Police Blotter: Drained Gas Tanks; Lava Rock Launch

SUNDAY, JUNE 12

Electronics Swiped From Unlocked Car

A 23-year-old man, of the 16400 block of Blossom Drive in , called police to report that sometime between 2:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m., someone went into his car and stole his electronic equipment. The man had left his 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix unlocked in his driveway. Missing were his cell phone charger and a TomTom GPS.

Missing Bike

A 37-year-old man, of Chicago, reported that sometime between 6 p.m. June 11 and 12:15 a.m. June 12, his Trek road bicycle was stolen from inside his 2006 Honda Civic, which was parked in the 19700 block of Heritage Drive in Tinley Park. He had left the car unlocked, he said. The bike was described as a red, Trek YFoil road bike with black, "Rev X" spoke rims. It was valued at around $1,500.

Bitter Breakup?

A 36-year-old woman, of the 15900 block of 78th Avenue in Tinley Park, called police around 1:20 p.m. to report that her ex-boyfriend damaged her property while he moved his belongings out of the townhouse the two shared. The former love interest, a 36-year-old man, of Lansing, Ill., went to the home between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. with his brother and a couple of movers, the report said. When the woman arrived home after the move was complete, she said she found deep scratches in her 52-inch flatscreen TV and a cross cut in the side of her family room's sectional sofa. The ex and his brother denied any damage and said they were with the movers at all times.

Attempted Liquor Theft

Police said Ronnie J. Mitchell, 39, of the 1600 block of Ingrid Lane in Chicago Heights, was arrested around 2 p.m. at Super K-Mart, 16300 S. Harlem Ave., Tinley Park, and charged with retail theft. Mitchell had tried stealing three bottles of liquor by hiding them in his jacket, according to the police report. Loss prevention officers watched him stuff the bottles in his clothes, they said, and some waited for him outside the store. Mitchell left the store, but quickly went back in. He was spotted in the women's lingerie department, where he slouched down, removed the bottles from his jacket and stashed them underneath a clothing display, police said.

Shattered Glass

A 19-year-old woman, of the 20500 block of West Lemon Drive in Frankfort, reported that between 2:50 p.m. and 8:20 p.m., someone shattered the front, passenger-side window of her 2003 Mitsubishi while it was parked at Kohls, 7500 W. 191st St., Tinley Park. She said her Magellan GPS and its charger chord were missing from the center console of the vehicle.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11

Purse Snatched

A 17-year-old girl, who picked up a carry-out order around 9:10 p.m. from Hamada, 18310 N. Creek Drive in Tinley Park, called police to report that her purse had been stolen from her friend's 2006 Pontiac G6. The girl went into the restaurant with her friend to grab the order and the two came back a few minutes later to find the girl's grey Juicy Couture purse missing. The purse was valued at about $400, the girl said, and it had her house keys, car keys and a bottle of prescription medicine inside.

Drained Gas Tanks

Police responded to Trend Setters College, 18454 West Creek Drive in Tinley Park, around 4:15 p.m. for several reports of gas being siphoned from vehicles' tanks. Victims included 18-year-old, 44-year-old and 41-year-old women, according to the police report. A total of about $60 of gas was siphoned from their vehicles' tanks, the report said. "The rumor going around school was that around 1:30 p.m., the driver of a white Jeep was trolling the parking lot with four men in it, all wearing baseball caps," the report said. The Jeep lapped the lot several times, the report said, and none of the witnesses said they saw anyone get out of it.

Credit Fraud

A 36-year-old woman, of Chicago, called police to Cracker Barrel, 18531 North Creek Drive in Tinley Park, around 8:10 p.m. to report that her wallet had been raided. Someone stole her Illinois driver's license and U.S. Bank debit and credit card from her pocketbook, she said. The woman, who works at the restaurant, said she accidentally left her purse and wallet in the employee restroom for about 15 minutes. When her shift ended around 7:30 p.m., she had a voicemail message saying that several suspicious purchases had been made using her debit card. Her wallet was found in the trashcan of the women's bathroom, according to the report. The restroom is located at the back of the restaurant near the kitchen area and is not accessible to the general public, police said.

FRIDAY, JUNE 10

ATM Card Used

A 47-year-old Tinley Park woman, who was using a drive-through ATM at Bank of America, 7228 W. 191st St., Tinley Park, around 4:32 p.m. said she accidentally left her debit card in the machine and drove away. She also didn't properly log out of her account. She returned to the bank to speak with customer service and found that two separate transactions totaling $200 had taken place around 4:36 p.m.

Tools Taken

A 28-year-old man, of the 7900 block of West 164th Place in Tinley Park, reported that someone stole the following items from his 1995 black Chevrolet Blazer: A DeWalt Sawzall valued around $150; a Dewalt 18-volt drill valued around $280; two small Craftsman bags containing low-voltage tools valued at around $150; $8 cash; two Orchard Bank Visa credit cards; a SOG brand trident knife with a 9-inch blade valued at around $160; and a silver necklace valued at around $40. A local landscaping company called the victim after finding a black folder that was also missing from the truck, police said. The DeWalt Sawzall and two red bags of tools were returned to the man, but no one had yet been identified or charged in the crime by June 13.

Missing Tags

A 40-year-old man, whose vehicle was parked at Eurofresh, 16000 S. Harlem Ave., Tinley Park, reported that between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., someone snatched the license plate from his 2008 Chrysler Town and Country minivan.

Busted Rear Windshield

A 44-year-old man, of the 19600 block of Summerhill Court in Tinley Park, reported that sometime between 7 p.m. June 9 and 9:45 a.m. June 10, someone shattered the back windshield of his 2009 Honda. "It appeared the windshield was struck with a part of a wooden flagpole that was left lying next to his mailbox," police said. The man said he believed the person who damaged the car is an anti-American because the flag was stolen off its pole, which had been perched on the mailbox.

Warrant Arrest

John E. Kerwin, 42, of the 20700 block of South 84th Avenue in Frankfort, was arrested around 8 a.m. in the 7800 block of West 183rd Street in Tinley Park on a warrant out of Cook County for driving with a suspended license. His bail was set at $10,000.

THURSDAY, JUNE 9

Lava Rock Launch

A 66-year-old man, of the 8800 block of Juniper Court in Tinley Park, reported that sometime between 11 p.m. June 8 and 6 a.m. June 9, someone threw two landscaping "lava rocks" through one of his living room windows. The 57-inch by 23-inch window pane was valued at about $350, the man said.

Bricks Break Truck Window

Police said the owner of a 2004 Ford F-250 reported that sometime between 12:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., someone threw two bricks at the windshield of his truck. One of the bricks also damaged the hood of the vehicle, according to the report. The truck was parked in the victim's driveway in the 17200 block of South Locust Avenue in Tinley Park. The bricks that were used had been taken from the man's property and a few lawn decorations were uprooted and thrown to the ground. An air conditioning unit that was outside the home also had been moved and was damaged.

Multi-tool Theft

David S. Williams, 50, of the 8300 block of Bob-O-Link Court in Orland Park, was arrested around 12:20 p.m. at Menards, 6851 W. 159th St., Tinley Park, on two active warrants for driving under the influence out of Chicago and LaGrange County, Ind. He was also charged with retail theft after police said he left the store without paying for a Leatherman multipurpose tool priced at $69.85.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4

Peddling Without a License

Steven Williams, 36, of the 5200 block of Keeport Drive in Pittsburgh, Penn., was arrested around 8:45 p.m. at the First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre, 19100 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Tinley Park, after police said he was selling counterfeit concert T-shirts without permission from the theater or Q101, which coordinated the show. Williams was charged with peddling without a license.