John Jazwiec and "Not Your Typical Thug"

There's so much about this story that's just so hard to believe. It is bizarre, made-for-TV movie bizarre. From TMJ4:

TODAY'S TMJ4 told you about a wealthy east side family that claims a 300-pound man broke into their home and robbed them. We've learned that incident led to an e-mail fight with Mayor Barrett.

The e-mails are so strange. From John Jazwiec to Mayor Tom Barrett:

I am the resident that had an armed man walk in my house with a police badge. He held the my family (wife, myself, and two young daughters) hostage. We did not have any cash and had recently lost our debit cards. So I bargained with him to take computers and iphones to pawn. He left and thankfully we are safe. Because we were not sure it was not an inside job we did not dare go to police headquarters.

Inside job?

The 3100 block of Marietta is not taking this standing down. We met Friday and agreed that we can’t trust the mayor or the police. We instead are going to hire a private agency to walk our block. We will also be prominently showing signs on the block what we are doing it in lieu of a demanding a rebate on our taxes which by the way are going up 3.3 %.

Doesn't he mean to say "not taking this LYING down"? This e-mail is somewhat sloppy. It would have been a good idea to proofread the thing before sending it.

Talk is cheap. This will get in the press I promise you. And our block is one that lazy criminals will just avoid. Anyone else want to “outsource” beat control? Next step – the de-annexation process and our large per capita tax revenues which we can then use to fund police, schools, and real paved roads. John Jazwiec President of Redprairie

It's threatening and weird. The response from Barrett's office is coherent, but also a little weird.

We're serious about crime too. Every day. Our office offered to pull a meeting together with you, neighbors police [chief if need be]. We were told "no" - this as of late Friday afternoon. We want to to address this together. The "we can't trust the mayor" does not sound as if you want to do it together. Tom will be calling you directly. In addition, I think you and your neighbors could earn a lot from other well organized community groups. Washington Heights has an extensive email tree and that includes the 3rd district captain. Issues are responded to very quickly. Given that my wife is on the board, I can offer assistance in hooking you up there. Let me also say that I am concerned and confused by your reluctance to report the incident at your home and your unwillingness to discuss your concerns about "an inside job". Serious stuff that should be investigated by the proper authorities. How can we address people's concerns about the department without people coming forward?

How odd! Jazwiec is being treated with kid gloves. A call from the mayor, a meeting with the police chief -- that's not what most neighborhoods get when there's concern about crime. Jazwiec shoots back with an equally strange reply. Back to the TMJ4 report:

This incident is getting a lot of attention because the family didn't report the robbery to police. Instead, they contacted the Mayor's Office.

Who experiences an armed robbery and home invasion and contacts the Mayor before the police? That's loony.

Thursday we heard for the first time from the homeowner John Jazwiec. He called into the Charlie Sykes show on 620 WTMJ Radio. He told Sykes, he didn't report the robbery to police because he wasn't sure what to do. "I've never called 911 in my life, Charlie," he said. " I'm a suburban kid from Chicago, I have no experience with this at all."

That is so lame it's hard to believe Jazwiec said it. I know he did. I heard him, but I still am floored by the stupidity of the remarks. "I've never called 911 in my life." So? Most people haven't. "I'm a suburban kid from Chicago, I have no experience with this at all." What? Kindergartners learn they should call 911 when there's trouble. Experience?? That's absolutely crazy.

Alderman Michael D'Amato has cast doubt on Jazwiec's story. The police have said he's uncooperative. Jazwiec admitted he took the wrong procedures but says he is still a victim. And he offered a bizarre look at what happened after the alleged robber walked in his house and showed he and his wife a gun. Jazwiec says the man was "not your typical thug" and described him as "very emotional." "I became sort of emotionally involved in his story," he explained. " I gave him like 2 or 3 beers to calm him down. I gave him my I-phone, my Apple."

If someone enters my home and demands money at gunpoint, I'm not going to give that person 2 or 3 beers! What is that?!? I'm waiting for someone to yell, "Punk'd." Really. However, I do admit I think there's a possibility that it may have been an inside job -- one orchestrated by Jazwiec.