Crime & Safety

Man Overdoses in Starbucks Bathroom: River Forest Police Blotter

River Forest police reports, Sept. 24-29.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 29

Squealing Tires Leads to Arrest

An officer saw a car driving around in an empty parking lot at about 2:36 a.m. The car was driving at a high rate of speed, squealing its tires and leaving skid marks, police said. The officer stopped the car in the 400 block of Bonnie Brae and arrested Nikita Finkel, 23, of the 1000 block of Lake Street in Oak Park. Finkel was charged with reckless driving, illegal squealing of tires and driving too fast for conditions. He was released on bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 2.

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FRIDAY, SEPT. 28

Man Charged With Retail Theft After Stealing Beer

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Martin J. Wallace, 52, of the 500 block of Lodge Lane in Lombard was arrested and charged with retail theft at about 7:31 p.m. A security officer at Whole Foods, 7245 Lake St., told police he saw Wallace take a 12-pack of ale, conceal it and leave the store without paying. When confronted, Wallace dropped the merchandise and fled before being located by police a short time later. He was released on bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 2.

Residential Burglary Reported

Police responded to a report of a burglary in the 7300 block of Greenfield at about 6:27 p.m. Witnesses who called police told them they had seen three men, described as Asian, about 18 to 24 years old, with one wearing a blue hoodie, flee the home after one made jumped from a window and the other from the roof. None of the suspects was located.

The victim told police she had just returned home with her daughter when she heard two loud bangs from upstairs. When she went to look, the victim told police she saw one of the men jump through a second floor window to a roof and then to the ground. A window was reported damaged, but nothing was taken.

Vehicle Entered, Nothing Removed

A resident in the 8100 block of Lake Street told police at 5:23 p.m. that someone had entered and rummaged through their locked car, but had not taken anything.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 27

Truck Needs to Lose a Few

Police reported that they arrested the driver of a truck that was more than 11,000 pounds overweight in the 7500 block of North Avenue at about 12:43 p.m. The driver was issued a citation and sent on his way.

Overdose Victim Collects Belongings

Police responded to Starbuck's Coffee, 7201 Lake St., at about 8:42 a.m. after employees reported a possible drug overdose in the customer bathroom. A 21-year-old Chicago man was found unresponsive and transported to Oak Park Hospital.

At 2 p.m. the same day, the man came to the police station to recover his belongings and was briefly detained for possession of heroin. He was later released without charge as an overdose victim.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26

iPhone Stolen From Locker

A Concordia University student reported that someone stole their iPhone and padlock from a locked locker in the school's athletic building. The loss was estimated at $200.

Graffiti Found

A security guard at Dominican University reported to police at about 8:45 a.m. that someone used an oil-based chalk to inscribe graffiti on a campus sidewalk. The graffiti was photographed and the university said it would clean it off.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 25

Burglar Alarm Tips Police

Police responded to a burglary alarm in the 1200 block of William at about 1:10 p.m. Officers found the rear door ajar and a footprint and tool marks that indicated a forced entry to the home. Citizens in nearby Priory Park told officer that two men, described as black and about 18 or 19 years old, were walking from behind the home toward Division Street. Police were unable to find anyone matching the description. The homeowner later told police that several watches worth $650 were taken and would notify police if anything else was found missing. Detectives continue to investigate evidence found at the scene.

MONDAY, SEPT. 25

Domestic Battery Arrest

Police reported that they arrested and charged Daniel R. Flannery, 19, of the 100 block of Lathrop with domestic battery. Flannery's girlfriend reported that she had been in an altercation with him earlier and was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor bruises to her head and left arm. A criminal complaint was signed on the victim's behalf and Flannery was arrested later that day and held for a bond hearing.

Two More Trucks Overweight

Police cited two separate drivers of trucks for being overweight, the first at 9:25 a.m. and the second at 1:03 p.m. The first truck was described as being more than 4,000 pounds overweight and the second at 2,800 pounds overweight. Both were pulled over between the 600 and 1400 blocks of Harlem Avenue.

Graffiti Reported on Playground

A River Forest Park District employee told police that graffiti was found at 8 a.m. on playground equipment and the wall of the concession stand at Priory Park. The damage likely occurred between 1 p.m. on Sept. 21 and 8 a.m. on Sept. 24. There was no damage estimate reported and the graffiti will be removed as soon as possible.

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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.


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