Nov 6, 2009 10:18 am US/Central
Man Who Beat Cabbie Found Dead In Police Lockup
Miroslaw Chrzestek Allegedly Tried To Use Credit Card He Stole In Home Invasion, Then Robbed Cab Driver
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
A man in custody for allegedly robbing a cab driver after trying to use a credit card stolen during a home invasion early Thursday in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood was found hanged in a jail lockup later in the day.
The incident began about 1:45 a.m. when a 45-year-old man, who Shakespeare District Capt. Marc Buslik identified as Miroslaw Chrzestek, allegedly broke into a sleeping couple's home in the 2100 block of West Walton Street and stole the woman's credit card, according to Wood District police Sgt. George Pawlak.
The husband woke up and tried to chase the suspect, but he got away and fled in a taxi. When he tried to use the credit card to pay for the fare in the 2600 block of West Chicago Avenue about 2:15 a.m., the driver got suspicious because the card had a woman's name on it, according to the sergeant.
When the driver refused to honor the credit card, Chrzestek allegedly put the driver in a chokehold and demanded his money, according to Pawlak.
Buslik said Chrzestek asked the driver for $50 so he could pay the fare. The driver refused and reached inside and removed $80 from the cab and punched the driver in the face.
The driver exited the vehicle and the two struggled. During the fight, Chrzestek reached into his pockets, removed the contents and allegedly said, "Here, just take your money,'' Buslik said. The driver recovered the cash.
The cab driver flagged down Wood District Officer Wilbert Godinez and told the officer he saw the suspect get into another cab about two blocks away. The officer found Chrzestek and arrested him at 2:25 a.m. in the 2800 block of West Chicago Avenue, according to the captain.
About 1 p.m. Thursday, officers found him in the lockup hanged, according to Buslik. Officers rushed in, took him down and began CPR until crews from the Chicago Fire Department arrived. No note was found and it was not known why he hanged himself, according to the captain.
Chrzestek was pronounced dead at 1:39 p.m. Thursday at Norwegian-American Hospital, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner' s office, which listed his address as 12661 W. Sycamore Ct. in New Berlin, Wis.
According to the Illinois Department of Corrections Web site, Chrzestek was incarcerated in Galesburg at the Hill Correctional Center for burglary, but was paroled on Sept. 15, 2008.
An autopsy is planned for later Friday.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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