Two kids called Riverside police on the afternoon of July 14 after an unknown man reportedly got angry at them and threw one of their bikes into the woods near the Des Plaines River.

According to the police report, the two had been fishing down by Swan Pond when a man began swearing at them and proceeded to throw one of their bikes into a wooded area “behind the cement stairs.”

The offender, reported to be about 30 years old, had been walking with two girls and apparently got angry at one of the victims, because the man didn’t like how close one of the boys’ fishing pole was to a group of small ducks swimming in the river.

The boys also reported that the man had also threatened to push them in the river as he was leaving. Police were able to retrieve the bicycle, which did not appear to be damaged. 

Catalytic converters stolen

Brookfield police are investigating a pair of catalytic converter thefts on the south end of the village overnight on July 16-17, ones targeting a pair of Ford trucks, similar to a rash of catalytic converter thefts involving Ford trucks in June.

On the morning of July 17, the owner of a Ford F150 box truck that had been parked at a property in the 9100 block of Plainfield Road reported that the vehicle’s catalytic converter had been removed.

Surveillance video reportedly showed two people wearing all black walking across the parking lot checking box trucks between 3:45 and 3:50 a.m. Later the two appear back in view with one holding what appeared to be a catalytic converter.

The owner of a landscaping business whose truck was parked in the same vicinity between July 14 and July 17 also reported that the catalytic converter on his Ford truck had also been stolen.

Following the last spree of catalytic converter thefts, Brookfield police charged a local man with 33 counts of possessing catalytic converters, including ones from trucks. That case is still pending.

DUI

  • A 31-year-old Berwyn man was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after he reportedly passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle, which was still running and in drive, with his foot on the brake, on Harlem Avenue at East Burlington Street on July 14 at 1:15 a.m.

A Riverside police office positioned his squad car in front of the vehicle so it wouldn’t drive into a passing train or another car. The man suddenly awoke and his car moved forward striking the squad car’s push bumper.

After being told multiple times to put the car in park, the driver complied and exited the vehicle. The man failed field sobriety tests and was taken into custody and charged with DUI and also cited for damage to village property.

  • North Riverside police charged a 33-year-old Westchester man with DUI after an officer on patrol on July 17 around 2:15 a.m. reported observing a white GMC truck stopped in the middle of the street in the 2500 block of Keystone Avenue.

The officer said the man behind the wheel was asleep, with the keys in the ignition and the vehicle running. The driver reportedly woke up as the officer approached and appeared intoxicated, reportedly admitting to drinking 10 beers before getting behind the wheel to drop off a friend in North Riverside.

A breath test nearly an hour later reportedly revealed the man’s blood-alcohol content to be .169, which is more than twice the legal limit of .08.

  • Riverside police charged a 29-year-old Berwyn man with DUI after an officer reported seeing him blow two stop signs while traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on Longcommon Road from Addison Road on July 19 at about 12:55 a.m.

After pulling the car over at Evelyn Road, the arresting officer noted the driver appeared intoxicated, exhibiting slurred speech and stumbling while walking. About an hour and a half after being pulled over the driver submitted to a breath test, which reportedly showed his blood-alcohol content to be .231, which is nearly three times the legal limit of .08.

Aggravated speeding

North Riverside police charged a 23-year-old Maywood man with aggravated speeding after an officer on patrol reported observing his gray Mercedes-Benz traveling at 70 mph in a 35-mph zone while southbound in the 1800 block of Harlem Avenue on July 17 at about 9:30 p.m.

As the officer caught up to the car, the driver reportedly abruptly drove across all lanes of southbound traffic onto eastbound Cermak Road where he allegedly accelerated to 66 mph in a 30-mph zone.

The officer was able to curb the vehicle at Home Avenue and charged the driver for speeding 35+ over the speed limit.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, July 14-23, 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