The following information was obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside and Brookfield police departments from May 9 through May 15 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.
Brookfield police charged three juveniles last Saturday with battery and reckless conduct after they allegedly shot two youths with BB guns in a “drive-by” incident. The two victims sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention.
According to the police report, three youths were skateboarding in the parking lot of Congress Park School, 9311 Shields Ave. when they were shot at by youths driving around the neighborhood in a red vehicle. Two of them had been struck by the projectiles, one in the left shoulder and one in the arm.
While interviewing the victims, a red car drove by the scene and was identified by the victims as the car carrying the shooters. After a short pursuit, police stopped the car and interviewed the suspects, two LaGrange Park residents and an Elmwood Park resident, all 16 years old.
The boys reportedly surrendered a silver Airsoft gun to the officer, and a subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered an M-16 type Airsoft gun and clear Airsoft handgun behind the driver’s seat, along with a black bag containing three other Airsoft guns. Police also reported removing a pouch containing three clips for the M-16 type weapon, a can of compressed air and a hopper containing more ammunition.
During interviews with the alleged offenders, police learned that the boys had planned on going to a forest preserve to shoot the guns but decided against it because of muddy ground. One of the youths allegedly told police that the driver of the vehicle suggested they “do a drive-by.”
All three were charged with two counts of battery and one count of reckless conduct.DUI
? Bellwood resident Jeffrey Latiker, 25, was charged by Riverside police with driving under the influence after an officer reported him driving 63 mph northbound in the 3400 block of Harlem Avenue at 2:23 a.m. on May 15.
According to the police report, Latiker admitted drinking that evening and he appeared intoxicated. After failing field sobriety tests, a breath test revealed his blood-alcohol level to be .171, over twice the legal limit. He was also cited for speeding.
? Brookfield police charged Eric P. Chavez, 43, with driving under the influence after an officer on patrol observed his vehicle traveling eastbound in the westbound lane of traffic in the 9400 block of 47th Street at 1:23 a.m. on May 15. After swerving back into the correct lane the officer reported that Chavez drifted from lane to lane three times and then made a sharp turn onto Maple Avenue, nearly hitting the curb.
After stopping in the 4600 block of Elm Avenue, Chavez reportedly got out of his car, telling the officer he wanted to walk home. He also allegedly told the officer he had six beers at a 47th Street bar. After refusing to take field sobriety tests, he was arrested for DUI. he also refused to take a breath test. He was also cited for driving on a suspended license, crossing a double yellow line, improper lane usage and failure to signal.Criminal damage
A resident in the 9000 block of Southview Avenue, Brookfield, reported that sometime during the overnight hours of May 13-14, someone had hurled a trash receptacle into the rear window of his 2002 Toyota, shattering it.
Domestic battery? A 43-year-old Lemont man was charged with domestic battery after he allegedly shoved and injured his ex-wife during a scuffle in a Riverside dentist’s office just before 5 p.m. on May 12. According to the report the man and his ex-wife, had taken their daughter to the dentist.
While there, the man reportedly began to loudly complain about the prices of the dental procedures and in a tussle over the child, shoved his wife, injuring her hand. The woman told police she didn’t want to sign a complaint despite the visible injury. Riverside police signed a complaint on her behalf.Winds cause damage
? Cars were damaged in Brookfield by fallen tree limbs in two separate incidents reported on May 15. A spokesperson for the Brookfield Public Works Department said that high winds were the cause of the mishaps.
In the 9100 block of Grant Avenue, a large portion of a tree fell on top of a 1995 Jeep and 1998 Chevy, prompting the Public Works Department to barricade the street while clean-up efforts were carried out.
Meanwhile, in the 3400 block of Prairie Avenue, a tree limb fell on top of a vehicle parked in the street, smashing out its rear window.
?”compiled by Bob Uphues
