Blotter: Couple Tries Stealing From Target Shopper; Caller to School References Space Invaders

THURSDAY, FEB. 9

Obscene Phone Calls

Employees at a local tanning salon have been receiving obscene phone calls from a man who doesn't identify himself, police said. The calls were made between Feb. 5 and Feb. 9, and the female employee who reported them says they often come in just as she walks in the door and it's "as if the person is watching the salon and her." Some of the calls have been threatening; the caller suggests the employees "watch their backs," the report said. The female employee successfully traced the call and a manager has expressed interest in signing complaints. No charges had been filed as of Friday. 

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8 

Couple Tries Stealing From Target Shopper

While a shopper was loading groceries into the back of her car around 6 p.m. Wednesday, she was approached by a woman who began asking her strange questions to distract her while an accomplice tried to steal her purse. 

Police said the shopper had secured her daughter in her child's safety seat and placed her purse on the floor in the backseat. While she was putting groceries in her Tahoe, a woman began asking her if the "face tissue she bought was on sale," the report said. 

The victim thought the questions were suspicious and then saw a man looking in her car windows. He opened the back door, where the purse was, and activated the vehicle's interior lights. He then walked away. The thieves then entered the vehicle the came in, at which point the shopper called police.  

Officers worked with the witness and security staff at Target to get a license plate for the car the suspects were driving, which turned out to be a rental. The case remained under investigation on Friday.  

Pickpocket at TGI Fridays 

Sometime between 6 p.m. and 6:20 p.m., someone stole a wallet out of a woman's purse while she was at the hostess podium at TGI Fridays, 7200 191st St., . She told police of an awkward exchange among three people who sat down at a nearby table but didn't order anything. They said they were "waiting on a friend" but eventually got up and continued waiting for a table near the hostess stand. When the woman returned to the stand from seating a party, she said she noticed that her sunglasses were in the trashcan next to the podium and the contents of her purse were scattered on the floor. She had three credit cards in the wallet, which she was able to cancel within 30 minutes of the incident. 

Burglar Strikes Again

A woman living in the 7500 block of West 175th Street in Tinley Park reported that sometime between 8:45 a.m. and 1 p.m., someone broke into her residence and stole her son's Wii game console and four games. Other electronics, such as a television, were not disturbed. The woman said both the doorknob and deadbolt were locked when she left the home and that no one else has keys. The deadbolt had been changed following an October burglary at the same apartment in which two televisions were taken. 

Village Employee Gets Annoying Messages from an 'Heiress From Norway'

A village employee called the cops to report that she'd been receiving calls from a woman who says she's an heiress who came from Norway and Ireland and has been "cheated out of her money," according to the report. The woman leaves excessively long voice mails on the employee's answering machine, the report said, and when it cuts her off, she calls back and continues. She also discusses conspiracies in the messages, citing past mayors of the City of Chicago. None of the voice mails have anything to do with the Village of Tinley Park, police said. Recordings were placed into evidence. 

TUESDAY, FEB. 7

Warrant Arrest

• Masedonio D. Saenz, 29, of the 2000 block of York Street in Blue Island, was arrested around 11:15 a.m. at the Tinley Park Police Department on a failure-to-appear warrant out of McHenry County. Saenz turned himself in, according to the report. His bail was set at $5,000.

• Jesus Rivas, 30, of the 9600 block of Avenue L in Chicago, was arrested around 9:45 a.m. in the 10200 block of 76th Avenue in Tinley Park on a failure-to-appear warrant for driving with a suspended license. His bail was set at $5,000. 

Caller to Local School References Space Invaders 

Between 3 p.m. Feb. 6 and 8 a.m. Feb. 7, more than 20 "disturbing" phone calls were recorded on the voice mail system at St. George School in Tinley Park, police said. The woman calling identified herself as the same name used to leave a series of messages on the Village of Tinley Park's answering machines, police said.

The calls weren't threatening, but include chatter of conspiracies, homeland security, space aliens, deceased priests that served at St. George and the Midlothian Police Department. Police were able to trace the calls and identify the woman who is potentially making them. They left her a voice mail and Midlothian officers went to her home but weren't able to find her. 

MONDAY, FEB. 6

Jewelry Missing from Apartment

A woman said that a pair of black hoop earrings, a black and silver bracelet and a necklace were stolen from her apartment in the 1600 block of South Oak Park Avenue in Tinley Park. The items were worth a total of less than $60 and were last seen on shelves that were on the wall. The woman said she was told the door to her unit had been open all day. 

SUNDAY, FEB. 5

Picture Window and Storm Door Shattered

Someone broke a front window and the glass storm door to a home in the 16700 block of Oleander Avenue in Tinley Park, police said. The damage occurred around 10:45 p.m., when a resident of the home heard a loud crashing sound, according to the report. The homeowner said she found a landscaping brick inside her residence and another outside the storm door. The resident said she had a previous conflict with a friend who she owed money to.

Driving Under the Influence

Police arrested Michael G. Gruhlke, 56, of the 5700 block of Victoria Drive in Oak Forest, around 2:40 a.m. in the 16600 block of Oak Park Avenue in Tinley Park, and charged him with driving under the influence. They pulled him over, they said, because he was crossing over the lane lines and at one point, struck the curb with his vehicle. Gruhlke refused to perform field sobriety tests but did tell police he'd "had a few beers" for his daughter's birthday, the report said. He also refused to give a breath sample. 

SATURDAY, FEB. 4

Gambling at the Local Motorcycle Show

• A man who said he'd lost $1,200 in an "illegal gambling operation" at the weekend's motorcycle show at the convention center approached officers and directed them to a gambling table. They said the table featured a gaming board in which players paid money for a chance to roll marbles. Those heading up the booth said that rolling the marbles earned participants points they could exchange for merchandise. Cops didn't buy it and informed the men of the victim who approached them. The victim agreed to be repaid for his losses rather than filing complaints against the gamblers, police said. All those participating were asked to leave. No charges were filed. 

• Two more men were ordered off the property around 12:45 p.m., shortly after an officer was approached by a victim who said he lost $360 at their booth. The duo was running a lottery ball game in which "patrons would attempt to earn points they would exchange for merchandise." The victim said the point system came with a cash payout. The vendor said they didn't want to cause any problems and would return the money to the victim. The victim didn't give any personal information and refused to peruse a complaint. 

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