North Riverside police responded to Vaperz, 7309 25th St. at the North Riverside Park Plaza shopping center, on Jan. 7 at about 1:15 a.m. after a being notified that the burglar alarm had been tripped.

When they arrived, officers observed that the glass front door had been broken, along with four glass display cases inside the business. As officers conducted a search of the business, they also received word that Berwyn Tobacco and Vapes at 2825 S. Harlem Ave. in Berwyn had been burglarized as well. Police said they are unsure whether the two break-ins were related.

Several items appeared to have been taken from the store, but police did not immediately have a complete inventory from the owner.

 

Criminal damage spree

Four residents on the south end of Brookfield called police last week to report an unexplained one-person criminal damage spree that occurred between 9:50 to 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 7.

A resident of the 4100 block of Forest Avenue first called at 9:50 p.m. to report that a man exited a blue Honda that had pulled up to the curb. He then reportedly ran up to her home, dragged a snowman decoration across the grass and then tossed it to the ground, breaking the light inside, before running back to the car and driving away.

At 10:02 p.m. a resident of the 4600 block of DuBois Boulevard called to report that a man exited a blue Honda and damaged her fence before fleeing the scene. At 10:24 p.m. a resident of the 4300 block of Maple Avenue called to report damage to his fence. After hearing a loud bang, the victim said he saw a dark-colored sedan driving away.

A fourth apparent victim, a resident of the 4600 block of DuBois Boulevard, called police on the afternoon of Jan. 8 to report that someone had damaged a fence at an unknown time.

 

DUI suspect going 70 mph

Riverside police charged a 44-year-old Chicago man with drunken driving and cited him for other offenses after an officer on patrol reported seeing a blue Chevy traveling northbound on First Avenue from Forest Avenue traveling between 64 and 70 mph on Jan. 7 at about 4 a.m.

A portable breath test reportedly revealed the man’s blood-alcohol content to be .178, which is more than twice the legal limit of .08.

 

Just running late, officer

North Riverside police charged a 23-year-old Cicero man with misdemeanor aggravated speeding after an officer on patrol reportedly clocked his silver Chevy Malibu traveling at 77 mph in a 35 mph zone while westbound in the 7500 block of Cermak Road on Jan. 6 at about 3:55 p.m.

The officer curbed the Chevy at Westover Avenue and took the driver into custody. The driver reportedly told police he was driving so fast because he was running late for work.

 

Secure those bikes

Riverside police responded to a residence in the 500 block of Selborne Road on the afternoon of Jan. 6 after a resident called to report that someone driving a vehicle had just stolen a bicycle from the front lawn.

The resident said her daughter had left the bike leaning against a tree in the parkway near the curb. A witness reportedly told the resident that he saw a blue Ford Escape pull up to the curb and then saw an older man get out and put the bike in the back of the vehicle.

Police noted that the following day was a trash pickup day in Riverside, and that many other residents had rubbish containers at the curb line. 

 

Habitual revoked driver arrested again

A 33-year-old Berwyn man who had been charged six times previously for driving on a revoked license due to a prior drunken driving conviction was arrested again in Riverside on Jan. 6 at about 1 a.m. after an officer on patrol clocked his 2005 GMC traveling at 60 mph in a 30 mph zone while southbound on Harlem Avenue from Olmsted Road.

Riverside police charged the man with a misdemeanor charge of aggravated speeding, a felony count of driving while revoked and a citation for having no vehicle insurance. According to police, the man had been charged with driving while revoked six times between June 2007 and December 2013.

Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said the department has filed paperwork to seize the man’s vehicle.

“Considering his six prior driving while revoked arrests based off of a DUI, his action to continue to drive is appalling,” Weitzel said. “If we are awarded the vehicle by court order, we will sell the vehicle and use the profits to fight impaired driving.”

 

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Jan. 3-10, 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