Niles Crime: Stepfather Threatens Boy With Knife, Bloody Bar Fight, Drunken Patron Punched

NILES, IL — The following information comes from the Niles Police Deparment as a record of police activity. Arrests are not an indication of guilt and criminal charges are merely an accusation that can be dropped or reduced. Everyone is presumed innocent until their guilt is established by a court of law.

BLOODY BAR FIGHT CAUGHT ON TAPE

Joni J. Zaya, 40, of the 4900 block of Hull Street in Skokie was arrested March 4 around 11 p.m. after police were called to a bar on the 9000 block of Milwaukee. The manager told police Zaya had been involved in an altercation with another male customer in the bar. Zaya told police the person he allegedly attacked was bothering a female friend of his. Video surveillance shows Zaya grabbing the victim around the neck and shake him while talking to him in an aggressive manner. The victim appeared trying to create some separation, and smacked Zaya on the cheek with an open hand, trying to push him away, police said. Zaya then slapped the victim in the face and headbutted him three times. While still holding him around the neck, Zaya then grabs a beer bottle on the table and hits him in the forehead. The victim fell to the floor from his chair and other patrons restrained Zaya and grabbed the bottle from him. The victim sustained a cut on his forehead and was taken to Lutheran General. The victim wanted to sign complaints and Zaya was taken into custody.

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT: MAN THREATENS FAMILY WITH KNIFE

Jan Chodorowski, of the 900 block of Terrace, was arrested on March 3 and charged with aggravated assault after police were called to domestic dispute shortly before 1:30 p.m.. Chodorowski allegedly threatened his wife and stepson with a knife. His wife told police he had been drinking all day and arguing about their relationship and his stepson. The argument became so heated that the stepson went to his room and locked himself in and the wife said she was planning on going to a friend's house. As the wife was waiting for the elevator she heard yelling coming from the apartment and she returned. She told police she could hear the stepson screaming for help and for Chodorowski to get away from him. The wife called 911, and the step son told police he was screaming at him and attempting to open the door with a knife. The stepson told police Chodorowski opened the bedroom door with a key and he saw him holding a kitchen knife in his hand. The victim told police he was blocking the door with an ironing board, but Chodorowski continued to force his way into the bedroom and was threatening the victim by saying," your mother is not here to help you so I am going to kill you". After being told the police were being called, Chodorwski said "the police can't help you" the victim told police. Chodorowski was arrested and released on bond.

DRUNKEN AND DISORDERLY TRESPASSER GETS BATTERED

Do T. Kim, 62, of the 500 block of Deere Park Circle in Bartlett, was arrested March 1 at 5:13 p.m. after police were called to a report of criminal trespassing in the 9000 block of Golf Road. Upon arrival they found an apparently intoxicated Kim. The caller told them he had repeatedly been told to leave by the owner after entering the business. Police were told he had been banging on the door and windows before police arrived. The caller said the night before she had called the police because he was yelling at her from outside the business, but he had left before the police arrived. Kim was arrested, booked and cited under village ordinance for public intoxication and cost of emergency services for police and fire.

Also on the 9000 block of Golf Road on March 1 at 1:44 p.m. police took a report on a battery against Kim, although he did not wish to sign complaints. After he returned to the business after being told he was not welcome there, he refused to leave so an employee called the police. She became irate with and punched him with a closed fist on the right side of his mouth, causing it to bleed, police said. Kim left the scene and turned down medical attention.

PHONE SNATCHED FROM CAR AS CUSTOMER PAYS

On March 4 at 9:0 p.m. a 56-year-old Hobart, Indiana man reported that his phone was taken from his vehicle while in a parking lot in the 7200 block of Caldwell. He told police he pumped gas in his vehicle and went inside the store to pay at approximately 2130 hrs. When he left the vehicle unlocked. The phone was in the center console. While he was inside paying, someone quickly entered the unlocked vehicle and removed the phone, valued at $350.

CAR BURGLARY

About $3,600 in tools were stolen from a 2013 Ford van after parked unattended in a lot on the 7200 block of Dempster. A construction worker told police he returned to the van on the morning of March 1 and found the passenger side read door had been damaged and was left slightly open.

THEFT

On March 1 at 6:27 p.m., police were dispatched to the 7300 block of Waukegan for a theft report. A gas station employee stated a 2001 Pontiac 2 door turned into the station from Milwaukee before the driver requested the vehicle to be filled with $20 of gas. After filling the car the employee requested payment, and the man behind the wheel handed him a debit card. The employee ran the card three times but the card was declined. After the card was handed back to the driver, the attendant asked for a different card or cash, but the driver put the vehicle into drive and exited the station onto Milwaukee. The investigation continues.

BIG-SCREEN SHOPLIFTING

On March 1 at 4:43 p.m., a guard at a store on the 8500 block of Golf Road reported that two men entered the store and selected a 60” TV worth about $700. The thieves walked right out the front door, passed the registers, and loaded the TV in a SUV. They were last spotted driving west on Gold Road from the scene. and drove west on Golf Road from the scene.

SHOPLIFTING

A 52-year-old Des Plaines woman was arrested after she was seen taking five body spray containers from a retail store at Golf Mill Center around 2:30 p.m. on March 1.

HOME BURGLARY

At 7:13 p.m. on March 1, a victim on the 7100 block of Greenleaf told police their home had been burglarized earlier in the day.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE.

On March 1 between 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., someone shattered the back window of a 2007 Chevrolet SUV on the 8400 block of Ballard road. The owner of the car told police nothing was missing. Although he was concerned about his CTA uniforms and work 2 way radio, he found those items still in the vehicle.

FRAUD

On March 1 at 6:41 p.m. a 49-year-old man reported he received a call on Feb. 24 saying he won a Government grant in the amount of $9,200. The victim was told he needed to pay a $250 fee with an iTunes card. The victim was told to purchase the cards at a store in Chicago. He then provided the codes to redeem the gift cards. Shortly after that the phone scammer told the victim he had to pay an addition $950 for taxes because he was an Illinois resident. The victim was told he could pay the taxes via Western Union. The scammer sent the $950 over Western Union. Then, the caller the Offender then asked for his bank account number so he could get the deposit for his loan. On Feb. 25, the scammer called again, telling the victim he needed to $750 to the IRS. It was at this time the Victim realized this might be a scam and did not pay the $750. The victim stated there is no suspicious or unauthorized purchases made. The victim was advised to close his bank account.

SHOPLIFTING

Peter Drake, 58, of the 9100 block of Knight in Des Plaines, was arrested March 2 at 10:20 a.m. over allegations he had been spotted stealing clothing, personal hygiene items and jars of spices inside his bag in a retail store on the 8500 block of Golf Road. He was stopped with $47.59 worth of items hidden on his person, police said.

THEFT

On March 2 at 6:38 p.m. police were called to a fitness center on the 900 block of Civic Center. Police said a juvenile victim had left his gym bag unattended on the bleachers. While playing the victim advised he would periodically look over to where his bag was located to make sure it was still there. He told police he saw two men or boys he didnt' recognize sit on the bleachers in front of where he had placed his gym bag. Then, just a short while later, both suspects left the gym and the bag, which contained a Samsung S7, was nowhere to be found.

CAR BURGLARY

On March 1 between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. someone broke into a 2016 Jeep SUV parked in a lot on the 9200 block of Milwaukee, police were told. Once inside the offenders removed his wallet and two cordless drills from the rear cargo area, but did not take any of the other tools that were present. A wallet was stolen containing cars that were later used at a retail store to buy $162 worth of goods.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

A 66-year-old Niles woman caught video of someone scratching the paint on her 2017 Toyota Camera thanks to some recently installed security cameras. On March 2 at 11:16 a.m., someone approaches the vehicle, walking all around it while scratching it with an unknown object.

SHOPLIFTING

On March 3 at 7:53 p.m. police responded to a call about a theft that occurred around 6 p.m. at a store in Gold Mill Center. A guard told police a 40-45-year-old woman was seen taking new shoes off the shelf and putting them on, then placing her old shoes in the box and placing the box in the shopping cart. This subject is also seen placing a box set of perfume, two Roomba vacuuming devices, and two Playstation 4 boxes in her shopping cart. She then meets up with a 20-25-year-old man who is helping her place these items in the cart. He then exits the store and waits in a vehicle (Registered to a woman on the 16000 block of Avalon Avenue in South Holland) The woman is then seen at the cashier making her transaction with the employee. She presented a form of identification and states she forgot her store charge card. Her information was entered in the computer system to locate an account which matched the name which she presented to the employee. The woman finished the transaction, exited the store, and met the male who was waiting in the vehicle. The pair did not pay for items valued at $335.

FRAUD/REPEAT IDENTITY THEFT

On March 3 at 3:48 p.m. a complainant reported that someone used their credit card to purchase $575.83 worth of goods from an online store. After the victim was alerted by the credit card company of the charges, her card was cancelled, and she was issued a new one. Then, on March 2, someone used her credit card to purchase $875.51 from another online store and had it shipped to her daughter's work address in Wheeling. Her daughter called her after it arrived. She then checked her statement and found an additional charge in as well as concert tickets and charges to the online Apple store. She said did not make any of those charges and reported the incident to credit card company who again cancelled her card. The victim said she has previously been the victim of identity theft and believes that this may be connected to it.

SHOPLIFTING

At a store on the 8200 block of Golf Road around 5 p.m. on March 5, a 69-year-old Des Plaines woman allegedly tried to switch the label on a bag of rice from the original price of $15.99 to $9.99, which she denied. Surveillance video confirmed the guards account of what occurred, and police issued an ordinance citation for petite theft. The fine was paid on scene.

THEFT

A 79-year-old Des Plaines woman told police her wallet was stolen from her purse around 1 p.m. on March 5 in the 8700 block of Dempster. She later learned $150 had been charged to her card.

TAXI STEALS GAS

A taxicab pulled up to the gas station in the 5900 block of Touhy around 6 a.m. on March 4. It pumped $10.81 of gas and then drove away without paying.

THEFT

On March 5 at 10:49 a.m. a 59-year-old Chicago woman told police she was working overnight, and around 2:20 a.m. she had gone into the women's bathroom in the back of the store and placed her cell phone in the bathroom stall. She then accidentally left the phone in the bathroom stall. She said realized she didn't have her cell phone and returned at 0330 hours to the bathroom to find it no longer there. The cell phone, a Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, $100 value, had a protective cover on it that also had a pocket. In the pocket of the cover, the victim’s had her Illinois driver's license, Illinois ID card, Bank of America credit card and Chase debit card. The victim cancelled her credit and debit card and stated that no unauthorized transactions had taken place on either card prior to canceling them.

SHOPLIFTING

On March 6 at 2:44 p.m. a security guard at the Golf Mill Mall told police saw a 30-35-year-old man steal 22 packages of Gillete razor blades, valued at $636.28, off the shelf and hide them on his person two days prior. He then entered a 4 door silver vehicle which he left parked in the fire lane in front of the entrance to the store.

THEFT OF SERVICES

A man stayed at a spa on Civic Center Drive for more than 24 hours, ordering more than $100 in food, but when it came time for him to pay on the morning of March 5, he told the staff he didn't have hte money and he would be back later. He gave the staff a copy of his state ID and a phone number. After waiting two business days with no return the complainant attempted to call, but the phone number was disconnected. The totall reported loss was $217.

UNATTENDED CHILD

Police issued a citation to a 23-year-old Chicago woman for leaving her 6-year-old child in a vehicle alone while she was getting her glasses fixed on the 5600 block of Touhy on March 1. As the Officer approached her idling vehicle a she came out of a store on Central and began walking to the vehicle and told police she was watching the vehicle through the window from inside the store.