Burglars Escape; DUI Drivers Crash; Bike Thief Charged: Blotter

WILMETTE, IL — The following information comes from the Wilmette and Kenilworth police departments and court records as a record of police activity and incidents reported to the police. Criminal charges merely represent accusations by the state, and county prosecutors often choose to drop or reduce them. Updated information may be available from the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Anyone arrested is innocent unless later proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

WILMETTE

INCIDENTS

COMMERCIAL BURGLARY
Police were called to a business on the 800 block of Green Bay Road around 5:30 a.m. on Feb. 6 in response to a report that three people were breaking in. When officers got there, they found a white Audi SUV running with its lights on. The Audi then hit a parked car while trying to get away, and the three suspects ran off towards a white Volkswagen Taos, which, it turned out, had been stolen from a Rockford car dealership earlier that day. They took off in the Volkswagen, but police couldn't find them. The business also reported stolen keys to other vehicles. The next day, on Feb. 7, the same VW was used in other crimes, including a purse theft in Forest Park. Chicago police tried to stop the car, but it sped away. It was later found empty in Chicago.

FRAUD
A Forest Avenue resident reported on Feb. 14 that someone had gone into a bank in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and used fake identification to withdrawn $2,500 from their account.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE
Someone broke the driver's side window of an Audi parked on the north side of Isabella near the intersection of 16th Street prior to 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 16. Nothing was reported stolen from inside.

STOLEN BIKE
Someone stole a unlocked gray Trek bicycle after it was left unlocked between 2 and 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 in the 1900 block of Schiller Avenue.

COMPUTER SCAM
A Westerfield Drive resident reported that they had been scammed out of more than $18,000 after clicking on an alert claiming that their account had been breached on Feb. 16. The resident downloaded software and called a number provided who convinced them to withdraw money from their bank account, convert it to Bitcoin and deposit it into unidentified accounts.

HOME BURGLARIES

• A resident in the 2300 block of Old Glenview Road reported that someone broke into their home through a rear sliding door between Feb. 11 and Feb. 14 and stole cash and small electronic devices from inside.
• Someone broke into a home in the 700 block of Lamon Avenue through the front door between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Feb. 17 and stole cash and jewelry from inside.

CAR BURGLARIES

• Someone rummaged through an unlocked Lexus in the 1700 block of Elmwood Avenue prior to 8 a.m. Jan. 29, stealing cash and two keys from inside.
• Someone rummaged through an unlocked Volkswagen in the 2100 block of Greenwood Avenue prior to 9:30 a.m. Feb. 12, but nothing was reported stolen.
• Someone burglarized an unlocked Volkswagen in the 2100 block of Greenwood Avenue during the night of Feb. 11 or morning of Feb. 12, ransacking the interior without stealing anything.

STOLEN CARS

• Someone stole an unlocked Jeep Wrangler from the 2200 block of Thornwood Avenue prior to 8:30 a.m. Jan. 29 after it was left unlocked with the keys inside.
• Someone stole an unlocked Jeep Grand Cherokee from the 1900 block of Thornwood Avenue after a key fob was left inside during the night of Feb. 11 or morning of Feb. 12. The SUV was found abandoned in Chicago around 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 12.

IDENTITY THEFTS

• Someone used the identity of a Sheridan Road resident to rent property in Texas starting in June 2021. Last month, the resident received a notice from a collections agency regarding $36,000 in unpaid rent.
• A Hawthorne Lane resident reported on Feb. 16 that someone had used their identity to open up an investment account and attempt to withdraw more than $4,00 from their account.

THEFTS FROM VEHICLES

• A resident in the 2200 block of Thornwood Avenue reported on the morning of Feb. 5 that someone had stolen one of their license plates.
• Someone stole a trailer hitch from a vehicle parked in the 600 block of Knox Avenue around 6 p.m. on Feb. 14.

ARRESTS

Juan Carlos Juarez Gomez, 50, of the 8900 block of Mango Avenue, Morton Grove, was arrested after police dispatched to a report of an erratic driver around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 found a Nissan stuck in a snowbank in the 4000 block of Fairway Drive. The driver, Gomez, reportedly smelled of alcohol and "showed signs of extreme impairment." He was charged with aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol with a breath alcohol concentration of 0.08 or greater and driving without ever having been issued a license. Officer also issued him citations for operating an uninsured motor vehicle and illegal transportation of an open container of alcohol.

Timothy Brown, 45, of the 3500 block of West Montrose Avenue, Chicago, was arrest and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a suspended license following a traffic stop around 11 p.m. on Jan. 29 in the 2900 block of Lake Avenue. He was also issued a citation for speeding.

Henry Posey, 57, of the 7700 block of South Ada Street, Chicago, was arrested around 4 a.m. on Jan. 30 in the 3200 block of Lake Avenue 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 license.

Peter Nelson, 37, of the 1100 block of Central Avenue, Wilmette, was arrested and charged with violation of an order of protection and aggravated battery to a police officer after he grabbed an officer who had been called to his block of residence for a report that he was violating the protective order.

An 18-year-old Northfield man was charged with two counts of reckless driving and two counts of fleeing to elude police after he fled a traffic stop around 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 3 in the 3100 block of Illinois Road. He was also ticketed for driving without lights, improper lane usage, failure to signal, disregarding a stop sign and expired plates.

Jacob Daley-Galvez, 26, of the 2500 block of Central Street, Evanston, was arrested around 10 p.m. on Feb. 4 after police were called to a one-car crash in the 2300 block of Old Glenview Road. They found Daley-Galvez had crashed a Hyundai into a lamp post and was outside of the car on the ground, smelling of alcohol. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, improper lane usage, driving without insurance and failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash.

Jaime Ocampo Torres, 34, of the 3800 block of West Belden Avenue, Chicago, was arrested around 5 a.m. on Feb. 4 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after an officer spotted him stopped in the road in the 1000 block of Skokie Boulevard with his hazard lights on. He was also ticketed for illegal transportation of an open container of alcohol by a driver and illegal stopping in the roadway.

Andres Nietolozana, 22, of the 4400 block of West Cullom Avenue, Chicago, was arrested around 4 p.m. on Feb. 10 and charged with felony theft after he was found riding in a car with a bicycle worth $600 that had been stolen from the 800 block of Green Bay Road.

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KENILWORTH

INCIDENTS

STOLEN CAR

Someone stole a car from the 200 block of Raleigh Road between 9:30 p.m. Jan. 27 and 10 a.m. on Jan. 28. Police were told it had been locked with no key fob inside. The car was later found in Chicago with heavy damage on Jan. 31.

CAR BURGLARIES

• Someone burglarized an unlocked car parked in the 300 block of Kenilworth Avenue between 7 p.m. on Jan. 25 and 6 a.m. on Jan. 26. A door was left open, but nothing of value was reported stolen.
• Someone stole a pair of sunglasses from an unlocked car while it was parked in the 300 block of Richmond Road between 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 and 8 a.m. on Feb. 12.

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