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Burglary suspect gets stuck in restaurant exhaust duct
By Steve Schmadeke | Tribune reporter
November 4, 2008
A man who allegedly tried to break into a closed-down Des Plaines restaurant became wedged in a narrow exhaust duct and spent about 26 hours hanging facedown over a kitchen stove before being discovered Monday morning.
Building owner Scott Hodlmair, 63, was picking up his mail at the nearby post office about 11:30 a.m. when he noticed the mushroom-shaped cover for the kitchen exhaust fan atop the 1-story brick building at 686 Lee St. had been knocked off. He unlocked the restaurant, flipped on the kitchen lights and saw a man's head and arm, covered in black cooking grease, poking out from the narrow vent hanging over the stove.
"Señor, señor—policia," the man, who had suffered several broken ribs, told a startled Hodlmair.
"The guy was really lucky I went for the mail today," Hodlmair said. "If I'd have waited until tomorrow, he never would've made it."
Hodlmair said he will press charges. He estimated at least $20,000 in damage was done when firefighters cut the man free.
Des Plaines police could not be reached for comment Monday night.
By Steve Schmadeke | Tribune reporter
November 4, 2008
A man who allegedly tried to break into a closed-down Des Plaines restaurant became wedged in a narrow exhaust duct and spent about 26 hours hanging facedown over a kitchen stove before being discovered Monday morning.
Building owner Scott Hodlmair, 63, was picking up his mail at the nearby post office about 11:30 a.m. when he noticed the mushroom-shaped cover for the kitchen exhaust fan atop the 1-story brick building at 686 Lee St. had been knocked off. He unlocked the restaurant, flipped on the kitchen lights and saw a man's head and arm, covered in black cooking grease, poking out from the narrow vent hanging over the stove.
"Señor, señor—policia," the man, who had suffered several broken ribs, told a startled Hodlmair.
"The guy was really lucky I went for the mail today," Hodlmair said. "If I'd have waited until tomorrow, he never would've made it."
Hodlmair said he will press charges. He estimated at least $20,000 in damage was done when firefighters cut the man free.
Des Plaines police could not be reached for comment Monday night.
