Three members of a suburban burglary crew who were apprehended after some quick thinking by a Riverside resident back in April avoided prison time after a Cook County judge sentenced them to two years’ probation and required them to pay restitution for three residential burglaries committed that month in Riverside.
Judge Thomas Tucker passed his sentence on Hector Rivera, Fernando Orozco and Rafael Arteaga, all 18 years old and all Cicero residents, at a recent hearing at the Maybrook courthouse. Riverside police announced the sentencing on Monday.
Orozco and two others were apprehended on April 27 during a “high risk” traffic stop in Berwyn after a Riverside resident called police about a suspicious incident at his home in the 300 block of Fairbank Road that morning.
A man rang his doorbell and asked for someone who did not live there. As the homeowner began to ask questions, the man began to walk away. The resident immediately called police. Thirteen minutes later, North Riverside, Riverside, Lyons and Berwyn police combined to locate and apprehend three suspects. Two others, including Arteaga and Rivera, were apprehended later.
Police said the crew was responsible for a rash of burglaries during the first four months of 2011 in Berwyn, North Riverside, Riverside and other municipalities.
“This arrest would not have been possible without the direct assistance of observant residents calling the 911 Center with real-time, in-progress information that helped patrol officers locate the suspects,” said Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel in a press release. “For that, I thank our residents.”
Warrant for not paying child support
Riverside police arrested a 44-year-old Cicero man, Oct. 18, on an active warrant for not paying child support during a routine traffic stop in the 200 block of Bloomingbank Road about 1:25 p.m.
Richard L. McGue, who was doing concrete work in the neighborhood, was behind the wheel of a work pickup truck with a cracked windshield when he allegedly pulled out into traffic suddenly, forcing a police officer to slam on the brakes of his squad car to avoid a collision.
During the ensuing traffic stop, the officer learned that McGue’s driver’s license was revoked and that the DuPage County Sheriff’s Police had a warrant out for McGue’s arrest. The Cook County State’s Attorney approved charging McGue with felony driving while revoked.
He remains in Cook County Jail with his bail set at $50,000.
Brookfield library credit card number stolen
An employee of the Brookfield Public Library, 3609 Grand Blvd., called Brookfield police on Oct. 17 to report an unauthorized $244 charge on the library’s Bank of America credit card.
The transaction was completed at Toys R Us store online on Sept. 15. According to police, the library employee had spoken with Bank of America’s fraud department, which would not give her any details about the purchase, although they did reimburse the amount of the purchase.
“They would only advise that their fraud department would investigate the matter,” the police report states.
Truck stolen in North Riverside
A 28-year-old Plainfield man reported to North Riverside police on the morning of Oct. 24 that some time between 3 p.m. on Oct. 22 and 7 a.m. on Oct. 24, someone stole his red 2005 Dodge Ram quad cab pickup truck, bearing Georgia registration, from behind his office in the 9100 block of Cermak Road.
The truck’s value was estimated at $16,000.
Brookfield car break-in
A resident of the 3500 block of Sunnyside Avenue, Brookfield, reported to police on Oct. 19 that someone entered his unlocked garage and removed a Tom Tom global positioning system unit from a 2010 Ford and loose change from a 2005 Saturn.
Garage burglarized
A resident of the 4000 block of Raymond Avenue, Brookfield, reported to police on Oct. 21 that during the overnight hours, someone entered his garage and removed a wet saw, a table saw, an air compressor, a wooden tool box and a bicycle.
During that same night in the 4000 block of Madison Avenue, someone entered a 1997 Ford and rummaged through the interior. Nothing was reported missing. The intruder may have been scared off when he attempted to enter a nearby 1996 Ford and set off the car’s alarm.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Oct. 11-24, 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. These cases have not been adjudicated.
-Compiled by Bob Uphues
