Information in Police Blotter is obtained from the Niles, Morton Grove and Park Ridge police departments’ reports. Individuals who have been charged with a crime have not been proven guilty in court.
Niles
Burglary to vehicle
- Two cars were reported burglarized Nov. 14 in a parking lot in the 9200 block of Milwaukee Avenue. In both incidents, purses were stolen, police said.
- Uber and Lyft stickers were reported stolen from a car parked in the 6700 block of Touhy Avenue on Nov. 14.
- A truck containing molding and shelves for a new building under construction was burglarized between Nov. 14 and Nov. 15 while it was parked in the 9400 block of Milwaukee Avenue. Nothing was reported stolen, police said.
- Someone forcibly entered a cargo trailer parked in the 200 block of Golf Mill Center between Nov. 11 and Nov. 16 and stole a contraction tool valued at $1,500, police said.
- A purse was stolen Nov. 17 after it was left on the passenger seat of a car parked in a lot in the 8000 block of Milwaukee Avenue, police said.
- A briefcase was stolen Nov. 17 from a car parked in a lot in the 7700 block of Milwaukee Avenue, police said.
- On Nov. 24 the victim stated an unknown person(s) gained entry into his 1999 Nissan 4 door on the 8200 block of Newland St. Missing was his Magellan GPS unit which he had stored in the glove box. The victim declined to have his vehicle processed for evidence.
Fraud
- Stephanie Lebron, 19, of Chicago, was charged with possession of a counterfeit credit card and identification on Nov. 11. Police said Lebron tried to use a fraudulent credit card at a store in the 7300 block of Melvina Avenue and had another person’s photo ID in her possession. Lebron is scheduled to appear in court Dec.2.
- Victim reported she had a withdrawal from her bank account at on Nov. 21 of $400 USC from an ATM machine on the 8500 block of Golf Road. The victim states her debit card has never been out of her possession. The victim has since cancelled her card and reported the fraudulent withdrawal to her bank. She has requested a follow up on this incident. Investigation pending
Obstruction
William Barkho, 30, of Chicago, was charged with obstructing a police officer on Nov. 11 after he allegedly refused to exit his car during a traffic stop at Lyon Street and Washington Avenue at 12:20 a.m. Barkho’s passenger, Ali Fahad, 32, of Cudahy, Wisconsin, was later taken into custody on an outstanding warrant, police said.
Property damage
Obscenities were discovered spray-painted on a wooden fence Nov. 11 in the 8000 block of Lyons Street, police said.
Graffiti was reportedly discovered on Nov. 15 and on Nov. 17 at a park in the 7000 block of Crain Street.
Reckless driving
A 16-year-old Niles boy was charged with reckless driving on Nov. 16 after his car reportedly struck a high voltage transformer box in the alley in the 5600 block of Touhy Avenue. The teen reportedly told police that he struck a curb while driving his grandparents’ car in the alley around 7 p.m., causing him to lose control of the vehicle. Police said the teen admitted to driving more than 40 mph down the alley and that he only had a learner’s permit. The teen is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 3.
Theft
- Susie Bernadac, 26, of Melrose Park, was charged with felony retail theft on Nov. 11 after Bernadac allegedly stole $540 worth of cosmetics from a store in the 200 block of Golf Mill Center. Bernadac is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 12.
- Claudia Montoya, 25, of Schaumburg, was charged with retail theft on Nov. 14. According to police, Montoya was accused of stealing nearly $60 worth of cosmetics, clothing and food from a store in the 8500 block of Golf Road. Montoya is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 9.
- An American flag was reported stolen from a building in the 6800 block of Milwaukee Avenue on Nov. 14. Later, police were called to the area of Milwaukee and Touhy avenues for a report of a man seen waving an American flag while “flipping off traffic,” police said. No person was located, according to police.
- Ordinance violation
As a result of Nov. 23 random business checks, a suspect and his employer were issued Morton Grove citations for selling tobacco to a minor on the 9500 block of Waukegan Ave.
Morton Grove
Aggravated assault
Robert W. Bolbat, 69, of the 8500 block of Waukegan Road, was charged Nov. 24 with aggravated assault with a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon following an incident in the 8500 block of Waukegan Road. Police said Bolbat allegedly pointed a gun at someone he had been arguing with. Bolbat is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 19.
Burglary
- A pair of glasses and jewelry were reported stolen Nov. 17 from a home on the 8800 block of Major Avenue.
- A residence in the 7900 block of Lotus Avenue, was reported burglarized Nov. 18. Police said the homeowner found the front door of the residence forced open. The items reported missing included money, jewelry, a DVD player, Christmas lights and a check, police said.
- Cash and jewelry were reported stolen from a residence in the 9000 block of Neenah Avenue on Nov. 23. Police said someone shattered the window of the back door of the home to gain entry.
- A home in the 6800 block of Church Street was burglarized Nov. 23, police said. The homeowner told police the rear door of the home had been opened and jewelry was missing.
- Money and a flashlight were reported missing from a residence in the 8900 block of Shermer Road Nov. 26. Police said the homeowner returned home to find the front door had been forced open.
- Drugs
Brian C. Kirsch, 30, and Carolyn M. Olson, both of Park Ridge, were each charged with possession of a controlled substance Nov. 26 following an incident in the 5900 block of Dempster Street. Someone called police after allegedly seeing Kirsch and Olson unresponsive in a vehicle. Kirsch and Olson allegedly regained consciousness after officers arrived and were charged with possession of suspected heroin, police said. Kirsch and Olson are each scheduled to appear in court Dec. 14.
Illegal tobacco sale
Saad Javed, 22, of Skokie, was cited Nov. 23 for selling cigarettes to a minor at a gas station in the 9500 block of Waukegan Road.
Park Ridge
Theft
Charles Branscum Jr., 52, of Chicago, was charged with retail theft on Nov. 22 after police said he stole nine bottles of alcohol and two gift bags from Jewel-Osco, 481 Busse Highway. According to police, Branscum was located near the railroad tracks and Greenwood Avenue, drinking from a bottle of alcohol that was allegedly taken from the store. He remained in custody at Cook County Jail with bail set at $30,000, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Department.
Leaving the Scene
Mark Malecki, 60, of Chicago, was charged on Nov. 23 with leaving the scene of an accident, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and having an arrest warrant, police said. According to police, an officer tried to stop Malecki’s Mercedes in South Park around 9 a.m. after discovering that the license plate belonged to a different car. Malecki allegedly refused to pull over for the officer and sped up, prompting the officer to end his pursuit, police said. After losing sight of the Mercedes, officers learned it had been involved in a crash at Talcott and Canfield roads and that the driver had run away, police said. Malecki was reportedly located in the area of Norwood Avenue and Ottawa Street and taken into custody.
DUI
Elisa Maria Zagorski, 40, of the 500 block of Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, was charged with aggravated driving under the influence on Nov. 22 stemming from a three-car crash that occurred June 5, police said. According to police, results of chemical testing showed Zagorski was under the influence of drugs when she rear-ended a car on eastbound Dempster Street, causing that car to hit another vehicle head-on. Three people were hospitalized, police said.
Burglary
A snowblower was stolen Nov. 18 from a garage on the 800 block of Washington Avenue, police said.
Burglary to Vehicle
Cash was stolen overnight between Nov. 18 and Nov. 19 from an unlocked car parked on the 1300 block of Glenlake Avenue, police said.