A 93-year-old Cicero woman who reportedly refused medical attention from paramedics at the scene of a crash on Cermak Road near First Avenue on the afternoon of March 19 died about an hour and a half later of injuries she sustained in the crash.

According to North Riverside police the crash occurred at about 4:10 p.m. A 2019 Nissan Altima driven by a North Riverside woman reportedly was eastbound on Cermak Road and was attempting to make a left turn into the parking lot of Dunkin Donuts, 8360 Cermak Road when it was struck by a 2009 Cadillac DTS driven by a 64-year-old Brookfield man.

A witness told police that the Cadillac was behind a bus in the westbound center lane of traffic and accelerated around it into the curb lane, striking the Nissan on the passenger side.

Paramedics transported the driver of the Nissan to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Both the driver of the Cadillac and its passenger, the 93-year-old woman, refused medical attention, according to the crash report. Both vehicles had to be towed from the scene.

At about 5:30 p.m., the woman who was the passenger in the Cadillac was found unresponsive at a residence in Brookfield. Paramedics transported her to Loyola University Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

According to the crash report, emergency room staff told police that internal trauma the woman had suffered in the crash contributed to her death.

Police issued the driver of the Nissan a pair of tickets, including failure to yield and having expired insurance.

While police were handling the above crash, there was another crash with injuries at the First/Cermak intersection at 4:30 p.m. 

One woman in the victim vehicle was taken to Loyola for treatment of unspecified injuries. The driver, a man was not hurt. The offending vehicle, driven by a 26-year-old Chicago woman, fled the scene, according to police, but was located at First Avenue and 13th Street in Maywood.

Police issued her three citations, including leaving the scene of a crash.

North Riverside bank robbed

A man who implied he was armed with a weapon robbed BMO Harris Bank, 9101 Cermak Road in North Riverside, making off with an undisclosed amount of cash on March 17 around 4:40 p.m.

The FBI, which is handing the investigation, reported that the suspect entered the bank and displayed a note to the teller, demanding cash and threatening he was armed. The offender was described as a Hispanic male, about 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10, weighing 180 pounds and wearing a gray and black skull cap, light blue face covering possibly with a Chicago Cubs insignia, a black rain jacket zipped up to his neck, jeans and black winter gloves.

After the teller gave the offender money from the drawer, the offender reportedly said, “Thank you,” and left the bank. A witness told police the man was last seen leaving the bank and walking toward a white sedan parked on 14th Avenue. A white sedan was then seen leaving the area eastbound on Cermak Road.

Felony DUI

Ulises Campos Guzman, 29, of Aurora, faces felony drunken driving charges after he was stopped for driving erratically through Riverside, including driving on the public parkway in the 100 block of Scottswood Road, on March 18 at about 8:05 p.m.

Another motorist called 911 to report that the vehicle “was all over the roadway and bouncing off curbs” while eastbound on Forest Avenue from First Avenue. Police located the vehicle, crossing the railroad tracks at Longcommon Avenue and followed it as it headed toward Scottswood Road, bouncing off curbs and at one point going up onto the parkway.

Guzman reportedly told police he thought he was in Aurora. He reportedly told police he’d been drinking the entire day and allegedly was drinking beer when he was stopped by police.

According to Riverside police, Guzman’s driver’s license was suspended due to a drunken driving arrest in Streamwood in December 2020.

North Riversider charged with burglary

Juan R. Ruiz, 38, of North Riverside, was charged with two counts of burglary after he allegedly stole four bicycles and a Bluetooth speaker from a garage in the 2500 block of Park Avenue and an air compressor from the garage of a residence in the 2300 block of Park Avenue in the past two weeks.

Police arrested Ruiz at about 4:55 a.m. on March 19 in the vicinity of Cermak Road and Keystone Avenue, allegedly riding one of the stolen bicycles. After obtaining a search warrant for Ruiz’s apartment in the 2200 block of Desplaines Avenue, police reportedly recovered the Bluetooth speaker and the air compressor.

As of March 22, Ruiz was being held without bond at Cook County jail, awaiting trial.

Work van stolen, burglarized

Someone stole a work van from the 2200 block of 11th Avenue in North Riverside on the afternoon of March 16, removed a high-priced piece of equipment from it and then abandoned it in an alley a block away.

Three plumbing company employees told police that they had just finished up a job at about 2:55 p.m. and had packed up their white work van, but left it unlocked and running while they walked away from it.

They then heard the tires squeal, saw the van driving away southbound and then turning westbound on to 23rd Street at a high rate of speed, followed by a blue minivan. One of the employees knocked on the door of a home to have a resident call police.

The workers found their van abandoned in the alley behind the 2300 block of 11th Avenue. The only thing missing was a Rigid sewer camera valued at about $10,000. A witness told police he saw both vehicles speed west on 23rd Street and then turn south into the alley.

Vehicle break-ins

Brookfield police responded to the 4300 block of Arthur Avenue at about 12:20 a.m. on March 22 after a man called to report that some had entered his unlocked vehicle and stole several items sometime after 8:40 p.m. on March 21.

Among the items missing were a duffel bag containing articles of clothing, several bracelets and a pair of earrings.

While on the scene, police discovered another unlocked vehicle had been targeted in the 4200 block of Arthur Avenue. The glove box was open, and the owner said a multi-tool appeared to be missing.

North Riverside police responded to the 2200 block of 14th Avenue on the afternoon of March 20 after a resident called to report that during the overnight hours of March 19-20 someone entered and ransacked the inside of his vehicle.

A resident of the 2300 block of 17th Avenue also went to police on March 20 to report that a security camera had captured video of what appeared to be two female offenders wearing all-black clothing entering his vehicle, which was parked behind his residence overnight.

Missing from the vehicle was $5 in cash and two paycheck stubs.

DUI crash

Brookfield police charged a 33-year-old Cicero man with drunken driving and cited him for traffic offenses after he allegedly drove his 2016 Buick into a traffic signal at 47th Street and Plainfield Road on March 20 at about 11:20 a.m.

Police say the Buick was missing its front axle and that its air bags were deployed. The alleged driver, who was pointed out by a witness, was standing in the parking lot of a strip mall at the intersection, where the Buick appeared to have struck another parked car.

According to police, the man appeared intoxicated and confused, but he refused to submit to any sobriety or breath tests.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, March 15-22 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