Brookfield police charged a 52-year-old North Riverside man with one count of misdemeanor theft and one count of misdemeanor criminal damage to property after he allegedly stole money from a game machine where players can win stuffed animals inside a laundromat in the 9000 block of 47th Street on the morning of Sept. 13.
According to the police report, the alleged offender was caught on surveillance cameras entering the business three times between about 6:40 and 7:45 a.m. to figure out a way to break into the coin box of the game machine inside Ashley’s Wash and Dry, 9016 47th St.
In the end, he reportedly was able to force open the coin box and removed about $200 in coins from the machine, according to police.
Based on the surveillance video, police identified a suspect and arrested him as he was riding a bicycle in the 3900 block of Prairie Avenue on Sept. 14 at about 3:35 a.m. He was wearing the same hat and jacket as the person in the laundromat theft video, police said.
Residential burglary
The owner of a property under construction in the 100 block of Bloomingbank Road, Riverside, called police on the afternoon of Sept. 15 after learning that several tools had been stolen from the site sometime after 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 14.
According to the police report, the tools were located in a rear area inside the home. There was no sign of forced entry, police said. Among the items reported missing were a Craftsman table saw, a Skil saw, three Ryobi sawzall/reciprocating saws, a Max framing nailer and a Paslode compressor. The items’ value was estimated at about $1,000.
Vehicle break-ins
Brookfield police reported several more vehicle break-ins last week, with offenders targeting unlocked vehicles and stealing computer equipment and power tools.
Officers responded to the 3600 block of Kemman Avenue on Sept. 13 when a resident called to report that during the overnight hours two pickup trucks parked in his driveway were burglarized.
Missing from the trucks were several power tools, including a Stihl chop saw, two Bosch grinders, a Ryobi circular saw, a Rybobi sawzall and other tools valued at more than $1,400 total.
On the morning of Sept. 15, police reported two more incidents, one in the 3500 block of Madison Avenue and one in the 9100 block of Fairview Avenue. Both vehicles were parked on the street and probably unlocked as there were no signs of forced entry reported.
The glove boxes of both vehicles had been rifled through, though there didn’t appear to be anything of value taken from either one.
On the morning of Sept. 18, police responded to the 8500 block of Brookfield Avenue to investigate a vehicle break-in there. The offender gained entry to a probably unlocked vehicle and stole a computer bag containing an Alienware laptop computer, an optical time-domain reflectometer, an iPod and other computer equipment valued at more than $8,000 total.
Riverside police were called to the 200 block of Lawton Road on Sept. 17 at about 4:20 p.m. by a resident reporting a burglary to a vehicle in progress. The offender left the area in a smaller black SUV after being confronted by the victim.
The victim told police she looked out the window and saw a subject inside her vehicle, which was parked in the driveway. Once confronted, the subject ran to a waiting vehicle driven by a man possibly wearing a bandanna.
Among the items reported missing from the victim’s vehicle were a pair of prescription sunglasses, regular prescription eyeglasses and several credit cards.
Injured motorcyclist ticketed
A motorcyclist suffered a broken left wrist and other injuries when he drove his bike into a 2004 Dodge Durango that was turning right in front of him on to Sunnyside Avenue from westbound Washington Avenue while he was trying to pass the SUV on the right, according to police. The crash took place on Sept. 13 at about 3:25 p.m.
Police said the driver of the motorcycle, a 20-year-old Brookfield man, was driving on a suspended license. He was ticketed for improper overtaking on the right, driving while suspended and driving an uninsured vehicle.
Not really a problem
Brookfield police responded to an apartment in the 4600 block of Maple Avenue after a resident of the building called to report a possible domestic dispute in progress at about 7:25 p.m. on Sept. 18. The caller stated there was loud banging coming from the upstairs apartment.
When police arrived they interviewed a 17-year-old boy who stated his mother was in the kitchen tenderizing meat for dinner. Police confirmed that the boy’s mother was, indeed, cooking food.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Sept. 12-18, 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
