3 Home Burglaries, 'No Pants' Man On Beach: Wilmette Crime

WILMETTE, IL — The following information comes from the Wilmette Police Department as a record of incidents reported to the police and those recently arrested. Readers are reminded that an arrest is not an indication of guilt and criminal charges are often dropped or reduced. Everyone is innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.

INCIDENTS

THEFT

A resident in the 2800 block of Old Glenview Road reported that someone stole jewelry from her apartment between July 8 and Aug. 27. The resident told police she believes a relief caretaker is behind the theft.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

A CTA supervisor reported that someone tagged three train cards in the yard in the 300 block of Linden Avenue during the overnight hours of Aug. 27-28.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY

A resident of the 500 block of Forest Avenue reported that someone broke into a home during the overnight hours of Aug. 29-30. The resident told police a screen door had been cut and a door near the kitchen was slightly ajar. The resident noticed their spouse's phone and purse was missing from the area near the open door.

IDENTITY THEFT

A resident in the first block of Crescent Place reported that about 24 unauthorized charges were made to a Citibank credit card at various stores in the souther suburbs between Aug. 18 and Aug. 30.

STRUCTURE FIRE

At 9:20 a.m. on Aug. 30, Wilmette police responded to assist the Wilmette Fire Department with a fire that fully engulfed an attached garage in the 2100 block of Schiller Avenue. The fire was extinguished, while the garage was a total loss. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

BICYCLE THEFT

Sometime between 8:15 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. on Sept. 1, someone stole a bicycle and lock attached to the racks at the Metra station in the 700 block of Green Bay Road.

THEFT

A resident of the 2800 block of Wilmette Avenue reported that a bike that had been left unlocked in the front yard of a home was found missing on the morning of Aug. 30.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY

A resident of the 800 block of Redbud Lane reported that someone broke into their home during the overnight hours of Sept. 3-4. Police were told all doors were locked but when one of the residents awoke two desk drawers were opened on the second floor and a resident's wallet, containing credit cards and cash, was missing. Police said it looked like a burglar had used a grill to climb up to a second floor balcony before entering a sliding door to get into the upstairs office.

CAR BURGLARY

A resident of the 3100 block of Melrose Court reported that an unlocked vehicle that had been parked in a driveway had been entered and rummaged through during the overnight hours of Sept. 3-4. Two garage door openers were stolen from the vehicle.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY

A resident of the 800 block of Romona Road reported finding a door to a fence, garage service door, attached garage door and mud room door all ajar. The resident told police a purse was stolen from the kitchen.

THEFT

An employee of Carson Pirie Scott in the 3200 block of Lake Avenue reported that a catalytic converter and other miscellaneous parts were stolen from a vehicle that had been parked in the west parking lot during a shift between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 5.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

Two train cars parked in the CTA yard in the 300 block of Linden Avenue were found to have been spray painted with graffiti, likely during the overnight hours of Sept. 4-5.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

A resident of the 600 block of Lake Avenue reported that a display had been spray painted by a younger, skinny white man or boy wearing blue jeans, a black sweatshirt and some sort of black mask. Responding officers did not find the vandal.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

Shortly before 10:40 a.m on Sept. 6, a woman reported seeing a man wearing a burgundy shirt and no pants on Gillson Park, 700 Michigan Ave. The man ran away and out of view as soon as the woman spotted him. He was described as a 5-foot, 10-inch white man with a medium to husky build.

THEFT

A resident of the 1500 block of Elmwood Avenue reported that someone stole their 10-year-old son's unlocked $350 bike from an alley behind a house between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sept. 6.

ARRESTS

SUSPENDED LICENSE

A 22-year-old Chicago man was arrested Aug. 27 at 9:26 a.m. in the 100 block of Green Bay Road after he was stopped on a traffic violation and found to be driving on a suspended license.

DUI

Judd J. Hackl, 42, of the 1000 block of Woodlawn Road in Glenview, was arrested Aug. 27 at 10:55 p.m. in the 3200 block of Lake Avenue after he was stopped for a traffic offense and police smelled alcohol on his breath. He failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody.

DUI

Michael W. Verdonck, 32, of the 1100 block of Evergreen Avenue, Des Plaines, was arrested on Sept. 3 at 12:47 a.m. near the intersection of 9th Street and Chestnut Avenue and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. Police said he was pulled over after a minor traffic violation. He admitted to driving and had the strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath, police said. He reportedly refused to exit the car to perform field sobriety tests "on advice of his highly intoxicated back seat passenger." He was taken into custody and refused a breath test at the Wilmette Police Station.

DOMESTIC BATTERY

Marilyn Flores, 19, of the 1900 block of Asbury Avenue, was arrested on Sept. 3 after police responded to a report of an unwanted person in the 1200 block of 16th Street around 8 p.m. Police said they found a resident standing inside the front door where his ex-girlfriend, identified as Flores, was holding onto his leg "in a very agitated state." Flores refused to release the man's leg, and police eventually pepper sprayed her to get her to let go. Police said they discovered Flores had gone through the screen portion of the front door to gain entry to the home. The man signed a domestic battery complaint and Flores was arrested and booked.

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