Four people have been charged with damaging and burglarizing numerous vehicles in Brookfield and a juvenile has been petitioned to juvenile authorities related to those incidents after a routine traffic stop last week.

Brookfield police on Jan. 18 at 12:30 a.m. stopped a car in the 4300 block of Vernon Avenue after it had allegedly traveled through a stop sign at Shields Avenue. The car was driven by a 16-year-old Lyons boy and carried four adult passengers.

During the stop the officer noticed CO2 cartridges and BBs inside the vehicle. Questioning the occupants, the officer reported learning that the boys had been breaking car windows using a slingshot, a CO2 pistol and a hammer.

In all, police linked the five to 16 incidents of criminal damage to vehicles in Brookfield and the burglaries of cars in the 4200 block of Deyo Avenue and 4100 block of Madison Avenue on Jan. 15, in which radar detectors and a GPS system were taken.

Brookfield police also reported that the same subjects have been linked to some 37 similar incidents in LaGrange, LaGrange Park and Lyons, where charges were pending as of Jan. 22.

Julio Parra, 18, of Hodgkins was charged with 15 counts of criminal damage and his bond was set at $25,000. Hodgkins resident Damian Acevedo, 17, was charged with two counts of burglary and 16 counts of criminal damage; his bond was set at $30,000.

In addition, Countryside resident Alex Espinoza, 17, and Hodgkins resident Diego Garcia, 18, were both charged with two counts of burglary and 15 counts of criminal damage. Their bonds were set at $20,000 and $30,000 respectively.

Burglary

The owner of a home in the 2500 block of Westover Avenue, North Riverside, reported on Jan. 24 that at an unknown date, someone broke into the garage and stole $3,360 in tools and other items.

According to the report, the missing items included an air compressor, a miter saw, a scroll saw, a power washer, a cordless jig saw, two cordless drills, nails, drill bits, containers of oil, a 26-inch bicycle and a car-mounted bike carrier.

The woman reportedly noticed the items missing in early December, but only now came in to make the report after it was required by her insurance carrier.

Crash damages 2 homes

Two homes in the 3300 block of Maple Avenue, Brookfield, sustained minor damage after the driver of a car involved in a crash lost control of her vehicle and crashed into the front of both homes.

No one was injured in the crash, which occurred just after 10 a.m. on Jan. 27. According to witnesses, a 2002 Ford Taurus driven by LaGrange Park resident Howard J. Prahl was headed northbound on Maple Avenue from Monroe Avenue, swerving in and out of his lane of travel.

The Ford then swerved directly into the path of a 2006 BMW driven by a 62-year-old LaGrange Park woman, striking the car head on. The Ford Taurus continued on into two vehicles parked on the west side of the street.

The BMW headed east, off the roadway, simultaneously striking the southwest corner of the home at 3325 Maple Ave. and the northwest corner of 3327 Maple Ave.

Prahl, who was cited for improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, reportedly told police he was driving home from a trip to a Bridgeview home improvement store and may have fallen asleep at the wheel.

Theft

The manager of Wilson’s Leather in North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 Cermak Road, reported to North Riverside, police that at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 22, an employee found three anti-theft tags on the floor underneath a clothes rack.

At the end of the day, employees found that three women’s leather jackets valued at $1,020 were unaccounted for.

DUI

At least four people were charged with driving under influence in Riverside last week, including Berwyn resident Freddie A. Gallegos, 19; Wood Dale resident Martin O. Chavez, 41; Justice resident Sandra D. Castellano, 31; and Stickney resident Walter G. Paluch, 36.

All four were arrested after being stopped for traffic violations in the early morning hours on Harlem Avenue. Both Chavez and Castellano were arrested on Jan. 24 after marking their birthdays on Jan. 23. Paluch and Gallegos were arrested on Jan.27.

Gallegos was stopped for allegedly driving at speeds approaching 100 mph while northbound on Harlem Avenue from 34th Street to Cermak Road, where he allegedly drove through a red light. In addition to DUI, Gallegos was also charged with reckless driving.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments from Jan. 18 through Jan. 27 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