Purse Thefts, Undelivered Gun: Elmhurst Cops

ELMHURST, IL — In recent days, Elmhurst police handled cases involving purse thefts, an undelivered gun, a gift card scam, stolen shoes, a nursing home allegation, a suspicious car and check fraud. Here is information from the latest Elmhurst police reports:

Purse thefts

• Someone entered an unlocked car and stole a woman's purse overnight Sunday in the 100 block of South West Avenue. Her credit card was used at McDonald's and Exxon gas station in Villa Park.
• A driver's side window was broken between 8 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at the Elmhurst Park District's Courts Plus, 186 W. West Ave. A purse was stolen.

Undelivered gun

• A resident in the 100 block of Addison Avenue told police Monday that a Ruger Red Label shotgun was shipped by FedEx, but was never received.

Gift card scam

• A resident in the 100 block of East Grand Avenue told police Monday that she sent Apple gift cards to a "Fund Grant." A scammer instructed her to do that in return for $10,000. The incident happened Jan. 18.

Stolen shoes

• A man picked up four boxes of gym shoes and left without paying for them about 2:30 p.m. Monday at Shoe Carnival, 195 S. Route 83. The man was described as black, 35 years old, 6 feet and having an average build. He left in a black, four-door Mercedes-Benz.

Nursing home allegation

• A resident at The Grove of Elmhurst nursing home, 127 W. Diversey Ave., told police that a certified nursing assistant struck her. The facility's administrator told an officer that the resident had made accusations in the past. No arrest was made because of conflicting statements and no apparent signs of injury.

Suspicious car

• An officer saw a suspicious SUV leaving the parking lot of MedSpeed, 140 W. Industrial Drive, about 2 a.m. Tuesday. The driver ran a traffic light and sped away, last seen heading east on Interstate 290.

Check fraud

• An agent for Clarion Hotel, 933 S. Riverside Drive, told police Tuesday a former employee forged a company check, making it payable to the employee. An investigation is pending.
• A resident in the 200 block of East Grantley Avenue told police Wednesday that he mailed a check to his landscaping service Nov. 24. The resident was notified the check was never delivered. The resident learned from his bank that the check had been altered to a different payee and then fraudulently cashed.

Identity theft

• A resident in the 100 block of South Pick Avenue told police Tuesday that someone used his personal information to open six cellphone accounts with AT&T. The resident contacted AT&T to report the fraud. The accounts were opened at a store in Chicago. An investigation is pending.
• A resident in the 600 block of Spring Road told police Wednesday that she was notified by her credit card company of an attempted fraudulent transaction to buy a computer. The transaction was denied because of suspicious activity. The Capital One credit card was canceled.

Driving violations

• Juan Jimenez, 37, of Melrose Park, was cited about 4 a.m. Monday at York and Interstate 290 on a charge of no valid driver's license. He was released on bond.
• Adalberto Rojas Rios, 37, of Elmhurst, was cited about 7:30 a.m. Monday at Emroy and Lake on charges of driving with a suspended license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and speeding. He was released on bond.
• Ulysses Ramirez-Luna, 23, of Chicago, was cited about 2:30 a.m. Monday at West and Third on charges of no valid driver's license and speeding. He was released on bond.
• Marcus Head, 38, of Chicago, was cited shortly after midnight Thursday at Route 83 and Lake on charges of driving with a revoked license, transportation of open alcohol and disobeying a traffic signal. He was released on bond.

Police report information is provided by local police departments. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions on a given day, and people charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.