Police Blotter: Explicit Graffiti; Riding Off with Riding Mower

MONDAY, AUG. 1

Explicit Graffiti on Fence

A 50-year-old man called police around 9 p.m. after he found several sexual drawings and explicit words spray-painted on his fence in the 17400 block of Harlem Avenue. The damage was done after he left for an out-of-town trip July 25, police said. The man returned to find the word "suck," a drawing of a penis and several other similar renderings on his property. A can of black spray-paint and a milk crate was found in his neighbor's yard, according to the report. Police also found the words "maniac players," sprayed in black paint in the northbound lane of Harlem Avenue, along with other phrases that were indecipherable.

SUNDAY, JULY 31

Driving Under the Influence

Thomas E. Herman, 33, of the 10900 block of Oak Park Avenue in Worth, was arrested around 10 p.m. in the 7700 block of 159th Street. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal transportation of alcohol and speeding. He refused to perform any sobriety tests or take a breath test, according to the report.

Criminal Trespassing to a Motor Vehicle

Steven H. Wazwaz, 27, of the 6800 block of Chelsea Road, was arrested around 10:30 p.m. near the intersection of 161st Street and Harlem Avenue. Police stopped him after they said a check on the vehicle he was driving showed it was stolen. Wazwaz's girlfriend told police she bought the vehicle—its Kelly Blue Book price was $22,000, cops said—from someone on Craigslist for $13,000. Wazwaz and his girlfriend were taken to the police station for questioning. The girlfriend said she met the former owner of the car at a mall in Schaumburg and the two went to the currency exchange to switch the name on the title. The title she had didn't match the vehicle identification number, according to the report. The woman said she never received a bill of sale for the car. Wazwaz asked for a lawyer during questioning and was placed in a holding cell. He was charged with criminal trespassing to a motor vehicle. The prosecution unit denied felony charges for grand theft auto. Wazwaz’s bail was set at $1,500.

Surprise Golf Clubs

A 71-year-old man went to the police department to report that between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., someone left a golf bag and several golf clubs on the ground underneath his bushes in the 6500 block of Pine Point Drive in Tinley Park. Neighbors said the clubs weren't theirs, according to the report.

A Hole Through a Van Window

A 46-year-old woman reported that between 1 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., someone damaged her Chrysler Town and Country van while it was parked in the 16600 block of South Jean Lane. The window of the vehicle's sliding passenger door was broken and police said there was a large hole in it.

SATURDAY, JULY 30

Shoes Shoplifted

Police arrested Jocelyn A. Allen, 18, of the 22400 block of Millard Avenue in Richton Park, around 8:45 p.m. at Kohl's, 7850 W. 183rd St. They charged her with retail theft after a loss prevention officer said he watched her take two pairs of Converse shoes from the store. The items totaled $74.96, according to the report.

Windshield Shattered, Tires Slashed

Two women called police after their cars were damaged while they were parked in a driveway in the 7200 block of West 174th Place. All four tires of a gray Pontiac Bonneville were deflated, and police said they'd been slashed. A brick from a retaining wall had been thrown at the car’s windshield, leaving a crack. The two driver's side tires of a Saturn Vue were also cut and 1-inch slits were visible. The women said they believed someone vandalized the cars between 10:30 p.m. July 29 and 7:30 a.m. July 30.

THURSDAY, JULY 28

Car Passengers Chuck Item at Pedestrian

Police were called to Ed and Joe's Pizza, near the intersection of 173rd Place and Oak Park Avenue, around midnight, just after a 21-year-old man had been struck in the head by an "unknown projectile." The man was standing outside the restaurant having a cigarette when a sliver sport utility vehicle drove by. In it were four guys, all around 16 to 20 years old, the report said. Someone threw something out of the SUV that hit the patron in the head, the man told police. His right eyebrow was swollen and bleeding.

TUESDAY, JULY 26

Fake Repo Man?

A riding lawnmower was reported missing from a shed in the 17800 block of 66th Court around 7:40 p.m. The 60-year-old owner of the machine said the key was hidden in a small box underneath the seat. He said he last saw the mower July 23. The man's neighbor said that a red pickup truck with a repo company's name on the side had pulled up to the home around 11:45 p.m. July 23. "He then observed a subject driving a riding lawnmower … onto the back of the truck (before) driving off," the report said. The victim told police the mower is completely paid for.