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WEDGE MEMBER

POLICE
DEPARTMENTS

C/O: Riverside Police Department, 31 Riverside Rd., Riverside, IL 60546

PRESS RELEASE

BERWYN

March 19, 2016

Chief Jim Ritz

For Immediate Release


BROOKFIELD

Chief James Episcopo


ELMWOOD PARK

Chief Frank Fagiano


FOREST PARK

Chief Tom Aftanas


Dora Murphy

Contact: Chief Thomas Weitzel, Riverside Police, WEDGE Chairman


708-447-2127 or tweitzel@riverside.il.us

WEDGE Continues to Make an Impact


WEDGE Chairman, Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel,
Releases Summary of WEDGE Operations

Secretary

Task Force Concept Changes Suburban Policing

NORTH RIVERSIDE

This past week, the WEDGE Drug and Gang Task Force again made a
significant impact on reducing criminal activity in suburban Cook
County.

Chief Lane Niemann


OAK PARK

Chief Rick Tanksley


RIVER FOREST

Chief Greg Weiss


RIVER GROVE
Chief Rodger Loni
RIVERSIDE

WEDGE Chairman, Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel, and Berwyn


Tactical Sergeant Guy Papa (who serves as the WEDGE Street
Commander for all operations), released a summary of the dedicated
street mission patrol work being performed by the WEDGE Task Force.
During the three days that WEDGE was operational (last
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday), WEDGE officers made the
following significant arrests:

Chief Tom Weitzel


Chairman
708 447 2127
tweitzel@riverside.il.us
STICKNEY

Chief John Sladetz

Anthony Hickey, 24, of the 6100 block of West Roosevelt Road in


Cicero, was arrested and charged with one count of residential
burglary.
Several years ago Oak Park PD took a burglary
report that occurred on March 21, 2013 at a
residence on the 1000 block of South Austin
Boulevard. Oak Park evidence technicians initially
recovered fingerprints and submitted them to the
Illinois State Police for comparison. After a two year
wait, fingerprints came back to Anthony Hickey and
the WEDGE Task Force was tasked with locating the
offender. They found Hickey in the 5800 block of
West North Avenue in Chicago and took him into
custody on the residential burglary charge.

WEDGE: A Regional Task Force of West Suburban Cook County Police Agencies Representing a Population of Over 250,000 Residents.

WEDGE CONTINUES TO MAKE AN IMPACT - 3/17/16 (continued)

WEDGE unit officers set up surveillance on a Berwyn residence to obtain


information on a suspect that had several outstanding warrants for arrest, but
had initially been advertising on Back Page for prostitution services. After
setting up surveillance, WEDGE officers arrested Kucretia Blankenship,
33, of the 7000 block of West 16th Street in Berwyn. She was taken into
custody on the 1600 block of Wenonah Ave in Berwyn for a residential burglary
warrant, a no-bond violation of bail bond warrant from the Cook County Sheriff's
Police.

Jose R. Cruz Cruz, 53, of the 4800 block of Algonquin Avenue in


Rolling Meadows, was arrested on the 1900 block of South Elmwood
Avenue in Berwyn and charged with criminal sexual assault.
In this case, the defendant convinced a co-worker to go to a residence in
Berwyn to participate in a religious ceremony. Once she arrived there, Cruz
sexually assaulted her. This was a combined effort with WEDGE and the U.S.
Marshall Service.

Julian Matino, 21, of the 3600 block of South Wesley Avenue in Berwyn,
was taken into custody after a foot pursuit on the 6300 block of Ogden
Avenue in Berwyn.
WEDGE officers had prior knowledge of criminal activity committed by the
suspect and made a street stop on the 6300 block of Ogden Avenue. The
offender fled on foot and a pursuit ensued; WEDGE officers took the suspect
into custody after a short foot pursuit. During the arrest process, Matino spit
on arresting officers and was then charged with Aggravated Battery to
a Police Officer, a Class 4 felony.
WEDGE Chairman, Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel stated, The arrests made this past
week demonstrate, once again, the value of joint investigations and the continued need for
standing task forces, like the one our department participates in with WEDGE in the west
suburbs. Drugs and gangs are no longer confined to certain geographical areas or communities
and the joint task force has shown to be the most effective way to address this growing
problem.

The public is reminded that a signed complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants
in a criminal case are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

WEDGE: A Regional Task Force of West Suburban Cook County Police Agencies Representing a Population of Over 250,000 Residents.

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