Portable Toilet Blown Up; Police Given 'Bag Of Potatoes': Blotter

NILES, IL — The following information comes from the Niles Police Department as a record of police activity and those arrested by police. Criminal charges represent mere accusations by the state and are often dropped or reduced. Updated information may be available from the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court. All persons named are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

INCIDENTS

UNKNOWN JAR AND BAG OF POTATOES
A person known to police came into the station at 10:06 p.m. on July 3 and dropped off a jar with an "unknown substance" inside, a green envelope addressed to an officer they had spoken to earlier that day and a bag of potatoes. The envelope contained a typed and handwritten two-page letter critical of police handling of the earlier interaction with police.

CAR BURGLARY
Someone smashed a rear window of a car parked in the south lot of Assi Plaza in the 8900 block of North Milwaukee Avenue around 7:40 p.m. on July 5 and stole a piece of carry-on luggage, a duffel bag and a shopping bag with jewelry inside. The same person is believed to have punctured a tire.

PORTA POTTY EXPLOSION
Police were called to Jonquil Terrace Park in the 7700 block of Oriole Avenue around 11:17 p.m. on July 6 for a report of people igniting fireworks from inside a Jeep Grand Cherokee that had fled the area south on Ottawa Avenue. Police did not immediately take anyone into custody, but they were called back to the park around 11:36 p.m. by an anonymous tipster. Cops were informed someone had blown up a portable toilet. Sure enough, police found a porta potty scattered in multiple pieces around the southwest side of the park. A wood enclosure surrounding the toilet was also damaged.

SHOPLIFTER SWIPES TWELVE-PACK
Staff at the CVS at 9640 N. Milwaukee Ave. recognized a known shoplifter walk out of the store around 5:06 p.m. on July 6 with a 12-pack of Bud Light beer from a sales cooler. Police were told the man "frequents the CVS and causes disturbances and steals from the store." The man was arrested July 17 (see below.)

DOMESTIC BATTERY
A staffer at a rehabilitation clinic in the 6800 block of West Touhy Avenue reported at 9:15 a.m. on July 7 that they witnessed a client's son slap them. Police were told it had happened "many times before."

STOLEN CAR
Someone stole a car from the parking lot of King Spa in teh 800 block of Civic Center Drive between 11 p.m. on July 7 and 1:30 p.m. on July 8.

SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT
Police were called around 8:44 p.m. on July 10 to the H-Mart in the 800 block of Civic Center Drive for a report of a suspicious incident. A woman who smelled strongly of alcohol told police that an employee in a blue uniform had chased her around the restaurant with a knife. The man she accused, who did not have any weapons on him, told police that there had been a verbal argument. Police were gathering surveillance footage of the incident at the time of the report.

BATTERY
A member of a Niles Park District youth basketball team called "Clutch" reportedly punched and choked another player multiple times during a game at the Loverde Rec Center on the night of July 11. Police were continuing to investigate at the time of the report.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

Ingrid L. Campos, 39, of the 4500 block of West Central Park Avenue in Chicago, was taken into custody at 10:13 p.m. on July 1 at the Niles Police Department after being arrested by Norris police. SHe had two active arrest warrants from Niels and one issued by Chicago police.

Patrice Baltimore, 46, of the 6900 block of South Crandon Avenue in Chicago, was arrested around 3 p.m. on July 2 after police were called to a shoplifting incident at the Golf Mill Center Kohl's. When officers arrived they noticed a car in traffic matching a description of the suspect's vehicle they had received. Police tried to pull him over, but he ran a red light, causing a three-vehicle accident. People ran from inside the car and Baltimore was arrested after she was found hiding in nearby bushes. Kohl's staff told police a man and woman were seen hiding more than $1,200 worth of merchandise in their bag before leaving the store.

Edison Noriega, 24, of the 9200 block of Courtland Drive in Niles, was arrested shortly before 10 p.m. on July 2 at his home and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery after he grabbed a woman by her neck and arm.

Joseph J. Collado, 30, of the 7000 block of Diversey Avenue in Chicago, and Roberto E. Hernandez, 40, of the 500 block of West 14th Place in Chicago, were arrested at 12:46 p.m. on July 3 in the 7900 block of North Oakton Street. Officers noticed two people running after a vehicle and pointing at it, trying to get it to stop. Police said the back of the car contained several new pairs of shows and unopened boxes of over-the-counter medication on the seat in plain view. Collado was reported to have hidden boxes of drugs under his shirt before running out of the store and getting into a vehicle with Hernandez. A third suspect had not been identified at the time of the report. Hernandez was charged with possession of stolen property and Collado with misdemeanor retail theft.

Julie A. Habich, 24, of the 100 block of Jonathan Road in Lake Zurich, was arrested at 6:44 p.m. on July 5 at an apartment in the 8000 block of North Oriole Avenue and charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal damage to property under $500. Police were called to a disturbance where a person was slamming on an apartment door with a wrench and trying to get inside. An investigation revealed Habich was yelling profanities through the door and slamming with a screwdriver as well as a wrench while making threats to "stab the children" if the door did not open. She was identified as a friend of an ex-partner who was dismayed regarding damage to her property.

Marcos M. Lopez, 24, of the 4200 block of North Francisco Avenue in Chicago, was arrested at 2:39 a.m. on July 10 near the Jewel-Osco at 8730 Dempster Street on an in-state warrant and also charged with possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Lopez and other people were seen walking in and out of the store without buying anything. Police learned he had an active warrant and about 0.2 grams of methamphetamine in the form of a brown liquid found inside his backpack. Lopez also had a fake drivers license and someone else's debit card before being turned over to police.

James A. Lange, 35, of the 3700 block of South Giles Avenue in Chicago, was arrested around 7 p.m. on July 6 and charged with unlawful use of a weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia after police were called to a report of a car burglary in the parking lot of the Home Depot at 8650 W. Dempster St. After reportedly leaving the scene with some items he had just stolen, Lange was found to have a hypodermic needle cap on his floorboard, a metal crack pipe in his front cupholder and brass knuckles in his possession.

A 15-year-old Morton Grove boy turned himself in with a lawyer after reportedly rear-ending a woman and fleeing the scene of the crash around 3:9 p.m. on July 13. A witness provided police with the license plate and contacted the owner of the vehicle. The teen was issued citations for driving without a license, leaving the scene of a property damage crash and failure to give aid or information.

Janekia J. Lewis, 31, of the 1800 block of South Karlov Avenue was arrested at 4:39 p.m. on July 12 on a warrant issued by DuPage County more than four years ago following an investigation into a traffic crash in the 6700 block of North Milwaukee Avenue. She was also found to have been driving with a suspended license.

James L. Hubbard, 54, of the 8100 block of South Eberhart Avenue in Chicago, was arrested at 7:22 a.m. on July 14 in the 7200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue and charged with unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle after police were called to a report of a shoplifting in progress. Three men were reportedly hiding bottles of alcohol in their bag. Police pulled over a fleeing vehicle but did not find any stolen goods. However, the car turned out to be stolen. The driver, Hubbard, told police he did not know it was stolen.

James Zaraza, 39, of the 4900 block of North Kimball Avenue in Chicago, was arrested at 10:31 p.m. on July 14 in a parking lot in the 7400 block of Croname Street and charged with driving under the influence of drugs. Police said while trying to make contact with the driver of a suspicious vehicle, it reversed and fled the scene. Police followed the car to the Jewel-Osco parking lot, where officers learned the driver required hospitalization. He was also issued a citation for possession of cannabis after 1 gram of suspected marijuana was found in a glass jar inside his car.

Michael Shaoul, 21, of the 7800 block of North Nordica Avenue in Niles, was arrested at 1:54 a.m. on July 15 at the Taco Bell, 7535 N. Harlem Ave. Police were called to the eatery for a report of a driver asleep at the wheel. When officers arrived, the car was running and in drive. It took "several attempts" to wake up the driver, who reportedly smelled of alcohol and exhibited signs of intoxication. Shaoul was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more. Police also found a pipe, a grinder and a package of bottle rockets in the man's vehicle when they searched it following his arrest.

Gerardo Garcia-Aguilar, 36, of the 8800 block of North Root Street in Niles, was arrested at 8:57 p.m. on July 17 in the 8900 block of North Greenwood Avenue and charged with felony drunk driving. Police pulled him over for failing to yield to oncoming traffic while turning left and noticed he smelled strongly of booze and had other signs of intoxication. He was also found to be driving with a revoked license. Garcia-Aguilar was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol.

Mark Dean Bartlett, 29, of the 9600 block of Greenwood Avenue in Des Plaines, was arrested at 2:33 p.m. on July 17 at the CVS Pharmacy at 9640 N. Milwaukee Ave. and charged with retail theft and criminal trespassing. Store employees noticed him taking a 12-pack of beer and running across the street to his apartment. He was also warned never to return to CVS, where staff said he frequents the store and has repeatedly stolen merchandise.

» Last Month: Upskirt Filming In 1 Store, Indecent Exposure In Another: Niles Police Department June Blotter

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