Wilmette Crime: Man With Warrant Flags Down Cops

WILMETTE, IL — The following information comes from the Wilmette Police Department as a record of police activity and contains reports as received by police. Criminal charges represent merely accusations, and everyone is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

WARRANT ARREST

Shortly after 4 a.m. on April 16, Eric B. Duffield flagged down a Wilmette police officer on patrol in the 1100 block of Central. Police said he appeared lost and asked the officer to call him a taxicab. The officer ran his name and found the 27-year old Spring Valley resident had a LaSalle County bond forfeiture warrant. He was subsequently taken into custody.

FELONY CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE POSSESSION

Around 8:21 p.m. on April 16, police pulled over a car on the 300 block of Linden for violating a stop sign. After smelling the odor of marijuana, police carried out a search of the vehicle and its occupants. Police said they found illegal prescription medical, drug paraphernalia and cannabis in possession of the two people in the car. The driver, 20-year-old Charles Zhang of Northfield was allegedly illegally in possession of Xanax, and 20-year-old Hettie Price of Winnetka was allegedly illegally in possession of a variety of prescription medications. The two were processed on the felony possession of a controlled substance charges for the prescription drugs, and held overnight for bond court, police said.

DECEPTIVE, FRAUDULENT PRACTICES

Sometime between March 30 and April 3, six checks were cashed against a victim's Chase checking account on the 400 block of Wilshire West. Those six checks, which totaled $14,500, were made payable to various entities at different locations.

CAR BURGLARY

Sometime between 9 p.m. April 16 and shortly after 9 a.m. on April 17, someone entered an unlocked car in a driveway on the 100 block of 16th Street and stole about $5 in loose change and a cell phone charger.

IDENTITY THEFT

At 4 p.m. on Feb. 23, someone went into a TCF Bank in Chicago and used a victim's North Trust Bank debit card dumber to withdraw $137.47 in a cash advance.

Sometime between April 17 and 18, a victim on the 400 block of Ridge Road reported receiving a piece of mail forwarded from a Winnetka address from Verizon Wireless informing her she owed $172.30 from a Verizon account that had been opened without her consent.

THEFT

Sometime between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on April 15, someone reportedly stole the rear license plate from a car parked in the Jewel Foods parking lot on the 400 block of Green Bay road.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

Sometime between April 13 and April 14, someone spray paid "RUSSD" on the "Next Realty" sign in front of Wilmette Commons.

WARRANT IN THE PARK

Shortly before midnight on April 14, police stopped a 26-year-old Skokie man for being in the park after closing with his girlfriend. He was found to have a Cook County traffic warrant. He was arrested, processed and released after posting bond.

THEFT

Between 6 p.m. on April 14 and 11 a.m. on April 15, someone reportedly stole a patio umbrella from the backyard of a home on the 400 block of Sunset.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO A HONDA

Sometime between 1:20 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. on April 15, someone reportedly damaged a Honda Odyssey parked in the 1000 block of Oakwood Avenue. The caller stated the alarm had been activated at 1:20 a.m. and in the morning the car had a scratch extending all the way around the vehicle. Also the rear window was broken out. There was no reported losses from inside the vehicle.

MORE VEHICULAR DAMAGE

Between 3 p.m. on April 14 and 8 a.m. on April 15, someone broke out the rear window of a vehicle on the 900 block of Gregory.

Between 6 p.m. on April 14 and 8:30 a.m. on April 15, someone reportedly scratched a vehicle on the 900 block of Oakwood.

Between 12:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. on April 15, a resident on the 900 block of Oakwood reported someone damaged a vehicle's driver's side glass mirror, but no other part of the vehicle.

CRIMINAL TRESPASSING

Between April 9 and April 16, someone reportedly entered an unlocked garage on a rental property that had been vacant for about a year while renovation was taking place on the 500 block of Hartman. The trespassers reportedly damaged pottery and spray painted graffiti on the inside of the garage's door and ceiling.

NO ICE CREAM TRUCK ORDINANCE VIOLATION

An officer encountered an ice cream truck playing its music in Gillson Park on April 16. Ice cream trucks have been prohibited by law in Wilmette for decades, but it is not uncommon for them to venture into the village as the weather warms and be reminded of the law, according to Deputy Chief Kyle Murphy. A 52-year-old Morton Grove man was issued of a local ordinance citation for operating without a business license after being seen allegedly selling ice cream.

SMASH GLASS AND GRAB GLASSES

Shortly before 11 p.m. on April 20, someone reportedly shattered the glass door at a sunglasses shop on the 400 block of Green Bay Road in Kenilworth and stole 42 pairs of glasses for a reported loss of $8,400 from inside the store.