A woman and a boy were involved in a series of retail thefts at North Riverside Park Mall Tuesday, stealing clothes and a toy gun from three different stores, North Riverside Police said. 

According to police, the first theft occurred Nov. 21 around 4:50 p.m. at Foot Locker, where the boy, who was with two women, took a $65 Nike sweatshirt and hid it in a stroller. The store manager noticed the theft and called the police, but the suspects had left the store and headed to the food court. 

The police arrived at the mall at 5:55 p.m. and reviewed the surveillance video. They initially thought the suspects had left the mall, but later found them exiting the mall with employees from Finish Line following them. 

According to police, the suspects had also stolen a black sweatshirt and a pair of black sweatpants from Finish Line, worth $270, and a toy gun from My Happy Toys, worth $30. The police recovered the merchandise and confirmed the identities of all the people involved. 

The woman who was pushing the stroller had a suspended license and a criminal history. She was charged with retail theft and taken to the police station. She was released on pre-trial notice and is scheduled to appear in court in January. 

The boy, 9, was related to one woman. The other woman was not identified in the reports and was not charged. 

The store managers from Foot Locker and My Happy Toys did not want to press charges. However, the store manager from Finish Line said they will press charges. 

Man arrested for domestic violence and interference with 911 call 

A man was arrested Nov. 23 after he allegedly threw soda at his girlfriend, snatched her phone, and fled the apartment when she tried to call 911. 

The 28-year-old man was charged with domestic battery and interference with reporting of domestic violence. 

According to the North Riverside police, officers responded to a disturbance call at Cermak Road around 11:44 p.m. and was heard yelling from inside an apartment then knocked on the door. The caller opened the door with liquid stains on her clothing. She told the officers that the man had accused her of texting other people and threw soda at her. He then took her phone and hung up the 911 call before running away. 

Officers searched the area with the help of Riverside Police and located him on the 2200 block of 1st Avenue. He was wearing a black top and blue jeans. The man was taken into custody and transported to the North Riverside Police Department booking room. The woman’s phone was found in his possession. 

The man admitted that he had an argument with the woman and that he slapped a cup out of her hand. He said he took her phone and called her father, who told him to leave the apartment. He denied putting his hands on her. 

He was booked on one count of domestic battery-insulting nature and one count of interference with reporting of domestic violence. He will be held over for bond court on Thursday. His court date is set for December at the Maybrook courthouse. 

Woman found intoxicated in forest preserve after missing person call 

A woman was found in a fetal position in the forest preserve near Desplaines Avenue early in the morning Nov. 24 after her friend called the police to report her missing. The woman had walked into the woods to relieve herself but did not return to her car. She was extremely intoxicated and taken to Loyola Hospital by the North Riverside Fire Department. 

The friend, who had called the police, was also very drunk and belligerent. She had her son in the car with her and the police contacted a family member to come and take the car with the child. A person arrived with a valid driver’s license and took possession of the Audi. No charges were filed against the women.

These items were obtained from the North Riverside Police Department reports dated Nov. 20-27 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest. Compiled by Amina Sergazina