Oak Park Man Chases Officer After Parking Ticket: River Forest Police Blotter

SUNDAY, OCT. 28

Zero Tolerance DUI Arrest

Police reported that at about 1:18 a.m. an officer on patrol in an unmarked police car noticed a driver who was driver very close to his car. When the driver drove around the officer, the officer stopped it in the 8000 block of Lake Street.

As the officer approached the car, they noticed the driver was attempted to hide something below the seat, which turned out to be a bottle of tequila. The man admitted to drinking and was arrested for zero-tolerance DUI. The driver's vehicle was impounded and he was taken to the station. There, he submitted to a breathalyzer test, which showed no alcohol in his system. He was cited for the traffic violations and released.

SATURDAY, OCT. 27

Student Cited for Pot Possession

An officer on patrol at Ashland and Chicago avenues around 11:03 p.m., reported seeing a vehicle disobey a stop sign on Chicago Avenue. The officer then followed the vehicle and noted it was traveling 40 mph in a 25-mph zone and pulled it over on the 800 block of Lathrop. When the officer approached the vehicle, they saw the windows were rolled down and smelled a strong odor of cannabis.

The driver, a 17-year-old student, had glassy eyes and slurred speech, the officer reported. A search of the vehicle led the officer to discover 5.2 grams of marijuana and a "large variety of paraphernalia, which a 17-year-old passenger said he owned. The passenger was cited for possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia and ordered to appear at an adjudication hearing in River Forest. The driver was issued citations for traffic violations and a parent was required to come to the police department to take custody of him and the vehicle.

Man Charged With Resisting Police Officer

An officer on patrol at 3:43 p.m. reported noticing a man on a bike who was carrying a bike wheel riding in the wrong lane of traffic and onto the sidewalk on the 7600 block of Lake Street. The officer attempted to stop the man, but the biker changed directions and attempted to flee. He made several more evasive maneuvers before a second patrol car was able to stop him.

Richardo R. Saucedo, 18, of the 100 block of north 9th Avenue in Maywood was charged with obstructing a police officer and taken to the police station. He was questioned as to why a socket wrench was found in his possession and Oak Park police advised that the rear wheel of a bike had been reported stolen in Oak Park earlier. Saucedo was also charged with theft and issued citation for bicycle violations. He was released on bond.

Rock Thrown Through Porsche Window

A River Forest resident reported that someone threw a rock through the rear window of his 1999 Porsche convertible between 10 p.m. Oct. 26 and 7:10 a.m. Oct. 27 in the 7900 block of Greenfield. The damage was estimated at $500.

FRIDAY, OCT. 26

Grill Causes Car Fire

Police assisted the River Forest Fire Department on a report of a car fire on the 7400 block of North Avenue at about 7:10 p.m. On arriving, the Elmwood Park Fire Department was already putting out flames in the bed of a 2002 Dodge Dakota pickup truck and a nearby pile of leaves.

Fire department officials believe a grill in the bed of the truck caused the fire. The owner said he believed it had been extinguished. The fire sparked about three hours after he parked the truck on the block.

Theft Reported at Starbuck's

A customer of Starbuck's Coffee, 7201 Lake St., told police that her Apple Macbook Pro was stolen from her purse between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. The victim told police she began a conversation with a woman she did not know, asked the woman to watch her bag and went to the restroom. When she returned the woman handed her bag back to her, but when she got to her car, she noticed the computer was missing. The loss was estimated at $2,400.

Jewelry Missing

A resident of the 7800 block of Greenfield reported that several pieces of jewelry were missing from a storage area where they are normally kept at about 8:56 a.m. Police found no sign of forced entry, but said they did recover some evidence. The items missing were valued at over $5,000. Police are still investigating.

THURSDAY, OCT. 25

$100 Stolen While Shopping Leads to Chase

A customer of Whole Food Market, 7245 Lake St., reported to police that someone stole $100 from their open bag while they were shopping. When officers arrived, one person fled the store and a brief foot chase and search ensued.

A person matching the offender's description was found on the Green Line CTA platform, but the victim could not identify them as the thief. Police said several possible suspects have been identified, but they are still investigating.

DUI Arrest

Joseph Henley, 63, of the 1700 block of north Lorel Avenue in Chicago, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol at about 1:36 a.m. on the 7300 block of North Avenue. An officer reported seeing Henley's car driving at 47 mph in a 30-mph zone and pulled the car over. Henley failed field sobriety tests and was taken to the police station where he refused a breathalyzer test.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 24

Wallet Stolen

A customer at Starbuck's Coffee, 7201 Lake St., reported that someone stole a wallet between 2 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. The wallet contained cash, a driver's license, credit cards and other personal items. Employees at the store said they did not notice anything unusual at the time of the theft.

TUESDAY, OCT. 23

Purse Stolen From Dorm Room

A Concordia College student reported at 1:21 p.m. that someone entered her dorm room in the 7900 block of Division overnight and stole her purse. The purse contained a wallet, a driver's license, a bank card and car keys.

Ex Leaves Threatening Messages

A resident of the 1500 block of Clinton told police that her ex-boyfriend had been leaving her harassing and threatening messages. The man also came to her house uninvited several times to give the victim gifts and made a suggestion he was spying on her at home and at work. The victim was encouraged to meet with a domestic violence advocate to help her obtain a court order of protection. The victim declined to sign a complaint, but requested the report be made to document her concerns.

MONDAY, OCT. 22

Man Chases Officer, Gets Arrested

An officer on patrol at Jewel Food Store, 7525 Lake St,, reported that they saw a 2012 Chevrolet parked in a posted "no parking-fire lane" area. The officer wrote a parking ticket and placed it on the vehicle as he was dispatched for a service call.

As the officer drove off, he reported hearing someone yelling at him, but he continued on his way towards the dispatched call. While driving west on Washington Boulevard, he noticed a vehicle approaching his car at a high rate of speed. The car then followed the squad car at a "very" close distance and began flashing its headlights.

The officer reported he pulled over and stopped and the car pulled along side his. The driver then began to yell at the officer and insult him by calling him a "Klan member." The driver who received the ticket earlier called 911 to talk to a supervisor and threatened the officer while refusing to provide identification or respond to the officer's directions.

When a supervisor arrived on the scene, Gary L. Lewis, 34, of the 1000 block of Susan Collins Lane in Oak Park, was arrested and taken to the station. He was charged with resisting a peace officer, following too closely, and unlawful use of headlights. He was later released on bond.

Police Blotter information is provided by the River Forest Police Department. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor at matthew@patch.com. We will verify and report the outcome.