Burbank Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at Burbank Food Liquor & Deli on Friday evening at about 8:40 p.m.

Police say a man entered the store at 4818 W. 83rd St. with a black semi-automatic handgun and ordered the clerk to hand over all the money from the cash register. 

The suspect was described as a black male, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head, a black bandana over his face, black jeans, and black gloves.

After obtaining the money from the register, the offender next demanded that a patron give him her purse and cellphone. The patron told the suspect she had left her cellphone in the car. When the offender escorted the patron outside to retrieve her phone, he dropped the purse and fled on foot. He was last seen running westbound on 83rd Street.

A search of the area was conducted by officers and K9 units but were unable to locate the suspect.  Police say it is unknown if the offender used a vehicle to get away.

No injuries were reported as a result of this incident. Burbank Police Division Chief Mike Dudlo said they have very few leads to work with at this point. Anyone with information about this incident should contact the Burbank Police Department at (708) 924-7300.

Burbank’s first mayor, John W. Fitzgerald, has always been held in high regard but in September of 1972 Fitzgerald drew the ire of both kids and parents alike. In a move reminiscent of Burgermeister Meisterburger’s attempt to ban Christmas in the Rankin/Bass special Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, Fitzgerald tried to ban Halloween in Burbank, or at least the custom of trick-or-treating.

In September of that year, Mayor Fitzgerald declared that trick-or-treating was in violation of the city’s solicitor’s ordinance and was therefore illegal. Fitzgerald was quoted in a Chicago Tribune article as saying, “Knocking on someone’s door and asking for a Halloween treat will be considered as an illegal form of solicitation.”

Fitzgerald gave a myriad of reasons why he was banning the popular custom in Burbank saying that some children were being harassed by teen-age toughs, while others had been given treats laced with drugs or razor blades hidden inside them. 

Fitzgerald was also upset over the previous year’s festivities. Fitzgerald told the Tribune “Halloween was on a Saturday [sic] last year and it caused several days of turmoil. Kids were knocking on doors from 4 p.m. Friday until 7 p.m. Sunday.” 

Fitzgerald maintained that the parents of Burbank always wanted to do away with trick-or-treating and said, “They have never been able to tell their children not to do it because all of the other kids were. Now we have taken them off the hook. They can tell their children it is against the law.”

Fitzgerald suggested supervised activities by the parks or schools as an alternative to trick-or-treating and arranged for the City Council to discuss such ideas.

The City Council met Wednesday, September 27, 1972 at Maddock School to discuss the issue.  The Tribune reported that six children stood outside with signs that read “Don’t ban Halloween.” About 90 residents attended the meeting and were told to submit ideas to the chairman of the Halloween committee.

A motion by Alderman George Neiman was passed at the meeting to take no action about Halloween and the matter was tabled. Ultimately the City Council passed a resolution allowing trick-or-treating on Halloween but limited the hours until 6 p.m. and restricted the activity to within two blocks of the child’s home.


Sources

Gaines, William (1972, September 24). "Trick or Treating Crime in Burbank." The Chicago Tribune, p. S3.

Gaines, William (1972, October 1). "Burbank Halloween Stand Blasted." The Chicago Tribune, p. S6.

Gaines, William; Connor, Thomas (1972, October 29). "For Suburban Halloweens Too Many Tricks; Treating Trimmed." The Chicago Tribune, p. B3.

"Action Express" (1972, November 7). The Chicago Tribune, p. A1

Burbank police and firefighters responded to a residence in the 8400 block of South New England Avenue shortly after 7:00 p.m. Sunday night after receiving a 911 call of a victim with chemical burns. 

A Burbank police source said the 43 year-old victim related that he was riding a bicycle southbound on the Cicero Avenue overpass of the Belt Railway tracks near 73rd Street in Bedford Park when an unknown offender in a vehicle threw an unknown liquid on him. The liquid, which police described as a undetermined chemical, caused severe burning to the man’s skin.

The victim continued to ride his bike after being doused with the unknown agent from 73rd and Cicero to the Burbank home of relatives where 911 was called. The victim was transported to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn for treatment of his injuries.

According to one of the homeowners, the victim was in great pain when he arrived at the residence. The homeowner speculated that the substance may have been some type of acid but said it did not have an odor to it.

Because of the unknown nature of the chemical, the Burbank Fire Department alerted the Bedford Park Hazardous Materials Unit which assisted in isolating the contamination. Hazmat teams entered the residence in protective clothing and respirators to bag and remove materials contaminated with the undetermined chemical. The homeowner stated that nothing inside the house was damaged.

Due to the location where the incident occurred, Burbank Police turned over the investigation to the Bedford Park Police and Fire Departments.

The victim's condition is not known at this time. 

The man's aunt in a statement to the Burbank Beat said "My nephew was seriously injured and my family is devastated. People and their rude remarks only add to the sadness. The family asks for prayers. No rude remarks."

A press release issued by SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) says the group plans a protest and press conference today outside the Chicago Archdiocesan headquarters, 835 N Rush St  Chicago, over the City of Burbank’s employment of Fr. Robert Stepek as Police Department counselor. (see Chicago Tribune story below).

The SNAP press release, in part reads: 

A suspended predator priest – accused of molesting at least three children – now sometimes works around children, because of Burbank city officials and Chicago Catholic officials, SNAP says.

Fr. Robert Stepek now works with the Burbank police department in Burbank “counseling grieving families” and “helping victims who sometimes included children,” according to today’s Chicago Tribune.

Both church and city authorities are to blame here and should take immediate action, SNAP says.

The group wants Burbank Mayor Harry Klein and Police Chief Bruce Radowicz to fire Fr. Stepek and Cardinal Francis George to publicly release details on Fr. Stepek’s alleged crimes and personally visit Fr. Stepek’s former parishes and explain why key archdiocesan staffare convinced Fr. Stepek is a child molester.

SNAP says that the on-going secrecy of top Chicago archdiocesan staffers – including Cardinal George – helps child molesters- perhaps dozens of them - get secular jobs, sometimes around kids.

In a similar situation, just a few months ago, SNAP exposed that another suspended predator priest, Fr. Russell Romano, was quietly working as a counselor at Advocate Health Care.

Several years ago, another suspended predator priest, Fr. John D. Murphy, was found working at Shedd Aquarium.

If clerics are deemed too dangerous to work in Catholic institutions, Cardinal George should not enable them to quietly slink off and get other jobs, SNAP says. Instead, he should warn prospective employers and the public about these child molesters.

Two victims of Fr. Stepek reported their abuse to the church only after church officials urged them to do so and after church officials pledged to protect their privacy. In October 2006, an archdiocesan panel deemed the men credible and in one month later, Cardinal George suspended Fr. Stepek as pastor of St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Burbank Great (8000 S. Linder, Burbank, 708 423 0321), where he had worked for eight years. But weeks later, Stepek sued the two accusers for $1 million, alleging defamation. (Fr.  Stepek lost that suit in 2009. At least two of his victims were paid a settlement.)

Most of Fr. Stepek’s alleged crimes happened at St. Symphorosa Catholic Church in Chicago's Clearing community in the 1980s.

In 2009, a Nebraska man, Tim Waters sued Fr. Stepek for allegedly sexually abused him when he was a teenagers in a parked car in Chicago. Waters’ family attended St. Christina’s parish in Chicago, where Fr. Stepek also worked.