10 Unlocked Cars Burglarized In One Night; DUI Drivers Crash: Blotter

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The following information comes from the Highland Park and Highwood police departments and public records as a record of incidents reported to the police and of those arrested by police. Criminal charges represent accusations by the state that are often dropped or reduced. Updated information may be available from the Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Everyone arrested is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.

INCIDENTS

HOME BURGLARY
Someone broke into a home in the 1400 block of Ridge Road prior to 3:30 p.m. March 29 by forcing open a second-floor side door. The closet of the home's master bedroom was ransacked and some amount of jewelry was stolen from inside.

HOME BURGLARY ATTEMPTS
At some point between 3 p.m. March 26 and 9 p.m. March 28, someone tried to get into an apartment in the 800 block of Central Avenue, damaging the front door frame and bottom knob lock but failing to get into the unit, police were told on the afternoon of March 29. On March 31, police were told of another attempted burglary of an apartment in the 800 block of Central Avenue during an unknown time frame. In that case, the door frame was damaged.

CREDIT CARD THEFT
On April 2, police got a report that someone had stolen credit cards from inside of a locker at LA Fitness, 115 Skokie Valley Road, between 2 and 3 p.m. on March 14. Those cards were then used without authorization at other, unspecified merchants.

STOLEN CARS

• Around 6:30 a.m. on April 1, a resident in the 400 block of Hillside Drive reported that their Subaru had been stolen its keys were left inside. The car was later found in the 600 block of Hillside Drive with its driver's side door damage and the key still inside, although house keys and gift cards were reported stolen from the car.
• Someone stole a black Ford Fusion that had been parked in a driveway in the 2100 block of Grange Avenue between 11:30 p.m. on April 2 and 8 a.m. on April 3. It was not known if the car had been left unlocked or with its key inside.

BIKE THEFTS

• Shortly after 2 p.m. on March 28, police got a report that a male thief wearing a black hooded winter coat, jeans and dark shoes stole an old Huffy bicycle from a garage in the 400 block of Central Avenue.
• Someone stole two mountain bikes from a home in the 300 block of Park Avenue between 5 and 8 p.m. on March 30.
• Someone stole a men's blue Trek bicycle and a women's gray Trek bicycle worth a combined $700 from an unlocked garage in the 300 block of Park Avenue between 7:30 p.m. March 30 and 6 p.m. March 31.

SHOPLIFTING

• A male shoplifter wearing a face mask, blue winter hat, blue jacket and blue jeans stole an unknown amount of cosmetic items from the Walgreens, 632 Roger Williams Ave., around 9 p.m. on March 28.
• Staff at the Target, 2099 Skokie Valley Road, reported on March 31 that someone had stolen about $790 worth of over-the-counter medications around noon on March 28.
• Two unidentified thieves entered the Ulta Beauty store 135 Skokie Valley Road and stole four baskets of fragrances of unspecified value at some point prior to about 5:30 p.m. on April 2 before leaving in a silver Nissan Altima.

CAR BURGLARIES

• Someone ransacked the interior of a Toyota that had been left unlocked in a driveway in the 800 block of Highland Park during the night of March 31 or the early morning hours of April 1 and left the door open. Nothing was reported stolen from within.
• Two unlocked cars parked in the 2800 block of Lexington Lane West were burglarized around 4:30 p.m. March 31, with a credit card taken from the cup holder of one of them. No unauthorized transactions were made on the card.
• Someone burglarized an unlocked Volkswagen in the 1200 block of North Avenue around 6 p.m. March 31, ransacking the interior and stealing a wallet from inside.
• Around 4 a.m. on April 1, someone burglarized another unlocked Volkswagen parked in the 1200 block of North Avenue and stole four pairs of sunglasses from inside.
• Someone burglarized two unlocked Subarus in the 300 block of Larkspur Drive between 5 p.m. March 31 and 7 a.m. April 1 but nothing was reported stolen from inside.
• Between 8 p.m. March 31 and 10 a.m. April 1, someone burglarized an unlocked Hyundai that had been parked in a driveway in the 3000 block of Parkside Drive, stealing a black Armani coat, Nike backpack containing school supplies, a Chromebook and a wallet from inside.
• Someone burglarized two cars in a garage that had been left open overnight on March 31 in the 1200 block of North Avenue. Nothing was reported stolen from inside.
• Between 1:30 and 3 p.m. on April 2, someone broke into a locked Honda that was parked at the Highland Park Recreation Center, 1207 Park Avenue West. Multiple credit cards were stolen from inside a wallet that had been left in the car, and they were later used without authorization at unspecified merchants.
• Someone burglarized a Volkswagen in the driveway of the 1900 block of York Lane between 5 p.m. April 2 and 8 a.m. April 3, removing a garage door opener and a spare key that were later found in the home's yard. Nothing else was reported to be stolen.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

Lawrence E. Sommer, 50, of the 1200 block of Briarcliff Lane, Highland Park, was arrested around 11:45 p.m. on March 30 and charged with two counts of misdemeanor domestic battery after officers were called to his home for a report of a fight there.

A 33-year-old Highland Park man was arrested around 11:30 a.m. on March 29 and charged with driving with a suspended or revoked license and unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver following a traffic stop near the intersection of Central Avenue and Sunset Road. He was also issued a citation for operating a vehicle while using an electronic communication device.

Margo A. Gonzalez, 26, of the 500 block of North California Avenue, Mundelein, was arrested around 2:45 a.m. on April 2 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop near the intersection of Skokie Valley and Old Elm roads. He was also issued a citation for failure to yield to a stationary emergency vehicle.

Harlan I. Breger, 68, of the 500 block of Ravine Drive, Highland Park, was arrested shortly before 8 p.m. on April 2 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of a vehicle damage accident after police got a call from a resident in the 2400 block of Montgomery Avenue reporting that someone had just driven drove over a lawn and several landscape rocks.

Vincent A. Gallardo, 21, of the 1600 block of Orchard Lane, Northfield, was arrested around 4:45 a.m. on April 4 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence of drugs after officers reported he crashed into another car while headed south on Skokie Valley Road toward Park Avenue. He was also issued a citation for failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash.

Earlier: DUI Drivers Clocked Over 110 MPH On Route 41 Twice In 10 Days; Argument Over Baby's Name Turns Violent: Highland Park Police Blotter, March 8 to March 28

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