Police Blotter: Pickpocketing; Engulfed Shrubs

SUNDAY, JULY 17   

Disorderly Conduct and Battery

Frank M. DeGrassi, 23, of the 15300 block of Paddock Lane in Homer Glen, was arrested around 4 p.m. in Tinley Park. He was charged with battery, disorderly conduct and violating a civil no contact order. His bail was set at $1,000.

Tree Limb Dents Volvo

A 45-year-old man, whose 1997 Volvo was parked in the 16400 block of West 66th Avenue in Tinley Park, reported that at around 5:30 p.m., a large tree branch fell on his parked, unoccupied car. The car had a dent and several scratches on its roof, according to the report. The branch was from a nearby ash tree. The public works department was called in for cleanup.

SATURDAY, JULY 16

Driving Under the Influence

Nicholas P. Gallagher, 32, of the 7100 block of Hanover Drive in Bridgeview, was arrested around 2:15 a.m. near the intersection of Harlem Avenue and Benton Drive in Tinley Park. Police pulled him over after they said they saw his Chevy Cobalt cross the white line in the roadway three different times. He told police he had "more than five but probably less than 10 alcoholic drinks," according to the report. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol content greater than 0.08 and improper lane use. His bail was set at $1,000.

Pickpocketing

A 55-year-old Palos Park woman was robbed of her wallet between 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. while dining with a friend at Portillo's in Tinley Park, according to a police report. She said she felt someone brush up against her chair while she was eating but didn't notice the wallet was missing until a couple of hours later, when she went to pay her tab at a local bar. The wallet contained her debit card, four credit cards and about $60 in cash, according to the report.

Credit Card Used at Out-of-State Shoe Stores

A 37-year-old Tinley woman, who hasn't recently left the state and was in possession of her debit card, called police to report that between July 14 and July 16, it had been used at three California shoe stores. A total of about $300 had been charged to the card without the woman's permission, she said in the report. She last used her debit card July 14 at a local Redbox.

FRIDAY, JULY 15

Engulfed Shrubs

Firefighters were called early Friday to squelch two flaming bushes in a landscaped median on the south side of a local business. The shrubs were smoking around 1:50 a.m. outside Chi-Town Harley Davidson, 17801 La Grange Rd. in Tinley Park, and the flames were quickly extinguished, police said. Police ruled it a "criminal damage to property" case.

Car Keys Borrowed to Burglarize

A 33-year-old Tinley Park man, who was working out at LA Fitness, 18400 Convention Center Drive, between 5:20 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., said someone took his keys from his gym bag, entered his Chevy Tahoe and stole his wallet. He found the keys lying on the ground outside the truck, he said.

Cell Phone Snagged from Unlocked Car

A 49-year-old man, whose vehicle was parked in the 18000 block of Goesel Drive in Tinley Park, said that between 7:10 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., someone entered his unlocked 2007 Lexus and stole his black myTouch 4G cellular phone.

John Deere Mower Missing

A 56-year-old man, of the 18200 block of Sayre Avenue in Tinley Park, said someone stole his green and yellow, 42-inch John Deere riding lawnmower between 10 p.m. July 14 and 4:15 July 15. He said he left the mower outside of his garage with the keys in the ignition and covered by a tarp, as he always does.

THURSDAY, JULY 14

Alleged Booze Cruise

Jerry S. Sandine, 47, of the 3000 block of East Rotamer Road in Janesville, Wis., was arrested around 9 p.m. in the 7200 block of Harlem Avenue in Tinley Park. Police said he was swerving and striking curbs in the roadway. When they pulled him over, they said they found an open Heineken beer sitting in the cup holder. Sandine said he was coming from a local golf course. Police said he failed field sobriety tests, and he was charged with improper lane use, illegal transportation of alcohol by a driver, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol content greater than 0.08. His bail was set at $3,000.

A Fake Check

A 54-year-old Tinley Park woman contacted police after she got a call from a local bank saying someone tried to cash a fraudulent $2,560 check against her company's account. She said she believed the man is her son, whom she said has caused her similar financial troubles in the past. The check was returned to the victim, who gave it to police.

Beer Burglar

Someone snatched a garage door opener from a local man's car, opened his garage and removed a case of beer from a refrigerator, according to a police report. A 41-year-old man, of the 8000 block of Stonegate in Tinley Park, called the cops to report the incident around 8 a.m. He said he believed the burglar struck overnight and that all the cars parked in his driveway were unlocked.