Activists Arrested Trying To Stop Eviction Of Addison Family
ADDISON, Ill. (CBS) -- An Addison mother and three sons are being evicted from their home, and some activists are trying to prevent it.
In so doing, five of those activists found themselves in the back of a police car.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Mary Frances Bragiel reports, DuPage County sheriff's police arrested five members of the Anti-Eviction Campaign, including the spokeswoman, Holly Trig, who is six months pregnant.
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The homeowner, Luz Smedbron, and her children had agreed to leave the home at 200 N. Maple St., which was lost to foreclosure and later sold at an auction.
The eviction and arrests drew a number of spectators. One of them, Paula Eisenberg, said she was outraged at what went on.
"If you go into that house, there's so much stuff in there," Eisenberg said. "Even if she needed to leave the house, this could be done in a very much more humane way."
Charged with misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass to property and obstructing justice were Krig, 37, of Norridge; Jorge Ortiz, 19, of Chicago; Christopher Poulos, 25, of Arlington Heights; Toussaint Losier, 19, of Chicago; and Rory Fanning, 34, of an unknown address.
A spokeswoman for the DuPage County sheriff's office said they were "hoping for a peaceful resolution with the protesters," a group of about a dozen, but when several of them refused to leave the property, they were arrested.
As for the eviction, spokeswoman Dawn Dumrose said: "The DuPage County Sheriff's Office has been directed by court order, which has been confirmed through the courts as a valid order, that the Smedbrons are to be evicted. The sheriff's office served the residents with the lawful order to vacate, and the new property owner signed complaints against anyone who does not leave the property."
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
