Angry Customer Throws Coffee At Staff, Breaks Tip Jar: Northbrook Police Blotter

NORTHBROOK, IL — The following information comes from the Northbrook Police Department and court records as a record of incidents reported to police and those arrested on criminal charges, which represent accusations by the state that are often dropped or reduced. Updated information may be available from the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Everyone arrested is presumed to be innocent unless found guilty in court beyond a reasonable doubt.

ARRESTS

SUSPENDED REGISTRATION

Franklin Vargas, of Chicago, is accused of having a suspended registration, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and was arrested at 12:32 a.m. Aug. 23, at Willow and Waukegan roads. A court date of Oct. 2 was assigned.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

Michael Damen, of Glencoe, is accused of disorderly conduct, and was arrested at 6:13 a.m. Aug. 24, in the 800 block of Skokie Boulevard. According to police, officers responded to a coffee shop where Damen was reportedly yelling at the staff members. When the officers arrived, the staff explained Damen was unhappy because his drink order was wrong. He proceeded to yell profanities and throw his drink back at them, breaking their tip jar in the process. When the staff asked Damen to leave the property, he refused and started recording them with his cell phone. Damen refused to cooperate with the officers and fled the scene to his home. Officers proceeded to his residence and charged him with disorderly conduct. The officer also provided Damen with a no trespass order from the complainant. A court date of Sept. 10 was assigned.

ROBBERY

Michael L. Miglore, of Glenview, is accused of robbery, unlawful possession of stolen credit cards, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and was arrested at 3:18 p.m. Aug. 25, in the 700 block of Skokie Boulevard. According to police, the complainant said she exited a grocery store and walked to her vehicle to place her groceries inside. A dark-colored sports utility vehicle pulled up next to her and the driver exited. The person approached the complainant and grabbed her purse off her shoulder. The person then fled the scene in his vehicle. The complainant said her purse contained her vehicle's key, credit cards, identification and $70 cash. On August 26, the person was identified as Miglore when he drove back into Northbrook, where officers spotted him and the same vehicle he used at the time of the robbery. He was stopped and interviewed about the crime. Miglore admitted to the robbery and unlawfully using the victim's credit cards at various locations. A court date of Aug. 28 was assigned.

OBSTRUCTING/RESISTING ARREST

Mark L. Hechter, of Winnetka, is accused of obstructing/resisting an officer, improper lane usage, and was arrested at 9:15 p.m. Aug. 26, at Dundee Road and Ballantrae Drive. Police saw a 2016 black Chevrolet commit several lane violations because the vehicle kept swerving out of its lane. When the officer activated his emergency lights and sirens, the vehicle refused to stop. After several blocks of following the vehicle, the driver, Hechter, finally stopped. The officer noticed Hechter appeared to be intoxicated. The officer ordered Hechter out of the vehicle to stop him from driving and to perform sobriety tests. Hechter refused to exit the vehicle. The officer had to remove Hechter from the vehicle while he was resisting. Hechter passed the limited tests he was willing to perform. A court date of Oct. 10 was assigned.

LAST WEEK'S BLOTTER: Man Threatens Family Member, Neighbor With Knife — Northbrook Police Blotter

INCIDENTS

PHONE SCAM

• The staff at a restaurant in the 700 block of Skokie Boulevard reported at 8:47 a.m. Aug. 22, receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be from their corporate office. The person told the staff they needed to take a large amount of cash and bring it to a Bitcoin machine at another location. Thinking the phone call was legitimate, the staff followed the caller's instructions and brought the store's cash to a bitcoin machine on Dundee Road. The officer met the staff member there and told him it was a scam. The staff member had already loaded $807 into the machine before realizing it was a scam.
• A Dundee Road resident called police at 2:39 p.m. Aug. 22, to report receiving a phone call from someone saying they worked for his bank. The caller said there was a federal investigation regarding his account and he needed to move $22,000 from his bank to a Chase Bank account. The person provided the complainant with the new account number. The complainant followed the instructions, traveled to Chase Bank and deposited the money into the specific account. When the caller demanded the complainant put another $40,000 into the other account, he became suspicious and realized it was a scam. The complaint is to work with Chase Bank to help recover any of the funds.

IDENTITY THEFT

A Windy Hill Drive resident reported at 1:18 p.m. Aug. 22, his banking institution had called and someone on two different occasions applied for credit cards using his personal information. He advised his bank that he never authorized that, and someone was illegally using his information. His bank cancelled the application requests.

FLEEING AND ELUDING

Police saw an electric motorcycle without any license plates at 8:40 p.m. Aug. 22, driving down the roadway at Shermer and Techny roads. The officer turned on his emergency lights and sirens, but the motorcycle fled. The motorcycle swerved into a park. The officer last saw the offender driving at a high rate of speed on the sidewalk when he lost sight of him.

THEFT

The complainant called police at 1:36 p.m. Aug. 28, to report taking her engagement ring off at her workplace in the 1800 block of Stanley Street and placed it on her personal desk. She left for the day and when she returned the next day, the ring had been stolen. The diamond ring was worth $4,000.