Surveillance cameras at Riverside-Brookfield High School provided Riverside police with enough evidence to arrest a 15-year-old Riverside boy for stealing a bicycle from the bike rack at the school, 160 Ridgewood Road.
A 13-year-old boy reported that he had locked his bike to the rack on the morning of June 12. When he returned to get his bike around noon, the boy noticed the bike was missing.
Police and school administrators reviewed surveillance video of the area and reported seeing a boy wearing a gray shirt and black shorts with blue stripes take the bike. School personnel immediately identified the suspect, said police, who was found on the school grounds.
The boy reportedly admitted stealing the bike and pointed to where it was hidden in some bushes by the football stadium. The bike was returned to its owner.
Police did not formally petition the alleged offender to juvenile authorities, but imposed their own sanctions, with which the boy will have to comply. The surveillance cameras at the high school operate 24 hours a day and police have the ability to directly access the video feeds from their patrol cars if criminal activity is suspected or reported.
Punched for no reason
Brookfield police charged 24-year-old Michael E. Clarke, 24, of LaGrange Park, with one count of battery and one count of resisting arrest after he allegedly punched a 33-year-old Willow Springs man in the face for no reason as a bouncer led Clarke out of Brixie’s Saloon, 9526 Ogden Ave., about 2:45 a.m. on June 16.
Clarke allegedly tried to run away after punching the man, but three witnesses chased him down and restrained him until police arrived. As police prepared to handcuff Clarke, he reportedly got up and ran off again before being apprehended by police about 150 feet away.
The victim was not seriously hurt and initially refused medical attention from paramedics who were called to the scene. Later, however, he was taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn for treatment.
Clarke was taken to LaGrange Memorial Hospital for treatment of cuts and bruises before being released back into police custody.
Cash stolen from mall store
An employee of the Sprint store inside the North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 Cermak Road, reported to police at 6:07 p.m. on June 11 that nearly $4,000 was stolen from a safe inside the store the previous weekend.
The employee noted that the money left in the cash register was not taken.
Vehicle break-in
A resident of the 2400 block of 4th Avenue, North Riverside, reported to police that between June 13 and 16, someone entered an unlocked Kia van parked on 24th Street and removed several scratch-off lottery tickets, a $50 Walmart gift card, a $100 Sam’s Club gift card, a black Coach wallet containing $120, a Harris Bank debit card, a driver’s license and an insurance card.
Car stolen in Brookfield
Brookfield police were called to the 3500 block of Sunnyside Avenue about 8:30 a.m. on June 17 by homeowners who reported that their tan 1995 Nissan Sentra had been stolen during the overnight hours. The vehicle had been parked on the street in front of their home.
Police reported no sign of forced entry at the scene, such as broken glass. The vehicle had 175,000 miles on it and had significant rust and dents in the body, according to the police report.
Mystery half-million bucks
A 49-year-old Brookfield man notified police that someone had deposited nearly $500,000 into his checking account on June 17 a day after he had trouble accessing his account with his debit card.
The man told police that on June 16 his account balance was $700. But at 9:30 a.m. on June 17, he received an email from his bank stating that the balance was $499,099.50. The man said that on June 16 he attempted to use his debit card but was advised that his account was locked, and he was unable to contact the bank because it was the weekend.
Dog statue stolen from front yard
A resident of the 3200 block of Sunnyside Avenue, Brookfield, reported to police on June 16 that some time between noon and 6:15 p.m. someone stole a 3-foot-tall concrete statue of a Doberman Pinscher from the front yard.
The statue was painted brown and black, weighed about 150 pounds and was valued at $300.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, June 11-17, 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
