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BY ELIZABETH EAKEN
eeaken@nwitimes.com
219.933.4183 | Monday, July 11, 2005 | (No comments posted.)
EAST CHICAGO | The streetlight casting a shadow that many people say resembles Jesus will no longer shine in the 1400 block of Drummond Street.
East Chicago Police Chief Angelo Machuca called an emergency meeting Sunday morning to recommend the light be turned off in the interest of public safety. Mayor George Pabey agreed.
People have flocked to the site since Wednesday, when a woman first claimed to see the image on the side of a tree. The image is only visible at night when the streetlight near the tree is illuminated.
The situation got out of hand Saturday night, Machuca said, and he had the streetlight turned off at 1 a.m. Sunday to diffuse a crowd of more than 250 people.
Neighbors had complained about blocked cars and visitors congregating until 5 a.m., Machuca said.
"It came to the point where I had to ask for help from the (Lake County) Sheriff's Department. They sent six officers yesterday," Machuca said Sunday.
Machuca said visitors behaved, but his department doesn't have the manpower to maintain regular patrols and control the crowd.
"If something happened there is no place for the ambulance to go," Machuca said. "The light will remain off until we can get some kind of solution."
Damian Rico, public relations director for East Chicago, said the city respects all religious beliefs but safety is the top priority.
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