A 34-year-old Brookfield man who decided to confront another motorist he believed cut him off in traffic on Aug. 2 chose to retreat from the situation after the other motorist displayed a handgun and told him to “back off,” according to Brookfield police.
The man called police shortly after the incident, telling police that he was northbound on Eberly Avenue near 47th Street when a white Home Depot truck with its hazard lights on went around him, cutting him off.
Mad at the maneuver, the Brookfield man drove around the Home Depot truck and cut him off intentionally. He then reportedly got out of his vehicle, placed his hands in the air and started yelling obscenities at the Home Depot truck driver.
As he approached the truck, the driver of the truck reportedly displayed a handgun near his chest and told the Brookfield man to “back off.” The man got back in his car and the truck turned eastbound somewhere between Shields and Sahler avenues.
Police located a Home Depot truck and a man matching the description of the driver. The man, a Brookfield resident, told police had he was driving slowly because he was hauling a load of gravel when he was cut off by a motorist who jumped out of his car and began approaching him in the middle of the roadway.
The truck driver, who had a valid concealed-carry license and was armed with a 9 mm handgun, told police that his gun “may have been visible” as the man approached, but that he stayed in his car and didn’t point it at anyone.
Police reportedly followed up with the other motorist and suggested being more respectful to other motorists, saying the incident “could have resulted in a different outcome.”
Cicero man reports Brookfield robbery
A 23-year-old Cicero man reported that he was beaten and robbed of $320 by two men on Aug. 3 near the intersection of Jackson and Park avenues after meeting them purportedly to buy a cellphone.
The victim told police an acquaintance offered to sell him the phone and asked to meet in the 3400 block of Maple Avenue in Brookfield. The victim got into a vehicle driven by an unknown man. The acquaintance, who was a passenger, showed the victim the phone and asked for the money.
After taking the money, the acquaintance reportedly told the victim to get out of the car. Saying he wasn’t leaving unless he got the phone or his money back, the victim reportedly grabbed the keys from the vehicle’s ignition.
The victim then got out of the car and reportedly was beaten by two, one of them using a pair of pliers, until he dropped the car keys. The victim suffered cuts to his head and face. Police continue to investigate.
Hit-and-run driver arrested
Riverside police charged a Chicago man with felony driving while revoked, hit-and-run, failure to have vehicle insurance and several other traffic offenses several days after he reportedly fled the scene of a crash at First Avenue and Ridgewood Road at about 1:45 p.m. on July 30.
According to police, Victor M. Leal-Alvarez’s white 2013 Ford sedan struck another vehicle and left the scene. The victim reported to police that the offending driver appeared intoxicated and she took a photo of the offending vehicle’s license plate and Riverside detectives traced it an address in the 4800 block of South Luna Avenue in Chicago.
Police were not able to arrest Leal-Alvarez at that time at his home. However, police seized the vehicle. Later Leal-Alvarez was arrested when he came into the Riverside Police Department to ask why his car had been towed.
Police learned that Leal-Alvarez’ license was revoked and that he had three prior DUI arrests dating back to 2007. He also reportedly had two fictitious driver’s licenses and had four driver’s license numbers listed to false names, addresses and dates of birth.
Leal-Alvarez reportedly told police he fled the scene because his license was revoked and he had been drinking.
Arrestee headed to DUI class
A 23-year-old Cicero woman, charged on July 31 with driving under the influence in Riverside, reportedly was on her way to a court-mandated class ordered by a judge in response to a 2016 DUI arrest in Berwyn.
Riverside police stopped the woman for speeding 49 mph in a 25 mph zone in the 100 block of Woodside Road at 5:30 p.m. The driver told police she was on her way to the DUI class, which was part of a plea agreement for the 2016 incident.
Police reported recovering open alcohol in a cooler inside the vehicle and 18 grams of cannabis from the driver. The driver’s blood-alcohol content reportedly was .196, which is more than twice the legal limit of .08.
In addition to DUI, the driver was charged with transporting open alcohol and possession of cannabis.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, July 30-Aug. 6, 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
