Police Arrest Two Suspected of Stealing Packages, Another for Obstructing Police

A River Forest police officer arrested two men on Nov. 29 who were later charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing packages from residents in River Forest.

An officer on patrol in an unmarked car in the 1000 block of Franklin at about 3:21 a.m. reported seeing a car with two occupants inside that was driving slowly and repeatedly stopping in the road. The officer followed the car until it stopped in the 800 block of Keystone, turned off its lights and then drove into the driveway of a home.

When the car re-emerged a short time later, the officer followed the car to Chicago Avenue and the Des Plaines River where one of the passengers threw a box out of the car window. The officer stopped the car on Chicago Avenue and Second Avenue in Maywood.

When interviewed, the car's occupants could not provide a reason for throwing the box out of the car, so the officer conducted a search and found a crowbar, flashlight and a large cardboard box containing a pair of brown leather Enzo Angiolini boots. The officer also returned to the Des Plaines River where the box had been thrown and found it was filled with clothing valued at more than $550 and was addressed to a resident on the 800 block of Keystone.

The resident on Keystone was able to identify the box as hers and agreed to press charges, but could not claim the boots as hers.

Officers arrested the car's occupants: Guiseppe Capuozzi, 21, of the 500 block of Andy Drive in Melrose Park and Dante Ricciardi, 22, of the 1300 block of north 16th Avenue in Melrose Park.

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While stopping the car on Chicago Avenue, the officer reported that Ricciardi's sister, Marina P. Ricciardi, of the 1300 block of north 16th Avenue in Melrose Park—the sister of Dante Ricciardi—arrived at the location and began screaming at officers that they had stopped her brother illegally because they were outside of their jurisdiction. Despite officers repeatedly warning her and giving her direction, Marina Ricciardi continued to harass officers until she was placed under arrest for obstructing/resisting the police.

Both men were taken to the station and charged with felony theft and held pending a bond hearing. Marina Ricciardi was later released after posting bond.

A resident of the 1000 block of Ashland Avenue was later identified as the owner of the boots on Nov. 30, and told police they were expected in a UPS delivery and provide documentation. Capuozzi and Ricciardi were subsequently charged with a count of misdemeanor theft.

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