Chicagoist Weekend Blotter

By Shannon in News on Apr 29, 2007 10:14PM

Chicagoist hopes you're healthier than we are, and that you're more law-abiding than these folks:

• A mugger set himself upon former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun Friday night. Braun was returning to her Hyde Park residence just before midnight when an assailant jumped her from the bushes and tried to cut her purse strap. Two passing U of Chicago students came to her aid: Zachary Trayes-Gibson, 21, gave chase to the mugger, while his 19-year-old friend, Rachel McFadden, helped Braun to recover. The perp got away in a dark green SUV. Braun suffered a broken wrist, but is otherwise fine.
• A mother and her infant son were hit by stray gunfire Saturday night. Two men started arguing outside the wounded's home in Englewood. One pulled out a gun and started firing, with bullets hitting the mother and child; both fled before police could arrive. The woman is in stable condition at an Oak Lawn hospital, but her son is listed as critical. Police believe the shooting may be gang-related.
• Three men have been arrested in connection with a drug ring run from behind a Chicago tour bus company. Terrance Lamond David, Calvin C. Wiggins and James L. Reaves were part of an organization that allegedly loaded buses up with money in Detroit, traveled to Tucson, AZ, exchanged the money for marijuana, then went back to Detroit to drop off the goods. Passengers were paid to be "legitimate" touring customers. The buses were kept in a Chicago-area garage when not in use.
• Finally, some good news for Chicago's finest: Six West Side police officers saved a driver from a burning vehicle Friday morning. Around 1 a.m., Sgt. Mike Spagnola was flagged down at Chicago & Homan by an SUV driver involved in a crash. The other driver was unconscious inside the car ... which was beginning to catch on fire. Spagnola smashed the passenger side window with a baseball bat, but couldn't free the man. Five other officers showed up, and between them all, they managed to free the driver's pinned legs and pull him to safety, just as the front seats were catching fire.

Image via Wikipedia.