A 28-year-old Brookfield woman went to police on July 15, two days after someone impersonating a Facebook friend convinced her to provide personal information and currency for what turned out to be an online scam.

The victim told police she had received a message from what appeared to be a Facebook friend on July 13. The message described a grant program through the Department of Homeland Security and stated her “friend” could assist her with taking advantage of the program.

Believing the message was from her friend, the victim provided a photo of her ID card and wired $380 worth of Bitcoin from a convenience store in Oak Park.

On July 15, the victim began receiving messages from family members and friends that her Facebook account had been hacked and that they were receiving odd messages and posts from her. The victim was unable to provide police with any screenshots showing interactions with the scammer, since she had been locked out of her Facebook account.

Another catalytic converter theft

A catalytic converter was sawn off the undercarriage of a vehicle in Brookfield sometime between noon on July 15 and 10 a.m. on July 16, the third time in as many weeks such a theft has occurred.

Brookfield police responded to the 9100 block of Grant Avenue after a resident called police to report the theft from the vehicle, which was parked in the driveway of the home. The victim didn’t hear anything overnight and only found out about the missing catalytic converter when he started his Toyota that morning.

According to the police report, the estimated cost to replace the catalytic converter was $2,200. The devices are attractive to thieves because they contain precious metals such as platinum and palladium that bring good scrap value.

Brookfield police reported similar catalytic converter thefts on June 29 in the 3400 block of Madison Avenue and on July 8 in the 3200 block of Sunnyside Avenue.

Tools stolen from truck

A resident of the 2400 block of 2nd Avenue, North Riverside, called police on July 12 to report that sometime during the overnight hours someone entered his pickup truck, which he’d left unlocked on his driveway, and removed a bucket of tools and a bag of tools from the backseat. The vehicle’s glove box and center console were also open.

In all, about $600 in hand and power tools were stolen from the truck.

Motorcyclist injured in crash

A Berwyn man was taken by paramedics to Loyola University Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries after a 2011 Chevy Traverse driven by a Berwyn woman collided with his 2002 Honda CBR600 sport motorcycle, which was headed east on Cermak Road at Keystone Avenue on July 13 at about 9 a.m.

The woman was driving the Chevy Traverse west on Cermak Road and told police she didn’t see the motorcycle before turning left in front of the bike. The driver of the motorcycle said he attempted to brake when he saw the Chevy make the turn in front of him and skidded into the rear passenger side.

According to police, the woman’s driver’s license was suspended. She was cited for failure to yield and for driving on a suspended license.

DUI

  • North Riverside police charged a 71-year-old Chicago woman with drunken driving and fleeing and eluding – albeit at speeds far under the posted speed limit – and other offenses after she allegedly drove for two miles before finally stopping for a squad car with emergency lights flashing, which had been following her on July 16 at about 12:35 a.m.

The officer first observed the 2021 Toyota Rav4, which appeared to have fresh driver’s side damage, heading north on First Avenue at 26th Street, driving without headlights and impeding traffic by driving at 20 mph in a 35 mph zone.

The Toyota continued north, at one point crossing over the center line into oncoming traffic, police said, until it reached I-290, when the officer finally curbed the vehicle.

  • Riverside police charged a 48-year-old Chicago man with drunken driving after an officer on patrol came across a vehicle stopped in the traffic lane, at an angle, in the 200 block of East Burlington Street on July 17 at about 1:20 a.m.

After approaching the vehicle, the officer observed the driver to be asleep behind the vehicle, which was running. The driver’s hand was on top of the gear shifter, which had been placed into park.

Unable to get the driver to wake up, the officer opened the car door and removed the key from the ignition. The driver smelled strongly of alcohol, police said, and had urinated on himself. Police also reported observing empty beer cans in the vehicle.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, July 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.