DUI Driver Sends Motorist To ER; Shoplifter Batters Police: Blotters

NEW TRIER TOWNSHIP, IL — The following information comes from the Glencoe, Kenilworth, Northfield, Wilmette and Winnetka 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

STOLEN PARK DISTRICT VEHICLE
Someone stole a Gator UTV owned by the Wilmette Park District from a maintenance shed and abandoned it near the beach at Gillson Park, 700 Michigan Ave., prior to 5:30 a.m. on May 16.

BITCOIN SCAM
A Highland Avenue resident was scammed out of $16,000 after responding to a notification on a claiming that their tablet computer and bank accounts had been hacked. The resident was told to deposit $20,000 into a Bitcoin ATM to reverse the purported hack.

PUBLIC URINATION
On May 25, someone reported that a skinny man with long, dark hair and wearing a red shirt and dark shorts urinated on a parkway in the 500 block of Park Avenue before leaving the area in an older dark-colored Honda sedan.

STOLEN CAR
Someone stole a Honda minivan that was left unlocked with the keys inside on May 25 in the 900 block of Elmwood Avenue. The van was found the same day in the 1400 block of Gregory Avenue with twos flat tires.

CHECK FRAUD
Someone stole a check from the room of a resident of Mather Place, 2801 Old Glenview Road, modified it and cashed it for nearly $5,000.

STOLEN BIKES

• Someone stole a red-and-white Sabar bicycle after it was left unlocked in front of the Jewel-Osco, 411 Green Bay Road, on May 23. Video surveillance shows a heavyset man in a fedora and dark jacket stealing the bike.
• Someone stole a cream-colored Linus bicycle from a driveway in the 1200 block of Gregory Avenue on or before May 25.
• Someone stole a locked gray Trek FX2 bike from the rack at the Metra station, 722 Green Bay Road, on or before May 26.
• Someone stole a locked black Felt F3 Di2 bike from the rack at the Metra station, 722 Green Bay Road, on or before May 30.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

• Someone damaged the rear windshield wiper of an Audio parked in the 100 block of 6th Street on May 11 or May 12.
• All four tires of a Subaru were punctured while it was parked in the 800 block of Michigan Avenue between 8:30 and 10:45 p.m. on May 19.
• On May 24, someone discovered a fire had been set on a picnic table near the sailing beach, which was extinguished with a bucket of water.
• Someone broke the rear passenger-side window on a Subaru parked in the 400 block of Laurel Avenue on or before May 26, but it was not entered.

CAR BURGLARIES

• Someone burglarized a Chevy SUV left unlocked in the 200 block of 15th Street on May 25.
• Someone burglarized a possibly unlocked Chevy SUV in the 600 block of Washington Avenue around 3:30 p.m. on June 1.
• Someone burglarized an unlocked Subaru parked in the 500 block of 5th Street around 3:30 p.m. on June 1 and stole about $10.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

Marcus L. Davis, 27, of the 1600 block of West Estes Avenue, Chicago, was arrested around 3 a.m. on May 13 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop at the intersection of Central Avenue and Green Bay Road. Davis, who declined to provide a breath sample, was also charged with reckless driving and ticketed for improper lane usage.

Paul M. Funovits, 49, of the 1200 block of Prairie Lawn Road, Glenview, was arrested around 12:45 a.m. on May 13 in the 3200 block of Lake Avenue and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. He was also ticketed for speeding.

Byron Auterberry, 48, of the 1200 block of North Waller Avenue, Chicago, and Michael Howard, 42, of the 900 block of North Humphrey Avenue, Oak Park, were arrested on May 14 in connection with a report they were shoplifting liquor from the Jewel-Osco at 411 Green Bay Road. Police said they stopped Auterberry, who had an active arrest warrant from DuPage County stemming from allegations of burglary and retail theft, with about $70 in stolen goods from the store. He was charged with retail theft, obstructing identification and obstructing a peace officer. Howard was stopped leaving the store with a shopping cart filled with about $600 in stolen alcohol. Police said he resisted arrest and battered an officer while being taken into custody. Howard was charged with retail theft, resisting arrest and aggravated battery to a police officer.

Brandt L. Simmons, 58, of the 5700 block of North Rockwell Street, Chicago, was arrested around 6:30 p.m. on May 15 after police were called to a report of a traffic crash with a Jeep turned on its side. The Jeep's driver was taken to the ER with an injured wrist, while Simmons, the driver of the Nissan that struck the Jeep, was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. It turned out his license had been revoked following a previous DUI arrest. Simmons was charged with felony aggravated DUI-alcohol, aggravated driving with a revoked license and misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol. He was also ticketed for failure to heed the right of way at an intersection and driving with expired plates.

Lorenzo Garcia, 57, of the 6600 block of Walter Adamic Lane, Plainfield, was arrested around 11:30 a.m. on May 16 after a 911 caller spotted him driving a Buick with a shredded rear tire across Lake Avenue from the Edens Plaza parking lot. He was charged with two counts of felony aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol — one for driving with a revoked license and one for previous convictions — and one count of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol. He was also issued citations for unsafe equipment and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

James R. Doetsch, 33, of the 1700 block of Oak Avenue, Evanston, was arrested around 12:45 a.m. on May 28 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol with a breath alcohol concentration of 0.13 following a traffic stop in the 1400 block of Lake Avenue. He was also issued citations for speeding and illegal transportation of an open container of alcohol.

Rosti Chura, 54, of the 900 block of Green Bay Road, Glencoe, was arrested around 3:30 a.m. on May 27 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol with a breath alcohol concentration of 0.18 — twice the legal limit for intoxication — and reckless driving. He was also issued citations for driving an uninsured motor vehicle and speeding.

David Owens, 22, of the 7300 block of North Western Avenue, Chicago, was arrested around 10:30 a.m. on June 1 and charged with two counts of criminal damage to property after police were called to the 700 block of Ridge Road for a report of someone throwing rocks at parked cars.

KENILWORTH

INCIDENTS/ARRESTS

Kenilworth police have yet to report any incidents or arrests during May or June.

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GLENCOE

INCIDENTS

FACEBOOK SCAM
A Park Avenue resident reported on May 18 that someone had send them a message on Facebook telling them they could get money from the government allocated for veterans. The scammer told the resident to send a $500 American Express gift card, and the residents, finding the request suspicious, blocked the scammer.

STOLEN CAR
Someone stole an Infiniti that was left unlocked in a driveway in the 100 block of Harbor Street on or before May 19.

THEFT FROM VEHICLE
Someone stole a front dealer plate from a vehicle on loan from AutoHaus, 1600 Frontage Road, on or before May 19.

aSWIFT TICKET SCAM
A Meadow Road resident reported on May 28 that they tried to purchase tickets for an upcoming Taylor Swift concert on Craigslist but they never received tickets.

ANTISEMITIC HARASSMENT
Police were told on June 1 that someone had posted antisemitic messages on a website of the local Jewish community.

SCAM CALL
A Greenleaf Avenue resident reported on June 6 that they had given a caller personally identifying information after the caller told him he would be arrested for failure to show up to jury duty. The resident contacted police after recognizing it was a scam.

JEWELRY THEFT

• Someone stole more than $500 worth of jewelry from a home in the 400 block of Greenleaf Avenue on or before May 22.
• On May 26, a resident in the 1200 block of Fairfield Road reported that someone stole an unknown amount of jewelry from their home.

IDENTITY THEFTS

• A Sheridan Road resident reported on May 24 that someone used their identity to open a Chase business account for a $1,700 loss.
• A Jackson Avenue resident reported on June 1 that BMO Harris had notified them of a fraudulent attempt to open a line of credit using the resident's identity .
• A Madison Avenue resident reported on June 2 that CIBC had notified them that someone had fraudulently withdrawn money from their account for a $9,000 loss.

ARRESTS

Five minors were arrested on May 19 outside Central School, 620 Greenwood Ave., in connection with a car reported stolen from Waukegan. Read more »

Mike Miller, 52, of the 3700 block of North Wilke Road, Arlington Heights, was arrested on May 30 on an in-state warrant following a traffic stop. He was held until he could be extradited to Lee County.

Leo Ely, 64, of the 6000 block of Keating Avenue, Chicago, was arrested on June 1 at the Glencoe Public Safety Department and charged in connection with an October 2022 burglary in the village.

WINNETKA

INCIDENTS

THEFT
Someone stole the contents of a mailbox at the Winnetka Post Office, 512 Chestnut St., at some point prior to 1 a.m. on May 15. Read more »

CHECK FRAUD

• A Sunset Road resident reported on May 15 that someone had altered a check in the mail and cashed it for an unspecified loss greater than $5,000.
• A Ridge Road Avenue reported on May 16 that someone had intercepted and altered checks that they had mailed for an unspecified loss greater than $5,000.
• A Chatfield Road resident reported on May 20 that someone had altered a check that had been mailed in November 2022, although there was no loss reported.
• Someone intercepted and altered a check sent by a Greenwood Avenue resident for an unspecified loss of greater than $5,000, police were told on June 1.
• A Sunset Road resident reported on June 2 that someone had altered a previously mailed check for an unspecified loss greater than $5,000.

VANDALISM
Someone spray-painted signs in the 1000 block of Sheridan Road on or before May 17.

GIFT CARD SCAM
A Green Bay Road resident reported that someone purporting to be their boss had scammed them into buying $3,500 worth of gift cards and sending their numbers to the scammer.

BLACKMAIL
A Maple Street resident reported on May 31 that someone had threatened to post compromising photos of them on social media if they did not send money. There was no loss reported.

IDENTITY THEFTS
An Ash Street resident reported on June 2 that someone had made unauthorized transfers from a Chase Bank account for an unspecified loss greater than $5,000.

TICKET SCAM
A Foxdale Avenue resident reported on June 3 that someone purporting to be their friend had asked them to send money for concert tickets. The resident said they got scammed out of at least $5,000.

BIKE THEFTS

• Someone stole a possibly unlocked bicycle and a helmet from the rack at New Trier High School, 385 Winnetka Ave., between 5:50 and 7:35 p.m. on May 16.
• An unlocked bicycle was stolen from a bike rack in the 900 block of Green Bay Trail for a $600 loss.

CAR BURGLARIES

• A resident reported on May 18 that someone had gotten into two locked cars parked in a driveway in the 1500 block of Asbury Avenue.
• Someone stole $20 in cash from an unlocked Lexus parked in a driveway in the 900 block of Pine Street at some point between 6:30 p.m. on May 17 and 8:30 a.m. on May 18.
• An Audi left unlocked in the 1500 block of Asbury Avenue was burglarized between 6 p.m. on May 17 and 7:22 a.m. on May 18.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

• Someone damaged a sign in the 1100 block of Willow Road between May 18 and May 21 for a loss of $200.
• Someone damaged the Rosewood Avenue street sign at Westmoor Road at some point prior to 8 p.m. May 26.
• Someone caused $500 in damage to a sprinkler system in the 400 block of Sheridan Road between 6 p.m. May 27 and 8 a.m. on May 28.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

Jesus M. Godoy-Giron, 49, of the 300 block of Walker Avenue, Highland Park, was arrested around 10 p.m. on May 18 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop in the 1700 block of Tower Road. He was also issued citations for improper lane usage, driving with a single headlight and illegal transportation of an open container of alcohol.

Ginger M. Kurth, 42, of the 900 block of Atlantic Avenue, Hoffman Estates, was arrested around 11:45 p.m. on May 19 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop in the 700 block of Willow Road, She was also issued citations for driving without lights when required and improper lane usage.

Gabriele Nava Soini, 21, of the 2600 block of Iowa Street, Chicago, was arrested around 6:30 a.m. on May 27 in the 1000 block of Sheridan Road and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, possession of a controlled substance and driving with a revoked driver's license. Nava Soini, who also had active warrants, was also issued citations for improper parking on the roadway, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, illegal transportation of an open container of alcohol and unlawful possession of cannabis.

Alejandro Soria, 31, of the 18200 block of Roy Street, Lansing, was arrested around 11 p.m. on May 27 and charged with aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol with a BAC of 0.08 or greater, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a vlaid license. He was also issued citations for disregarding a stop sign, improper lane usage, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and illegal transportation of alcohol.

NORTHFIELD

INCIDENTS

SHOPLIFTING
Three women or girls stole 24 bottles of liquor from the Mariano's, 1822 Willow Road, prior to 10 p.m. on May 18 for a loss of about $1,450.

ESCAPING POLICE
An automatic license plate reader operated by the village of Northbrook alerted police to the passing of a car with a license plate listed as being wanted in connection with a shoplifting investigation. A Northfield officer spotted the car on Sunset Ridge Road headed south to Willow Road. Another officer tried to pull the car over, but its driver fled into a dead end, pulled a U-turn and escaped after running a stop sign and red light. Police said they did not pursue the car due to its dangerous evasive actions.

THEFT FROM VEHICLE
Someone stole a license plate from a car parked in the 300 block of South Happ Road between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on May 23.

SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE
A resident in the 100 block of Riverside Drive reported on May 30 that a couple of packages had been delivered to their home in the name of the previous homeowner. A little while later, an unidentified woman or girl picked up those packages from their front stoop and left. Police contacted the previous homeowner, who said they had not been expecting any packages at the address. Police said officers suspect some kind of identity theft may have occurred.

CAR BURGLARIES

• Someone stole a cell phone from an unlocked car near the intersection of Old Willow and Wagner roads between 8 and 8:45 p.m. on May 15.
• An employee in the 300 block of South Happ Road reported that someone burglarized their car between 5:25 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. on May 27, smashing the window to gain entry but not stealing anything from inside.

IDENTITY THEFTS

• A Windfield Drive resident reported on May 17 that someone had recently made a large, unspecified withdrawal of money from their personal account.
• A Fox Meadow Court resident reported on May 26 that someone had recently used their online account to make an unauthorized purchase of a first-class plane ticket worth more than $4,200.
• On June 1, a Thackeray Lane resident reported that someone had recently filed taxes in their name with the IRS.

Earlier: $250,000 Wire Transfer Fraud; Fake Sprinkler Repairman; Grandparent Scam Thwarted But Church Group Email Scam Succeeds: New Trier Township Police Blotter

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