The following information was obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside and Brookfield police departments from Feb. 7 through Feb. 13 and represents a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. The cases have not yet been adjudicated.
For the second time in as many weeks, Brookfield police exercised a search warrant and arrested a man wanted for dealing drugs in the area.
On Feb. 9, Brookfield detectives in conjunction with members of the Major Case Assistance Team (MCAT), descended on the 4100 block of Blanchan Avenue in Brookfield and arrested 22-year-old George Caithamer, aka Robbie Caithamer on a variety of drug and weapons charges.
At Caithamer’s residence at 4145 Blanchan Ave., police recovered 27 grams of cocaine, 4 grams of cannabis, drug paraphernalia, an undisclosed amount of cash and a loaded 9 mm handgun. Police also reported seizing evidence related to controlled substance sales.
Caithamer was charged with delivery of a controlled substance and armed violence, both Class X felonies with penalties up to six to 30 years in prison and a fine up to $500,000, if convicted. The armed violence charge was leveled against him for being in the possession of a firearm while committing another felony, according to Brookfield police Lt. Michael Manescalchi.
In addition, Caithamer was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony, possession of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a firearm and ammunition without a Firearm Owner’s ID card.
Bail was set at $50,000, along with a March 2 court date.
DUI
? Chicago resident Imelda Herrera, 30, of Chicago was charged with driving under the influence after a Riverside officer stopped her for speeding on Harlem Avenue at 5:02 a.m. on Feb. 13. The officer reported that Herrera smelled of alcohol and failed field sobriety tests. At the station, a breath test revealed a blood-alcohol level of .129. In addition to DUI, she was also charged with having no valid driver’s license, no proof of insurance and speeding.
? Riverside police charged Berwyn resident Pamela Vasile, 40, with driving under the influence after she allegedly initiated a three-car crash by plowing her 2002 Chevy into a 2003 Dodge van, which then struck a 2000 Chevy van on 26th Street just west of Harlem Avenue on Feb. 12 at 7:55 p.m.
Vasile was reportedly injured in the crash and allegedly admitted drinking to police before being taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn for treatment. Police also reported finding open beer cans inside her vehicle. The two victims were treated at the scene by paramedics, but didn’t require hospitalization. In addition to DUI, Vasile was also charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.
Burglary
? An unknown person or persons broke into Tasty Gyros, 8801 Ogden Ave., Brookfield during the overnight hours of Feb. 7-8 and made off with $150 in cash from the cash register and a trinket amusement machine. Police received an anonymous call from a motorist on Feb. 8 at 7:45 a.m. that the metal door on the east side of the business was ajar. When officers arrived, they found pry marks on the door and a broken door frame. After pushing a refrigerator away from the doorway, the burglars removed the cash register tray and broke into the game machine.
Theft
? A black Matrix 28-inch mountain bike, estimated value $200, was taken from the backyard of a house in the 3100 block of Oak Avenue, Brookfield during the overnight hours of Feb. 11-12.
? The manager of Trabi Auto, 9300 47th St., reported that during the overnight hours of Feb. 6-7, someone removed the Goodyear tires and aluminum wheel rims from a 2001 Chrysler Grand Caravan parked in the storage lot behind the business. The loss was estimated at $1,500.
Criminal damage
? Brookfield police reported on the morning of Feb. 13 that the ice rink in Kiwanis Park had been damaged overnight. Police discovered 18 straw bales placed on the ice in a semicircle in the north end of the rink. They also found a 50-gallon metal garbage can lying on its side and bits of yellow foam edging removed in spots. A special watch has been requested for the rink.
Domestic battery
? Chicago resident Zinalic Diaz, 26, was charged with domestic battery after reportedly striking her ex-boyfriend and his current girlfriend, after confronting the couple at the girlfriend’s Riverside home on Feb. 8. After learning that Diaz reportedly had left a 3-year-old child unrestrained in her parked car, which was still running, police also charged her with endangering the life of a child.
? A 32-year-old Riverside woman required medical attention after she was allegedly thrown to the ground and kicked by a man who lives at the same West Quincy Street address. The relationship of the two was not specifically spelled out in the report. After being treated at the hospital, the woman did not seek to press charges. However, police preferred domestic battery charges against the 30-year-old man on her behalf.
?”compiled by Bob Uphues