Hostile Guest, Satellite Scam: Police Blotter

THURSDAY, FEB. 28

Pizza and a Cell Phone

A man at about 5:34 p.m. reported the theft of his black LE Optimus cell phone. He left the phone on a table at a restaurant on the 1500 block of 75th Street earlier that day. He remembers looking at the phone at 4:12 p.m. to check the time and left the restaurant about 15 minutes later. When he returned, the manager told him the phone was not turned in or located. The manager also told a police officer who went to the restaurant the same thing. The man called the device, valued at $200, "his second cell phone" that he only uses it for Internet access. It does not accept or make phone calls.

Satellite Scam

A woman reported at about 2:47 p.m. that she was scammed out of $300 from a man who claimed to be from Dish Network. The man contacted her on Jan. 17 and said she would receive a "half-off discount" if she prepaid for six months of service, according to a police report. The man had her personal and account information, which led her to think that the offer was good. The man told her to get a prepaid MoneyPak card from Walgreens and send $300 to an unknown bank account. She got a $300 prepaid card with a $4.95 processing fee and sent the money electronically. She received an e-mailed that said "Your Dish payment has been received."

The woman recently received her Dish Network bill, which said she owed $311.73. She called Dish Network Customer Service and told them about the offer she paid for. A customer service rep told her she was scammed because the company does not run a promotion that offers half off of service. Dish Network told her to file a police report because they would open an investigation and possibly give her a refund. Complaints will be signed if an offender is located in connection to the incident.

Hostile Hotel Guest

A business manager told police at about 1:17 p.m. that a 21-year-old man refused to leave a hotel room on the 1100 block of Butterfield Road. The man stayed overnight and slept two hours past checkout time. After multiple attempts to get him to the door, he finally answered. The female manager told him he had to leave and that his credit card account did not have enough funds to cover the cost of the room. The man became argumentative and shut the door on her left foot. The woman was not injured but an impression from the door could be seen on her shoe. She also said there was a large pit bull in the room.

The man in the room told police that the manager spoke disrespectful to him and that he never slammed the door on her foot. He agreed to leave with his dog and possessions. The manager didn't want to sign a complaint, but she did want the man removed from the premises and given a trespass warning. She was not concerned with payment for the room. The man was escorted off the property.

Car Handles Broken

A woman at 1:12 p.m. reported that someone broke her car door handles sometime over the weekend. Her gold 1996 Toyota Corolla was parked and locked facing south in a parking lot on the 5700 block of Walnut Avenue near her apartment. The door handles of the front driver's side door and the rear passenger door were broken. She had nothing of value in her car other than a child safety seat in the back. The plastic handles were valued at $30. No further action was taken.

Close Encounter With Car

A store manager at about 10 a.m. reported an incident of disorderly conduct that had just occurred outside the store, located on the 1500 block of Butterfield Road. He was taking out trash to the back loading dock of the store when a white 2012 Honda Civic with Illinois plates drove up close to him and slammed on the brakes right in front of him. The driver began to yell something incoherent in a European accent at the manager. The car then backed up like it was going to leave, but then pulled up to him again before slamming on the brakes with more yelling. The manager yelled back at the driver and said "What is the matter with you man!" The car then drove northbound on Finley Road.

The car's first approach could have been an accident, but the manager said the second time was clearly intentional, which disturbed him. He thinks the offender might have been looking for cardboard or pallets in the trash. He wanted the incident documented in case another encounter occurs.

Looking for more Downers Grove police news?

• Thefts Reported At Restaurants On Ogden and 75th Street: Police Blotter

• Man Tried to Lure 13-Year-Old Boy into Car in Downers Grove: Police

• Downers Grove Woman Gets 8 Years for Shooting Boyfriend Through Bedroom Door

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There are plenty of ways to keep up on Downers Grove news:

• Sign up for our daily email newsletter

• Like us on Facebook for a slightly different take

Police Blotter information is provided by local law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.