A man thought originally to have been a casualty of the intense heat early last week, was determined to have died of a pre-existing heart condition.
Riverside police received a call at 10:35 p.m. on Aug. 1 from the employer of a 66-year-old Riverside resident, saying the man didn’t show up for work. Police went to the man’s home in the first block of Cowley Road, and found him in the backyard lying on his back, naked, in a sunbathing position, with his hands on his chest. The responding officer reported that a white substance, later determined to be tanning lotion, was on the man’s body. Afternoon temperatures on Aug. 1 reached 99 degrees in the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service.
The man’s roommate confirmed to the police that the man often sunbathed naked in the backyard and had last seen him at around 4 p.m., when he assumed the man would be going to work.
The man was taken to the Cook County Medical Examiner, but a spokesman there said the man died from arterial sclerotic cardiovascular disease and that the death was not heat-related.
Battery
Maywood resident Shelqueta L. Shelton, 22, was charged with a count of misdemeanor battery after she became angry with a clerk at the 7-Eleven store, 2600 Harlem Ave., Riverside, and allegedly threw an orange, hitting the clerk in the chest just before noon on Aug. 2.
According to the police report, Shelton entered the store wishing to put $10 worth of gasoline into a one gallon container. When the clerk told her that was impossible, Shelton reportedly got mad, grabbed an orange from the counter and threw it at the clerk.
Shelton left the scene before police arrived, but her vehicle was stopped at the intersection of Cermak Road and Harlem Avenue. The clerk identified Shelton and she was charged with battery.
Criminal damage, assault
Riverside police charged Berwyn resident Joseph A. Loris, 47, with several offenses, including criminal damage to village property and aggravated assault to a police officer after he was found allegedly intoxicated and walking in traffic near the intersection of Harlem Avenue and Burlington Street just after 6:15 p.m. on Aug. 5.
According to the report, after the officer asked Loris if he needed help, Loris became abusive and threatened to kill the officer. After being arrested for assault and brought into the station, Loris allegedly took off his shoes and threw them at the police department’s finger printing machine, damaging it.
He was also cited for improper walking on a roadway.
DUI
Brookfield police charged Chicago resident Michael T. Quane, 22, with driving under the influence after an officer pulled him over for several traffic violations, including making a very wide left turn from southbound Forest Avenue into the eastbound lane of traffic on the 8800 block of Brookfield Avenue, speeding and disobeying a stop sign. The incident occurred just after 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 6.
Riverside police charged Oak Park resident Charles A. Baznik, 50, with DUI after he was reportedly driving 50 mph in a 30 mph while northbound and making several lane changes without signaling in the 3400 block of Harlem Avenue at 8:48 p.m. on July 31. He was stopped near the intersection of 26th Street and Riverside Drive in Berwyn, and reportedly failed field sobriety tests.
He was also cited for speeding, failure to signal and improper lane usage.
Chicago resident Oscar Casares, 18, was charged with DUI and other offenses after an officer reportedly saw him squeal the tire of his vehicle and accelerate at a high rate of speed northbound from Parkview Avenue on First Avenue at 12:54 a.m. on Aug. 5.
During the pursuit, the officer reported that Casares was driving 71 mph in a 35 mph zone before he was stopped at 26th Street. After failing field sobriety tests, according to the report, Casares also failed a breath test, which revealed a blood-alcohol level of .125.
He was also charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a minor and cited for transportation of open alcohol and speeding.
Riverside police charged Alsip resident Jimmy Lara, 24, with DUI after he was observed allegedly driving in the parking lane and passing other vehicles while southbound on Harlem Avenue from Burlington Street at 4:55 a.m. on Aug. 5. He reportedly failed field sobriety tests and a breath test revealed a blood-alcohol level of .159, or just under twice the legal limit.
He was also cited for having no proof of insurance and improper passing on a roadway.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside and Brookfield police departments from July 31 through Aug. 6 and represent 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.
-compiled by Bob Uphues
