River Forest Police Blotter: Two Teens Charged with Stealing Vodka

posted June 26, 2012

SUNDAY, JUNE 24

Zero-Tolerance Arrest

A 17-year-old Oak Park girl was charged with a zero-tolerance alcohol violation after an officer pulled over her car for driving without taillights at Augusta and Grove Avenue in Oak Park, police said. She also was charged with driving without taillights and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

Soliciting Without a Permit Arrest

Ryan McKinley, 20, of Hattiesburg, Miss., was charged with soliciting without a permit after an officer on patrol in the 1500 block of Jackson Street saw a man walking door-to-door, police said. Approximately $285 that had been collected from one resident was returned.

Soliciting Without a Permit / Assault Arrest

Myron H. Flanagan, 30, of Dallas, was charged with soliciting without a permit in the 0-100 block of Franklin Avenue and assault after threatening a River Forest policeman who was trying to bring him in, police said. Flanagan claimed he had registered to solicit in Forest Park.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21

Burglary Arrest

James W. Houston, 55, of Chicago, was charged with felony burglary after an eyewitness positively identified him as the man who attempted to enter Christ Episcopal Church, 515 Franklin Ave., after breaking a window, police said. Houston fled the scene before police arrived and was apprehended several blocks away at Chicago and Franklin avenues. A further investigation revealed he was wanted on an outstanding warrant out of Evergreen Park for criminal trespass, police said.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20

Telephone Harassment

Joseph Medress, 29, of Chicago, was charged with telephone harassment after an extensive investigation, police said. A subpoena for telephone records and other documents indicated that Medress had blocked his telephone number before making a series of many harassing calls to a former employer over a five-month period.

Theft

Approximately $50 was taken from a wallet left in a 1997 Ford Escort parked in the 1100 block of Forest Avenue.

Criminal Damage

The driver’s side door was scratched on a 2009 Honda Fit parked in the lot of Dominican University Priory, 7200 Division St. Damage estimate is unknown.

TUESDAY, JUNE 19

Warrant Arrest

Laura M. Bennefield, 26, of Lockport, was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Will County for theft, police said. She was apprehended after a traffic stop in the area of Keystone Avenue and Washington Boulevard.

Retail Theft

Two Oak Park youths— one 16, the other 15 —were charged with retail theft after stealing a bottle of vodka valued at $20 from Jewel-Osco, 7525 Lake St., and fleeing on bicycles, police said. One teen was picked up in a back yard in the 600 block of Monroe Avenue; the other was captured in a backyard in the 600 block of William Avenue after damaging a fence. The 15-year-old also was charged with criminal damage to propery and resisting arrest, police said.

MONDAY, JUNE 18

Theft

A bicycle was stolen from the garage of a home in the 1100 block of Bonnie Brae Place. Entry was gained by breaking a wooden panel out of a door. Estimated loss was $260.

Retail Theft Arrest

Michelle Harris, 33, of Chicago, was charged with felony retail theft for taking 26 containers — that’s $321 worth — of coffee from Jewel-Osco, 7525 Lake St., and fleeing the scene police said. Police apprehended her nearby after she dropped the two large bags containing the coffee.

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 casey@patch.com. We will verify and report the outcome.