Burglars Steal Cash, Coupons From Fast Food Restaurant: Blotter

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The following information comes from the Highland Park and Highwood police departments and public records as a record of incidents reported to the police and of those arrested by police. Criminal charges represent accusations by the state that are often dropped or reduced. Updated information may be available from the Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Everyone arrested is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.

INCIDENTS

PORCH PIRACY
Around 9 a.m. Oct. 11, an Amazon package that had been delivered to a home in the 800 block of Deerfield Road was found opened, with its contents discarded in nearby landscaping. Nothing was reported stolen.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY
Someone burglarized a garage in the 600 block of Mulberry Place on the night of Oct. 10 or early morning hours of Oct. 11. Some items were stolen from the numerous unlocked cars inside, and a $4,500 Gazelle Unlimited e-bike and two helmets were also reported stolen.

GARAGE BURGLARY
Around 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 11, a bearded man in his 20s with a blue shirt, dark pants, neon bike helmet, face mask over his chin and dark-colored drawstring backpack riding an electric bicycle with a rear rack and bag broke into the lobby of a condo building in the 800 block of Deerfield Road. Once inside, he got into five unlocked cars inside two indoor parking garages. Police believe he may have also been involved in the prior two incidents.

HOME BURGLARY
Sometime between Oct. 9 and Oct. 12, someone smashed two glass windows in the rear of a home in the 2100 block of Old Briar Lane and rummaged through the bedroom, stealing several items of jewelry and watches.

CREDIT CARD THEFT
At some point between 9:30 and 11 a.m. on Sept. 10, someone stole three credit cards from inside a wallet that had been locked in a locker at the LA Fitness, 115 Skokie Valley Road. Someone later tried unsuccessfully to use of them at various retailers.

BICYCLE THEFT
A thief cut a lock and stole a Fuji mountain bike from the central train station at 1700 St. Johns Avenue between 7:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Oct. 13.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE
At some point between 11 p.m. Oct. 14 and 6 a.m. Oct. 15, someone smashed the windshield and rear passenger side window of a black Toyota Camry that had been parked in a driveway in the 500 block of Onwentsia Avenue, leaving behind a broken Callaway 7 iron golf club.

COMMERCIAL BURGLARIES

• Someone broke into the Wendy's, 2560 Skokie Valley Road, between 1 and 3:45 a.m. on Oct. 15, smashing the drive-thru computer and two doors on the restaurant's north side. Two cash drawers and a stack of coupons for free frozen treats were reported stolen. The total loss was unknown at the time of the report.
• Police were alerted by a burglar alarm at the Mutual Ace storage building, 2760 Skokie Valley Road, shortly after midnight on the morning of Oct. 23. When officers arrived, they found a viewing window had been smashed on a door on the northwest side of the building. Nothing was reported missing.

CAR BURGLARIES

• Someone smashed the front passenger window of a Subaru parked at the Highland Park Recreation Center, 1207 Park Avenue West, and stole a black Burberry ostrich leather purse from the front seat prior to 4 p.m. Oct. 17.
• A purple Dooney & Bourke purse was stolen from the front seat of a Honda Element parked at the North Shore School District 112 lot at 1936 Green Bay Road prior to 4 p.m. Oct. 17. A credit card that had been inside was later used fraudulently at various retailers.

SHOPLIFTING

• A woman stole nearly $1,300 worth of perfume from the Ulta Beauty, 135 Skokie Valley Road, at some point on Oct. 9. Police were told the following morning.
• Prior to 6 p.m. on Oct. 13, four women or girls stole about $3,000 worth of perfume in three shopping baskets from the Ulta Beauty, 135 Skokie Valley Road, and fled in a blue Hyundai Santa Fe.
• Around 8 p.m. on Oct. 15, staff at the Ulta Beauty, 135 Skokie Valley Road, notified police that unidentified male and female shoplifters had come into the store around 2 p.m. that day and stolen about 10 boxes of men's perfume valued at more than $1,500.
• Around 8 p.m. on Oct. 19, police were called to the Spirit Halloween store at 151 Skokie Valley Road for a report of four women or girls who had placed multiple "Harley Quinn" items into a basket. When an employee asked one of them about buying the items all four of them ran out of the store. Staff were not sure if anything was stolen at the time of the report.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

Andrew S. Ramdas, 33, of the 1200 block of Brian Lane in Effort, Pennsylvania, was arrested around 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 15 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol with a breath alcohol concentration of 0.08 or greater and driving with a suspended or revoked license after officers were called to the intersection of Half Day and Skokie Valley roads for a report of a driver passed out behind the wheel. He was also issued a citation for disobeying a traffic control device.

Rafael Vasquez, 42, of the 300 block of Temple Avenue, Highland Park, was arrested around 4 p.m. Oct. 17 on a warrant issued by Lake County authorities for failure to appear in court after police were called to his home for a report of an unwanted person there.

Connie Michelle Stewart, 23, of the 8600 block of South Michigan, Chicago, was arrested around 7 p.m. of Oct. 18 after officers were called to a report of shoplifting in progress at the Ulta Beauty, 135 Skokie Valley Road. She was charged with four counts of felony retail theft in connection with two earlier incidents — nearly $1,600 worth of fragrances on Sept. 1 and more than $1,800 on Sept. 13 — and one count of misdemeanor possession of theft detection shielding device. Police said another person of interest officers encountered at the store is still being investigated and a person who drove Stewart and the person of interest to the store left as officers arrived.

Earlier: 3 Waukegan Men Charged When Cops Spot Rifle, Gun During Stop; Identity Thief Caught In Act; Safe Stolen In Burglary; Over A Dozen Catalytic Converters Stolen: Highland Park Police Blotters, Sept. 10 to Oct. 12

Stay Patched In!

• Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest Highland Park news.
• Made a Neighbor Post on Highland Park Patch
• Check out the Events Calendar for what’s going on
• Like Highland Park Patch on Facebook
• Patch Mobile: Get app for iPhone and Android