A LaGrange Park man whose 2006 Ford SUV allegedly struck another man at 10:14 p.m. on Feb. 17 underneath the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe railroad bridge may have foiled capture if not for vanity. Or, rather, a vanity license plate.

The victim, a 39-year-old Justice man, told police he was walking along the curb next to the southbound lanes of traffic when an SUV veered right and struck him. While the vehicle sped away, he saw the license plate with the word “werth” on it.

Paramedics took the victim, whose injuries were not specified in the report, to Loyola University Medical Center. Meanwhile, police visited the LaGrange Park home of the man to whom the vanity plate was registered, Gary R. Werth, 52. Police reported that they detected alcohol on Werth’s breath and that his vehicle was damaged on the front passenger side. Werth allegedly told police he was unaware that his vehicle struck anything.

According to the report Werth failed field sobriety tests at the station and that his blood-alcohol level was .098.

He was charged with DUI, failure to report an accident, failure to give aid after striking a pedestrian and having no proof of insurance.

Burglary

Riverside police reported a burglar who broke into a home in the 300 block of Robinson Court on Feb. 16 and stole several items, including a .357 magnum revolver and an unspecified number of rounds of ammunition.

The owner of the home contacted police just after 5 p.m. after coming home to find his front door open and a door window broken. Police said the offender broke the window to unlock the door’s deadbolt. The burglar ransacked the bedrooms of the home.

The homeowner said that he kept the handgun, valued at $350, and ammunition under his mattress. The burglar also stole a gold necklace valued at $500 and miscellaneous identification, including the homeowner’s firearm owner’s ID card. Also taken were keys to a car and motorcycle.

Retail theft

Bellwood resident Sheressi Y. Winford, 36, faces a felony retail theft charge after reportedly entering Lane Bryant inside the North Riverside Park Mall, concealing two pairs of denim trousers valued at $89 and leaving the store without paying for them at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 23.

Once Winford noticed she was being followed into the mall’s common area by a store employees, she reportedly dropped the merchandise. She was apprehended and later arrested by North Riverside police, who learned that Winford was on parole from the state’s Decatur Correctional Center for a 2005 drug conviction. She also has a record of convictions dating to 1991, for offenses including several for retail theft and other drug-related offenses.

North Riverside police charged Glendale Heights resident Lonell M. Tillman, 38, with felony retail theft after he reportedly stole two items of clothing, valued at $137, from Carson Pirie Scott in the North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 Cermak Road, at 8:50 p.m. on Feb. 23.

According to the police report, Tillman took four clothing items from the racks and brought them into the fitting room. When he exited several minutes later, Tillman returned two items of clothing to the rack. He allegedly had attempted to remove the theft prevention devices, staining the clothes with ink. The damaged clothes were valued at $144.

Tillman reportedly left the store with the two other items of clothing, but was detained by security personnel after he left the store.

Due to a previous retail theft conviction in 2004, Tillman was charged with felony retail theft. He was also charged with criminal damage to property.

In addition, police learned Tillman was wanted on a no bond warrant for retail theft by the Cook County Sheriff’s Police.

DUI

Riverside police charged North Riverside resident Robert M. Caniano, 27, with driving under the influence after an officer reported seeing a GMC Yukon make a wide turn onto westbound 26th Street from northbound Harlem Avenue and then clocked the car traveling 54 mph in a 35 mph zone on Feb. 16 at 1:23 a.m.

According to the report, Caniano’s license was revoked and he’s wanted on two warrants, one from DuPage County and one from Darien, for failure to appear on charges of driving while revoked.

Caniano reportedly failed field sobriety tests, but refused to submit to a breath test. In addition to DUI, he was charged with driving while revoked, speeding and having no proof of insurance.

Berwyn resident Yaren F. Mascorro, 23, was charged by Riverside police with driving under the influence after she allegedly crossed the double yellow line while southbound in the 3200 block of Harlem Avenue and nearly struck a northbound Riverside squad car at 1 a.m. on Feb. 22.

The officer pulled over Mascorro at Harlem Avenue and Robinson Court. Mascorro reportedly appeared intoxicated and failed field sobriety tests. After his arrest for DUI, a breath test at the station revealed a blood-alcohol level of .252, which is over three times the legal limit.

She was also cited for improper lane usage, driving on an expired license and having no proof of vehicle insurance.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside and North Riverside police departments from Feb. 16 through Feb. 23, 2007 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. The cases have not been adjudicated.

-Compiled by Bob Uphues