Cops: Man caught spying on ex-girlfriend 

Brookfield police on March 7 charged a 46-year-old Bartlett man with two counts of disorderly conduct after he was caught sitting in his car and allegedly using binoculars to spy on an ex-girlfriend he had broken up with 20 years ago.

A neighbor phoned police about 5:50 p.m. when her 16-year-old daughter told her there was a man sitting in a brown SUV, looking through binoculars at their house. 

The same neighbor had called police in June 2013, reporting a man in a beige SUV looking through binoculars at her neighbor’s house. On that date, the neighbor was taking out the trash when she reported seeing the man. She went up to the vehicle and kicked the bumper, which startled the man, who quickly drove away. 

At that time, police were unable to get a complete description of the vehicle and police couldn’t identify a suspect.

When police responded to the neighbor’s 911 call on March 7, an officer turned down the alley of the 3600 block of Blanchan/Kemman and spotted the SUV, which began to drive away.

The officer stopped the vehicle in the 3600 block of Kemman Avenue and talked to the driver, Lee A. Russin, who initially told the officer he was looking for a friend who owed him money. He also reportedly told the officer that he had come to the area to look for his friend about 10 times in the past.

Eventually, according to police, Russin admitted he was using binoculars to look into the windows of a former girlfriend. The two had dated two decades ago, Russin reportedly told police, leading to what he described as a “difficult break-up.” He said he was working up the courage to talk to her again.

Police confirmed the prior relationship with Russin’s ex-girlfriend, who told them she hadn’t had any contact with Russin since they broke up other than a Facebook friend request about 10 years ago.

Russin has a court date on April 4.

Rollover crash on Cermak

No one was seriously injured in a rollover crash at the intersection of Cermak Road and 3rd Avenue in North Riverside on March 7 that snarled evening rush-hour traffic.

Emergency crews responded to the scene around 6:15 p.m. after a 2003 BMW X5, driven by a 25-year-old Westchester woman, turned south from Cermak Road into the path of a 2000 Chevy Monte Carlo, driven by a 23-year-old Hillside man.

The Monte Carlo struck the BMW with enough force that it rolled the BMW onto its driver’s side. The BMW then struck a 2000 Toyota 4Runner, which was parked on the east side of 3rd Avenue.

The driver of the BMW reportedly told police she wasn’t aware there were three lanes of eastbound traffic. Each vehicle was also carrying an adult passenger, but no one was taken to area hospitals. Paramedics tended to those involved at the scene.

Woman struck by van

A 62-year-old Berwyn woman was hospitalized after she was struck by a Chevy van while crossing Forest Avenue at Longcommon Road in downtown Riverside about 5:35 p.m. on March 7.

According to police, a 16-year-old Riverside boy was behind the wheel of the van, which struck the woman while she was in the crosswalk, rolling her up onto the hood of the vehicle.

Paramedics took the woman to Loyola University Medical Center for treatment and she was released later that day. But she was later readmitted to the hospital and remained there Saturday for additional observation. The woman has since been released from the hospital.

Police cited the driver of the van for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Gun was stolen

A gun recovered from a 24-year-old Lyons man during a traffic stop on March 3 was stolen in a Maywood burglary in 2009, said Riverside police.

Bryant F. Salmeron was charged with a felony count of unlawful use of a weapon, possession of ammunition without a FOID card, possession of a controlled substance and possession of cannabis.

Police stopped his vehicle around 8:35 a.m. after an officer observed the vehicle’s license plates were expired. Police said the vehicle smelled of cannabis and a bag of substance fell onto the driver’s seat when the officer asked Salmeron to step out of the vehicle.

Subsequently, police reported recovering a loaded .38-caliber handgun in the trunk and pills of a prescription painkiller, for which Salmeron had no prescription, under the driver’s seat. 

Burglary

  • A resident of the 3800 block of Madison Avenue, Brookfield, called police on March 7 at about 10 a.m. to report that during the night someone entered his unlocked garage and removed a blue DuroMax generator.

Just after midnight that same morning, police received an anonymous call from someone stating there was a generator lying on the side of the road at Fairview and Arthur avenues. It was a blue DuroMax generator, which was later turned over to its owner.

  • A resident of the 3400 block of Oak Avenue, Brookfield, reported on March 8 at about 4:10 p.m. that sometime in the past day someone had entered her garage and removed a box containing a DVD player, two laptop computers, a Wii videogame system, four Wii controllers, two computer speakers, a wireless router and miscellaneous DVDs.

  • A Brookfield police officer collecting money from the commuter parking box in the lot behind the village hall, 8820 Brookfield Ave., on March 5 at 12:20 p.m. reported that the box was damaged.

It appeared someone used some sort of tool to try and pry open the box, but was unsuccessful.

  • A resident of the 2200 block of 11th Avenue in North Riverside reported on March 9 at 5:05 p.m. that sometime during the previous day someone entered his 2013 Toyota Corolla, ransacked the glove box and attempted to pry the touch-screen radio from the dashboard, damaging the touch screen in the process.

Aggravated assault

Brookfield police charged a 45-year-old Brookfield man with misdemeanor aggravated assault and domestic assault after he reportedly threatened to harm family members after he became enraged during an argument he had with his girlfriend.

When police arrived at the residence in the 3200 block of Raymond Avenue, the man charged at a Brookfield police officer, who used a stun gun to subdue him, police said. According to police, the man was highly intoxicated.

14 teens cited at drinking party

Riverside police issued tickets for underage drinking to 14 juveniles ranging in age from 17 to 18 from Riverside, Brookfield, North Riverside, Oak Brook and Lyons on March 8 after learning of a party in the 100 block of South Delaplaine Road just before 2 a.m.

A police officer reported seeing three juveniles walking in the middle of the street at Olmsted and Delaplaine roads and asked them what they were doing. One of the juveniles ran away and the other two said they were coming from a party on Blackhawk Road.

Police later learned the party was at a house on Delaplaine Road. A girl interviewed by police reportedly said she was having friends over for a birthday party while her parents were away in Mexico.

Cops: Drunk driver ran 5 lights

A 21-year-old Chicago man was charged with misdemeanor drunk driving on March 6 at about 2:30 a.m. after a police officer reported seeing him drive his 2000 Hyundai through five consecutive red lights at Burlington Street, Stanley Avenue, Windsor Avenue Quincy Street and 34th Street while southbound on Harlem Avenue.

The vehicle pulled into a driveway in the 300 block of Olmsted Road and police were able to detain him before he was able to get into the house, which belonged to a friend.

According to police, the man was combative and had to be physically restrained. His blood-alcohol level was reportedly .153, which is nearly twice the legal limit of .08. 

Falling down drunk

Brookfield paramedics and police were called to the area just north of the 8900 block of Ogden Avenue on March 9 at about 12:10 a.m. after a passerby reported observing a man lying in an alley.

When police arrived, the observed a 67-year-old Brookfield man lying on his back in the alley with his arms extended to each side. His eyes were open, but he was unresponsive at first.

Eventually he came to and admitted that he was very intoxicated. He told police he had been drinking in downtown Brookfield and was walking home before he was found by police. According to police the area where the man was found was covered with ice.

The man refused medical attention. Police drove the man home. 

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, March 3-9, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

—Compiled by Bob Uphues