Retail Thieves Strike in Homewood: Blotter

FRIDAY, MARCH 27

Resisting a Peace Officer, Illegal Transportation of Alcohol

Riccardo Soto, 21, of the 2400 block of 183rd Street, was arrested and charged with resisting a peace officer, illegal transportation of alcohol and improper vehicle lighting after a March 27 traffic stop, according to Homewood police reports.

Police pulled over Soto in the 2100 block of Maple Road when he noticed Soto’s blue Pontiac only had one headlight working, the report stated. Soto began screaming when the officer approached the vehicle, the report added.

During an inventory search of the vehicle, police found an open bottle of Hennessy cognac in a white plastic bag, the report stated. The officer reported seeing Soto move that bottle from the passenger compartment to the trunk where it was found, the report added.

THURSDAY, MARCH 26

Retail Theft

A man and woman from Hazel Crest were accused of sampling vodka without paying for it at a grocery store, according to Homewood police reports.

Anita Pickett, 49, and Bradley Richardson, 55, both of the 18100 block of Kedzie Avenue, were arrested and charged with retail theft after a March 26 incident at Jewel, 3153 W. 183rd St.

At about 11:33 a.m., a store employee noticed Pickett take a Cubs “to-go” mug from a shelf and then go to the liquor department, the report stated. Once there, Richardson opened a bottle of Jewel brand vodka and poured some of it into Pickett’s mug, the report added. Richardson then placed the bottle into a car and put a jacket over it, according to the report.

The vodka was estimated at $14.99, and the mug cost $10.99, the report stated.

Retail Theft

Ian Deans, 18, of the 13900 block of State Street, Riverdale, was arrested and charged with retail theft after he was accused of trying to steal a shirt from Kohl’s, 17620 S. Halsted St., according to Homewood police reports.

A store employee told police he saw Deans take a printed off the shelf at about 11:48 a.m. March 26, and stuff it down his pants before trying to leave the store without paying for it, the report stated.

Retail Theft

A Flossmoor teen led grocery store security and police on a foot chase March 26 after being accused of stealing two bottles of cough medicine, according to Homewood police reports.

Dakuarie Brandon, 18, of the 1700 block of Sylvan Court, was arrested and charged with retail theft and resisting a peace officer in connection with the incident.

At about 5:30 p.m., a loss prevention employee for Walt’s Food Store, 2345 W. 183rd St., pursued Brandon through nearby apartment complexes after observing him taking two bottles of Nyquil (estimated at $7.79 each) from the store without paying for them, the report stated.

Police eventually caught up with Brandon and noticed him toss away one of the Nyquil bottles as he fled, the report stated. Brandon briefly struggled with an officer before he was apprehended, the report added.

A pat down of Brandon revealed one of the Nyquil bottles, and the other bottle was found during a search of the area, the report stated.

Police Blotter information is provided by local law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.