The following information was obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside and Brookfield police departments from Feb. 28 through March 5 and represents a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. The cases have not yet been adjudicated.

After an investigation that lasted more than a year, Brookfield police closed an August 2003 burglary case in February when they learned that the suspect they’d been searching for died of a drug overdose.

Back on Aug. 6, 2003, Brookfield police were called to Brookfield Tasty Gyros, 8801 Ogden Ave. to investigate a break-in. Someone had entered the business through the ventilation ductwork, by removing a roof-mounted motor. The burglar made off with $400 cash before leaving through the back door.

Police were able to lift fingerprints from the wall of a fan assembly, and received an early tip from Glendale Heights police who said they had a possible suspect with a criminal history of burglaries. However, the fingerprints didn’t match the Glendale Heights suspect, and the case was continued for many months.

On Nov. 11, 2004, Brookfield police received information from a confidential informant that William F. Pherigo, 48, of Hollister, Mo., was responsible for the burglary. According to the informant, Pherigo was staying at the Brookfield Motel and told him that he had broken into the business.

An Illinois State Police Crime Lab report confirmed that the fingerprints Brookfield police had found belonged to Pherigo and an officer confirmed that Pherigo had been at the motel on Aug. 6, 2003.

On Feb. 28, Brookfield Police received information that on Feb. 22, Pherigo had died of a heroin overdose at his home in Hollister, Mo.

Burglary

? A resident of the 4200 block of Oak Avenue, Brookfield, reported to police that sometime during the evening hours of March 3, someone pried open the service door of the garage and removed tools, including a Makita chopsaw, Emglo air compressor, Honda generator, three Bostitch framing nailers, three Hitachi roofing nailers and a Skilsaw wormdrive. The total loss was valued at $2,600.

DUI

? Wayne A. Teteak, 55, with last known permanent address of Brookfield, was charged with driving under the influence after he allegedly drove his 1994 Pontiac Grand Am coupe into the back of a Brookfield squad car at 8:33 p.m. on March 3.

According to the report, the squad was pulled over in the westbound curb lane at Ogden and Blanchan avenues, and the officer was conducting a traffic stop. The officer noticed Teteak’s car approaching at a high rate of speed and watched as the oncoming car plowed into the rear of the parked squad car.

Teteak, reportedly swaying, exited his vehicle and the officer reported detecting a strong smell of alcohol on Teteak’s breath. When the officer asked where he was coming from, Teteak allegedly replied he had left the Sunnyside Inn, where he had “a few” beers.

After being arrested for DUI, a breath test revealed Teteak’s blood-alcohol level to be .206, over twice the legal limit. He was also cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, driving on a suspended license and driving an uninsured vehicle.

? Riverside police charged Arnulfo Rios, 34, of Chicago, with driving under the influence after an officer reported him speeding 61 mph in a 35 mph northbound on First Avenue near Ridgewood Road at approximately 11 p.m. on March 2.

Rios reportedly smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech. After failing a field sobriety test, he was arrested and brought to the station, where he blew a .132 on the Breathalyzer. He was also cited for not wearing a seatbelt, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and speeding.

? Brookfield resident Timothy P. Hanley, 19, was charged with driving under the influence after a Brookfield police officer reported that Hanley drove his vehicle through a stop sign at the intersection of 47th Street and East Avenue at 1 a.m. on March 5.

The officer followed Hanley, who was reportedly driving erratically, before stopping him in the 4600 block of Maple Avenue. During the stop, Hanley reportedly told the officer he was at a party but hadn’t been drinking; however, some alcohol might have been spilled on him.

After failing field sobriety tests, Hanley refused to take a breath test. He was also cited for disobeying a stop sign, improper lane usage, driving on a suspended license and driving an uninsured vehicle.

? Lemont resident Dominik Ziebicki, 24, was charged with driving under the influence after an officer reported that he failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Kimbark Road and Forest Avenue around 1 a.m. on March 4. Ziebicki failed field sobriety tests and police reportedly found two empty beer bottles and a half-empty beer bottle inside the vehicle, as well as a glass pipe. He refused to submit to a breath test.

In addition to DUI, Ziebicki was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, transporting open alcohol, disobeying a stop sign and failure to signal.

Assault

? Riverside police charged Forest Park resident Andrew Almaui with assault after he allegedly threatened an SBC repairman around 4 p.m. near the intersection of Nuttall and Gatesby roads on March 2.

The repairman was on his way to a service call when Almaui asked if he was going to his home. After a brief exchanges, Almaui allegedly threatened to “kick his ass.”

?”compiled by Bob Uphues