Ruse Home Burglary; Grandparent Scam; Porch Piracy: Blotters

The following information comes from the Glencoe, Northfield, Wilmette and Winnetka police departments as a record of police activity and incidents reported to the police. Criminal charges represent merely accusations by the state and are often dropped or reduced. Updated information may be available from the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Anyone arrested is innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

GLENCOE

INCIDENTS

CRIMINAL DAMAGE
Someone gouged a 2013 Toyota SUV parked in the 300 block of Temple Court at some point prior to 9:45 a.m. on Feb. 18, causing unspecified damage to its paint.

PORCH PIRACY
Someone stole several packages left on the front porch of a home in the 300 block of Washington Avenue prior to 4:45 p.m. on Feb. 20. More than $500 worth of items, including clothing and a suitcase, were reported stolen.

FORGERY
A Longwood Avenue resident reported around 2 p.m. on Feb. 25 that someone had gotten one of their checks, changed the information on it and cashed it for a loss of $100.

IDENTITY THEFT
A Grove Street resident reported around 8 a.m. on Feb. 25 that someone had opened a T-Mobile account in their name and racked up more than $1,000 in charges.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

Adam L. Steinback, 44, of the 800 block of Valley Road, Glencoe, was arrested around 8:45 p.m. on Feb. 12 and charged with domestic battery in connection with an incident at or near his home.

David Stevens, 25, of the 12500 block of South Bishop Street, Calumet Park, was arrested around 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 in the 7800 block of South Halsted Street, Chicago, and charged with aggravated identity theft in connection with an unspecified incident.

A 41-year-old Chicago man was issued citations for illegal transportation of an open container of alcohol by a driver and disobeying a traffic control device following a traffic stop at Dundee Road and the Edens Expressway around 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 12. His 32-year-old passenger, a Carol Stream man, was ticketed for unlawful cannabis possession.

A 25-year-old Chicago man was issued a citation for unlawful cannabis possession following an encounter with police around 1 a.m. on Feb. 16 near Green Bay Road and Washington Avenue.

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NORTHFIELD

INCIDENTS

IDENTITY THEFT
An Arbor Lane resident reported on Feb. 11 that someone had opened up an unauthorized Sprint wireless account in their daughter's name.

CAR BURGLARY
Someone burglarized several vehicles in a garage in the 100 block of Eddy Lane during the night of Feb. 11 or the early morning hours of Feb. 12.

STOLEN CAR
A 2013 Ford was stolen from a driveway in the 100 block of Eddy Lane on the night of Feb. 11 or the morning of Feb. 12. The car was found in Dolton on Feb. 15.

GRANDPARENT SCAM
Bank staff in the 400 block of Central Avenue called police on the morning of Feb. 12 to report a customer had been scammed. The customer said they got a call claiming a grandchild had been involved in an accident and required a wire transfer for surgery. No money was transferred.

HOME BURGLARY ATTEMPT
Police were dispatched to a home in the first block of Regent Wood Road around 3:15 p.m. on Feb. 14 for an activated burglar alarm. Officers found evidence that someone had tried to break in but determined the home had not been entered.

LIBRARY DISTURBANCE
Police were called to the Northfield Library, 1782 Orchard Lane, around 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 after library staff reported an elderly patron was disturbing people inside. The person was gone before officers arrived that day, but police returned the next day. They spoke with the elderly person, who agreed not to disturb other patrons, police reported.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

A 24-year-old Skokie man was arrested around 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 12 in the 1900 block of Willow Road and charged with driving with a suspended license and driving without a valid license. Officers also ticketed him for speeding 43 mph in a 30 mph zone.

A 42-year-old Round Lake Beach man was arrested around 12:15 p.m. on Feb. 20 and charged with driving without a valid license following a traffic stop in the 700 block of Frontage Road. He was also issued a citation for operating a vehicle while using an electronic communication device.

A 49-year-old Chicago woman was arrested around 7 p.m. on Feb. 20 and charged with driving with a suspended license following a traffic stop near Willow Road and Alice Place. Police also issued her a citation for speeding 44 mph in a 30 mph zone.

WILMETTE

INCIDENTS

RUSE BURGLARY
A resident of the 700 block of Lacrosse Avenue reported that a tall, thin man in his 20s wearing a yellow construction vest knocked on the door around 4:15 p.m. on Feb. 15 and said he needed to "check the water" in the basement. Another resident reported seeing two other men in an upstairs bedroom. Various items of unspecified value were reported stolen after the men left.

BITCOIN SCAM
Someone scammed a resident out of an unspecified "large payment" through Bitcoin after claiming they were calling from ComEd and telling the victim they were behind on payments, police were told on Feb. 22.

CAR BURGLARIES

• Someone smashed a window of a locked car parked in the lot at Michigan Shores Club, 911 Michigan Ave., between 3 and 5 p.m. on Feb. 15.
• Someone burglarized two cars left unlocked in the 1600 block of Forest Avenue between 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 7:45 a.m. on Feb. 19. Various
• An unlocked car in the 1700 block of Forest Avenue was burglarized between 7 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 19, but nothing appeared to be missing at the time of the report.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

A 33-year-old Beach Park man was arrested around 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 and charged with driving with a suspended license following a traffic stop in the 2100 block of Lake Avenue. He was also issued unspecified citations.

A 29-year-old Wheeling man was arrested around 4 p.m. on Feb. 20 and charged with driving with a suspended license following a traffic stop in the 1700 block of Lake Avenue. He was also issued unspecified citations.

A 25-year-old Evanston man was arrested around 5:45 p.m. on Feb. 21 and charged with driving with a suspended license after he was pulled over in the 800 block of Ridge Road. He was also issued unspecified traffic citations.

WINNETKA

INCIDENTS

RETAIL THEFT
Someone stole several bottles of alcohol worth nearly $190 from the Walgreens, 925 Green Bay Road, prior to 9:15 a.m. on Feb. 11.

PORCH PIRACY
Someone stole a package delivered to a home in the 500 block of Orchard Lane for a loss of $150 between 8 and 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 13.

BOW THEFT
Someone swapped out of violin bow worth $1,800 from an unattended case left outside a rehearsal room in the 300 block of Green Bay Road between 10 and noon on Feb. 14, replacing it with a damaged bow.

TICKET SCAM
An Elm Street resident reported around 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 22 they had paid $200 for tickets to a sporting event that were never delivered.

IDENTITY THEFTS

• A Lindenwood Drive resident reported someone used their identity to get a contract for an apartment complex between Nov. 11 and Feb. 12 for a loss of $355.
• A Walden Road resident reported that someone used their identity to get access to their checking account and cashed six fraudulent checks for a loss of more than $5,000 between Feb. 11 and Feb. 13.
• A Church Road resident reported someone used their identity to open a wireless account and accrue $600 in charges between Dec. 19 and Feb. 17.
• A Willow Road resident reported around 12:45 p.m. on Feb. 22 that someone had used their identity to open a PayPal account and make cash advances for a loss of $5,000.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

Maria G. Morales-Fallas, 46, of the 800 block of Bellevue Avenue, Elgin, was arrested around 9 a.m. on Feb. 11 and charged with aggravated identity theft and continuing financial crime enterprise in connection with an incident reported Nov. 15, 2019.

Earlier: Fake Pastor Demands Gift Cards In Email Scam; Driver With Near-Fatal Level Of Alcohol Charged With Child Endangerment: New Trier Area Police Blotters, Feb. 6–Feb. 12

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