An 18-year-old North Riverside resident was sentenced to180 days in Cook County Jail after pleading guilty to three counts of battery at a court hearing on March 20 at Maybrook.

The sentence handed down to Cesar A. Munive by Cook County Judge Noreen V. Love was actually double the time requested by the Cook County State’s Attorney, according to North Riverside Police Det. Michael Champion, who attended the hearing.

Munive was arrested by North Riverside police on March 12 and charged with multiple counts of battery, assault and endangering the life of a child after he forced four boys, ages 11 and 12, to make payments to belong to a gang-like association or face punishments.

The punishments, according to police, included being shot in the back of the legs with a BB gun.

According to police, Munive shot one boy in the leg and forced another boy, at gunpoint, to shoot two others.

At the time of the offenses, Munive was on court supervision after being convicted of two misdemeanor counts of criminal sexual abuse.

Retail Theft

North Riverside police on March 16 charged Chicago resident Miguel A. Cruz, 25, with theft after he allegedly stole items from Sears at the North Riverside Park Mall, 7505 Cermak Road.

According to police, Cruz selected two coats from the clothing racks, concealing them. He also allegedly put a new pair of shoes on his feet and left his old shoes inside the box at the store before leaving without paying for the items, which were valued at $144.

He was stopped by mall security personnel after leaving through the east mall doors. Police also reported that Cruz was wanted on a warrant for driving under the influence. The bond for that warrant was $50,000.

Burglary

A resident of the 3600 block of Grand Boulevard in Brookfield reported to police on March 15 that his 1998 Ford van had been burglarized. Reported missing from the van were tools, including a Bosch hammer drill, a Porter cable nailer, a Craftsman wrench set and a Fein reciprocating saw. The tools were valued at $1,000.

The victim stated that the items could have been taken at any time in the past month or longer.

Criminal damage

Riverside police charged Berwyn resident Peter Kutac, 32, with criminal damage to property after Kutac allegedly kicked and broke the glass on the door of a Pace bus after a driver failed to let him off the bus soon enough.

According to police, Kutac was riding on a Pace bus southbound on Harlem Avenue just after 1:15 p.m. on March 12. According to the report, the Kutac was a regular rider of the bus route and was picked up in Oak Park. After letting passengers off at the 3200 block of Harlem Avenue, the bus continued south. At that time Kutac reportedly told the bus driver he wanted to get off.

Since the bus was already moving, the driver reported that he told Kutac he would stop at the next corner. After being let off the bus at Addison Road, Kutac allegedly turned around and kicked the glass side door of the bus, breaking it, before fleeing.

Lyons police responding to the scene reportedly found Kutac in the vicinity of Shenstone and Blythe roads.

DUI

Riverside police charged Joliet resident Noel Garcia, 34, with driving under the influence after a traffic stop on First Avenue on March 21 at 9:06 p.m.

A Riverside officer reported he was on patrol at First Avenue and 31st Street when he observed a green Plymouth Neon traveling without headlights while southbound on First Avenue. The officer followed the vehicle and reported the car drifted in and out of its lane of travel.

The officer pulled the vehicle over at Ridgewood Road and alleged that the driver, identified as Garcia, appeared to be intoxicated and failed field sobriety tests. Garcia refused to submit to a breath test.

In addition to DUI, Garcia was cited for driving without headlights, improper lane usage and driving on a suspended license.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments from March 12 through March 21 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