Felony DUI
A Hodgkins man accused of making threats to customers at a North Riverside tavern on Feb. 6 was hit with felony drunken driving charges a short time later when a police officer found him and his vehicle behind the North Riverside police station.
Police were called to a bar in the 2300 block of Desplaines Avenue about 10:20 p.m. after a patron, later identified as Daniel Mercak, 37, reportedly made threats toward other patrons inside.
Mercak left the bar before police arrived, but a police officer a few minutes later reporting finding Mercak inside a 2005 Chevy Aveo behind the police station. Mercak got out of the car and approached the police officer, who reported he appeared highly intoxicated. The officer also reported finding an open, cold 24-ounce can of beer on the front passenger floorboard.
Brookfield home burglarized
A resident of the 8900 block of Southview Avenue, Brookfield, reported to police on Feb. 6 that someone had broken into his home between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., taking two TVs, two video game systems and jewelry.
According to the police report, entry to the home was made by forcing open the rear door. Police noted that the door frame was damaged, with trim found on the kitchen floor. In the living room, a 46-inch flat-panel TV and its mount had been ripped from the wall. The master bedroom on the first floor was also ransacked, with jewelry scattered on the floor. A TV had been taken from that room. One of the video game systems was taken from the living room; the other was taken from the basement.
One nearby resident told police he heard a loud bang about 9:30 a.m., but he did not investigate the cause of the noise.
Trespassing, disorderly conduct
Brookfield police charged a 39-year-old LaGrange man with disorderly conduct, trespassing and resisting arrest after he entered the Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall at 3829 Prairie Ave. in Brookfield on Feb. 10, a week after he’d been told to stay away from the building.
The man, a former member of the congregation, was originally banned from Kingdom Hall on the morning of Feb. 3. On that occasion, he allegedly began yelling at the congregation because he was upset at the way his family had been treated by church members.
He was told to leave and stay away, but on Feb. 10 about 9:15 a.m. he went back. Inside the building, the man reportedly fought with police prior to being subdued. Two officers suffered minor injuries in the scuffle.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Feb. 4-10, 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.
Jean Lotus contribued to this report.
