way to track crime-free enforcement cases in Illinois. I looked at every city in the state that had a law written into its municipal code that penalized landlords or tenants for contact with law enforcement. Fifty-five of those municipalities had crime-free housing programs that were run by the city or local police departments, which trained landlords to closely monitor criminal or nuisance activity in rental properties. I filed records requests in every one of those towns. Thirty cities denied or did not respond to requests made through the Freedom of Information Act, or said they did not keep records of ordinance enforcement. When municipalities did respond, the records often included enforcement letters informing landlords of criminal or nuisance activity, eviction case records and internal reports from city and police officials. The records were a start, but they were often incomplete or had been redacted to exclude tenants' names and demographic information. The advocates were right: It was difficult to get in touch with people personally affected by crime-free housing. Tenants often left their homes after receiving a 10-day notice from the city or their landlord, leaving no paper trail. When they were evicted through a court order, eviction records typically did not cite crime-free housing as the basis for the case. And, in many cases, the pain and embarrassment of losing a home was just something people did not want to talk about. I drove around the suburbs of Chicago, knocking on doors and leaving fliers on porches, asking if people felt they had been wrongly evicted and offering my contact information if they wanted to share their story. I spent hours at courthouses taking notes on eviction and criminal cases. And I sent dozens of direct messages to people on Facebook and Instagram. Ms. Lang was the first of what would be a number of other interviews. We cataloged dozens of cases in which tenants had had their housing threatened over offenses committed by someone other than the leaseholder. I spoke with tenants who had been forced to live in their cars or crash on friends' couches while they tried to find a new place to live. I also spoke with supporters of crime-free housing programs who pointed to the hundreds of cases in which tenants had been flagged for repeat problems or dangerous and violent behavior. The main arguments for strengthening crime-free housing programs hinge on a belief that cases like the hundreds we found were the exceptions, not the norm. Crime-free housing was intended to keep neighborhoods safe. Our investigation contributes to a conversation about whether that model, which can sweep up people not yet proven guilty of alleged crimes, is doing more harm than good. Reporting for this article was supported by a grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Funders have no control over the selection and focus of stories or the editing process and do not review stories before publication. The Times retains full editorial control of this story.
Chicago Tribune
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Hits, runs, RBIs. Tinley Park's Lilia Flores checks off boxes, but stealing home tops them all. ‘I trust my speed.'
On a career-best day at the plate, junior infielder Lilia Flores actually made the play of the game for Tinley Park with her speed on the bases during the sixth inning. Flores saw her chance with the Titans trying to hold onto a two-run lead. 'I know I'm very fast and I trust my speed,' she said. 'I was watching the pitcher very carefully. 'I just took advantage of what she was doing.' Flores drove in five runs and stole home for a vital insurance run Friday afternoon, lifting host Tinley Park to a wild 12-11 nonconference victory over Mother McAuley. Loyola-bound senior outfielder Megan Piotrowski went 4-for-4 and scored four runs for the Titans (14-10). Senior outfielder Emily Nuskiewicz was 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs. Sophomore outfielder Lily Schwartz went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for McAuley (7-11). Senior shortstop Abbey Williams staged a late rally with a two-out, two-run double in the seventh. The Mighty Macs' late sequence amplified the value of Flores' gutsy move to steal home after she drove in Piotrowski with her second double, which expanded the lead to 12-9. 'She's such a smart player,' Tinley Park coach Annalisse Scott said of Flores. 'My first base coach asked me if I sent her, and I said it was all her. 'She came on varsity as a very athletic player but a very quiet one. Now at the end of her junior season, she is such a loud voice for our team. She has taken on a leadership role.' Piotrowski said Flores' open and exuberant nature is like a shot of adrenaline for the team. 'On the field, she has that serious character,' Piotrowski said. 'Outside the game, she makes it fun. The game is so mental and it's nice to have somebody who's different. 'She's a big personality and we love having her.' Flores finished 3-for-3 with a walk and scored four runs. Swiping home was her sixth steal of the game. She bookended her best-ever day with RBI doubles in her first and last at-bats. 'When I go up to the plate, I have that attitude that I want to hit,' Flores said. 'With my runners in scoring position, I want to make sure they score.' 'After that first double, I just wanted to carry that energy and really help my team out.' In her third season on the varsity, Flores has come into her own, hitting .353 with 24 hits, 27 runs and 21 RBIs. Eight of her hits have gone for extra bases. After a broken finger marred her sophomore year, Flores dedicated the offseason to improving her hitting. She's detailed and meticulous on game days, going through rigorous warm-ups. She also plays the song 'KYLIE!!!' by Chicago rap artist Lucki, which contains the opening lyrics, 'We play whatever time the championship is.' The song puts her in the right frame of mind and also relieves any stress. 'I'm big on listening to music, especially when we have serious games with big competition,' Flores said. 'That's how I create energy and get hyped for the game. 'I make sure to play that specific song before going out on the field.' Flores first started playing softball at age 6. The game has transformed her personality. 'I was very shy when I was younger and I wanted to change that,' Flores said. 'Now, I'm a very energetic and competitive person. That's what my coach says is the biggest difference in me.' Scott has watched Flores expand all facets of her game. 'She's constantly talking to people in the dugout or at practices and is encouraging everyone,' Scott said, praising Flores. 'It's not just what you do on the field, it's what you do off of it. 'Lilia is such a positive force for us.' Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. Originally Published: May 2, 2025 at 10:47 PM CDT
Chicago Tribune
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
With Evergreen Park trailing Tinley Park, Maddie Bruno knows exactly what to do. And how. ‘Bring that urgency.'
Maddie Bruno has been the ultimate leader in both soccer and volleyball for Evergreen Park. On the soccer field, the senior midfielder is a great communicator, organizer and motivator. But the biggest thing she provides to the team can be summed up in one word, according to fellow senior midfielder Itzel Alvarez. 'Urgency,' Alvarez said of Bruno. 'She's always like the first one to go for it and I love that. If you don't have that, people are kind of scared. But we have Maddie to bring that urgency. 'Watching her go up there, take a shot and make it, it boosts everybody else on the team's confidence.' That's exactly what happened Tuesday night. Bruno scored two of three second-half goals for the Mustangs, who rallied for a 3-2 win over host Tinley Park in a South Suburban Conference crossover game. Alvarez capped the scoring for Evergreen Park (7-5, 4-2 SSC Red). Jade Rubalcava added two assists and Gwenyth Sichelski made five saves. Alexandria Rocha and Gracie Fitzgerald each scored a goal for Tinley Park (7-5, 5-2 SSC Blue), while Maggie Stachowicz finished with 13 saves. Tinley Park held its second annual breast cancer benefit game and honored former player Christine Hermann, who died in 2023 after a battle with breast cancer. Titans coach Kelsey Neylon was Hermann's teammate at Tinley Park. 'I think the biggest thing is teaching the girls that this is so much more than just a game,' Neylon said. 'It's meshing with people that you wouldn't normally hang out with and growing these bonds that you wouldn't typically have. 'It's creating this sisterhood. That's how it was when Chrissy and I were teammates and I just want to keep that going.' On the field, though, it was Evergreen Park's night. It was thanks largely to Bruno, who scored on a shot from 15 yards just four minutes into the second half to tie the game 1-1. She then converted on a penalty kick a little less than 10 minutes later — after Rubalcava was fouled in the box — to give the Mustangs a 2-1 lead. 'I was going to do anything I could to put one in for the team,' Bruno said. 'We kind of strive on momentum, and once we get going, we can go. But it sometimes takes us a minute to get there.' After the Titans forced a 2-2 tie, Alvarez provided the game-winner on a high shot from 25 yards with 24 minutes to go. Bruno, who has five goals this season, is a four-year varsity starter in soccer who has also been a star volleyball player for Evergreen Park. She's comfortable sharing everything she has learned from all that time in the spotlight. 'Someone has to step up and be that leader,' she said. 'I'm loud on the field. I just like to talk. I try to encourage people because if it's silent out there, nobody knows where anybody is. Plus, we always need a push to get us going.' Evergreen Park coach Matt Majchrowicz knows Bruno will have the team ready to go. 'Maddie is very tough for us,' Majchrowicz said. 'She's one of the girls that keeps us going. She's very hard on us, showing up early to practice and making sure everything is the way it needs to be, but she's very positive. 'It's very, 'Hey, let's go get it.' She's a motivator for the team and she's definitely a grinder.' Bruno has seen her team grow in major ways over her varsity career. The Mustangs won the program's first regional championship last season. 'It's been awesome,' she said. 'Winning that regional last year just showed how our hard work has paid off. This season, we've just been pushing hard and we just want more. 'Before my freshman year, there had been a few seasons where they didn't win a single game, so we've come a really long way. We just want that for the school. We want to make history.'
Chicago Tribune
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Claire Podrebarac hits home run off Lemont's scoreboard. Surprise, surprise. ‘Didn't think that ball was going out.'
When Lemont's Claire Podrebarac was making noise on the grade school level and with her travel team, she went to watch the local high school softball team play a few games. She got to see the 2022 and 2023 Class 3A state championship teams — led by Division I pitcher Sage Mardjetko — show off their skills. And she was a bit wide-eyed at what she observed. 'I was like, 'Oh, my, I don't know if I could ever get to that level,''' Podrebarac said. 'But I knew I was going to try.' She's already reached that level. As a freshman. In her home varsity debut, the rookie second baseman blasted two home runs, including one that hit the right field scoreboard, to lift Lemont to a 14-2 South Suburban Blue win over Tinley Park. The five-inning game, which was moved due to field conditions, also featured Natalie Pacyga with three hits and two RBIs for host Lemont (4-2, 1-0). Jessica Pontrelli drove in two runs and Caroline Painter scored twice. Senior pitcher Sydney Kibbon (2-1) struck out eight and allowed three hits. Loyola recruit Megan Piotrowski hit a two-run homer in the first inning for Tinley Park (3-5, 0-2). Emily Nuskiewicz added a double. Lemont, however, batted around in a five-run third. Podrebarac led off with a home run off the scoreboard, which was put in last season. Alli Pawlowicz, now at Loyola, also did that last spring. 'I didn't think that ball was going out,' Podrebarac said. For good measure, she then led off a seven-run sixth with a homer over the left field fence. 'I'm so proud and so happy for her,' Kibbon said of Podrebarac. 'It shows how much potential we have. She's a great aspect to the team and has so much to offer in team hitting and fielding. 'She did fantastic.' Podrebarac is proud to be in the mix right away for Lemont, a young team with three freshmen and two sophomores on the roster. 'I was so excited to find out I was playing varsity,' she said. 'At first, I was a little nervous on what the girls would be like and I was scared I might not be accepted. 'But they have been great and I'm happy to be here.' Lemont also is happy to be home after a spring trip that produced a 2-1 record in three games. The team also went to see Tennessee play and had the chance to reunite with Mardjetko, who's now pitching for the Volunteers after starting out at South Carolina. In its first six games, Lemont has actually used four pitchers, including Podrebarac and fellow freshman Mila Mardjetko, Sage's younger sister. Still, Lemont coach Christine Traina likes the experience and leadership Kibbon has displayed. Kibbon is going to Auburn and plans on staying with softball, although she won't be playing. 'I'm going to be a student-manager for the softball team,' Kibbon said. 'It's a different aspect of softball. I'll be doing front toss, hitting grounders, pitching in practice. I'm really excited for that.' Podrebarac, meanwhile, is wasting little time making a great first impression at the school. She was named a Student of the Month in November by the science department. She also played varsity basketball. And she opened the softball season hitting .571. 'She'll play second base and do a little pitching for us,' Traina said of Podrebarac. 'We looked at her and thought she could help us out on the varsity. We've known about her. 'We didn't see a lot of her before she came here, but it was good to have her walking in the door.' Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
