2 Guns Found In Purse; Fleeing Shoplifters Face Felonies: 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

SIGN THEFT
Someone stole a political sign in support of the president from the front law in the first block of Lakeview Terrace sometime between 3 and 4 p.m. on Aug. 20.

GARAGE BURGLARY
After a garage door was left open in the 1800 block of Berkeley Road, someone burglarized three cars that were left unlocked inside. Credit cards, IDs and $500 in cash were reported stolen and a man was seen running away and getting into an older white car.

STOLEN CARS
Someone stole two Land Rovers, one from inside a garage, after they were both left unlocked with the keys inside from the 200 block of Cedar Avenue prior to 6 a.m. on Aug. 22.

COMMERCIAL BURGLARY
Police were called to a car repair shop in the 2000 block of First Street around 10 a.m. on Aug. 22. Two cars inside the garage were disturbed but nothing was reported stolen.

THEFT OF LOST/UNATTENDED ITEMS
Around 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 25, someone told police their Samsung cell phone, driver's license and bank cards had been stolen after they were left unattended at Park Avenue Beach.

MAIL THEFT
A thief stole three rebate checks from a mailbox in the 1600 block of Old Deerfield Road, police were told on Aug. 27. Someone used the checks on Aug. 15 at the Vernon Hills Menard's store.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE REPORTED
Police said someone threw a piece of American cheese on a black Hyundai that was parked in the 700 block of Pleasant Avenue at some point prior to 11:15 p.m. on Aug. 29. There was no damage observed by the officer.

SHOPLIFTING

• Someone stole a vacuum worth $500 from the Target at 2099 Skokie Valley Road prior to 9:45 a.m. on Aug. 17.
• Two men stole an unknown amount of liquor from the CVS at 2000 Skokie Valley Road around 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 26.
• A woman stole about $100 worth of cosmetics from the CVS store at 1539 Clavey Road prior to 5 p.m. on Aug. 22.

CAR BURGLARIES

• A resident in the 1100 block of Oxford Court reported on Aug. 24 that someone stole their garage door remote controller from inside their cars after they were left unlocked between Aug. 21 and Aug. 22.
• Someone burglarized an Audi and a Land Rover that had been left unlocked in the 1900 block of Dale Avenue prior to 6 a.m. on Aug. 22. A garage door opener, phone charger and sunglasses were reported stolen from inside.
• A charging cord was stolen from an unlocked BMW parked in the 1100 block of Linden Avenue after someone rummaged through it on the night of Aug. 21 or the early morning hours of Aug. 22.
• Someone burglarized an unlocked Ford parked in the 1400 block of Linden Avenue prior to 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 22 and rummaged through the interior. Nothing was listed as stolen at the time of the report.
• A possibly unlocked Jeep parked in the 2800 block of Lexington Lane West was burglarized prior to 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 22. Nothing was listed as stolen at the time of the report.
• Someone stole a garage door opener from inside a Range Rover that was parked in the 1100 block of Linden Avenue prior to about 2 p.m. on Aug. 22. Its owner was not sure if it was locked or not.
• Police were called to the 1100 block of Sheridan Road around 4 a.m. on Aug. 25 after a resident reported hearing a car alarm and seeing an interior dome light on and a white SUV, possibly a Jeep, exiting their driveway. The resident's car was opened but nothing was reported stolen from inside.
• A resident in the 300 block of Bloom Avenue reported around 6:45 a.m. on Aug. 25 that they left their car unlocked with the key fob inside. A partially masked man got into the car, started the engine and backed out of the driveway to park it before rummaging through the interior. The car burglary later got into a white SUV and left. Nothing was reported stolen from inside the car.
• A car left unlocked overnight in the 100 block of Edgecliffe Drive was burglarized prior to noon on Aug. 25. Someone stole a camera, wallet and cash from inside.
• On Aug. 28, while police were processing a recovered stolen Ford SUV that had been stolen on the night of Aug. 4 from the 1900 block of Elmwood Drive, police found identification, business cards, an empty wallet and a credit card that belonged to a resident of the 1200 block of Lynn Terrace, who explained that their car had been burglarized between Aug. 7 and Aug. 9 after it was left unlocked. That burglary was not reported because the resident was unsure whether their wallet had been lost or stolen, police were told.
• Someone stole a horse riding bag and gloves from inside a car left parked unlocked overnight in the 400 block of Pleasant Avenue on Aug. 28 or Aug. 29.

ARRESTS

Bradley West, 33, of the 200 block of West Cherrywood Drive, Palatine, and Amber Blazek, 26, of the 900 block of South Ardmore Avenue, Villa Park were arrested around 4 p.m. on Aug. 18 and charged with felony retail theft after police were called to the CVS Pharmacy at 1539 Clavey Road for a report than a man had just run out of the store with a plastic bag full of stolen merchandise. Police reported the man was with a woman who had also been seen in the store. Officers pulled over a vehicle that was seen leaving the store after stopping it northbound on Ridge Road at Grove Avenue and found the bag of stolen items inside.

Dumitru Iftodi, 56, of the 2700 block of Arlington Court, Highland Park, was arrested around 1 a.m. on Aug. 20 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after officers got a call about a suspicious vehicle parked blocking a driveway in the 2900 block of Twin Oaks Drive. Iftodi was also cited for illegal transportation of an open container of alcohol.

Syed Mazhar, 41, of the 3000 block of West 8th Street, Waukegan, was arrested on Aug. 20 and charged with two counts of child luring. Read more...

Martese Jackson, 23, of the 21800 block of Richton Road, Matteson, was arrested around 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 22 and charged with two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of possession of a controlled substance following a traffic stop near Skokie Valley Road and Half Day Road. Police reported finding two guns inside a purse. Jackson was also cited for speeding and unlawful possession of cannabis in a motor vehicle.

James Buck, 35, of the 1700 block of Golf Road, Waukegan, was arrested around 4:30 a.m. on Aug. 22 on a warrant issued after he failed to appear in court in DuPage County in connection with a charge of domestic battery. Police pulled him over in the 2200 block of Skokie Valley Road and also ticketed him for running a stoplight.

Amy Pierce, 53, of the 1200 block of Cambridge Court, Highland Park, was arrested around 7 a.m. on Aug. 23 and charged with disorderly conduct after officers were called to her block for a complaint that she was going around ringing doorbells and disturbing the peace.

Bibianna Benns, 26, of the 2100 block of West Estes Avenue, Chicago, was arrested prior to 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 24 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop on Route 41 south of Clavey Road. She was also cited for improper lane usage and speeding.

Johnny Morales, 33, of the 2200 block of North Mason Avenue, Chicago, was arrested around 11:15 p.m. on Aug. 27 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop on Route 41 at Applewood Court. He was also cited for speeding more than 35 mph over the limit.

Matthew Craig Gavin, 23, of the 700 block of Park Drive, Kenilworth, was arrested around 3 a.m. on Aug. 28 following a traffic stop in the 100 block of Edens Expressway and charged with possession of less than 5 grams of methamphetamine and driving under the influence of drugs. He was also issued citations for improper use of a turn signal, unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver and illegal squealing of tires.

Earlier: Dozing Driver's Illegal Gun Grabbed At Gas Station;Thieves Target Cosmetics; Glenview Man Charged With DUI After Crash; Jewelry Reported Stolen: Highland Park Police Blotter, Aug. 10 to Aug. 16

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