Police Blotter: Vodka Goes to Waste After Falling Out of Man's Pants; Attempted Ruse Burglary

SUNDAY, JULY 10

Vodka Goes to Waste After Falling Out of Man's Pants

Police were called around 5:40 p.m. to Jewel-Osco, 17117 Harlem Ave., in Tinley Park, for a report of a man who staff said tried to steal a 750-milliliter bottle of Svedka Vodka. Raymond G. Garcia, 35, of the 9800 block of Cordoba Court in Orland Park, was arrested and charged with retail theft. He tried hiding the vodka in his shorts, according to the report, and was uncooperative with staff at the grocery store. When loss prevention officers tried to detain him, the vodka fell out of his pants and shattered on the floor, police said. They also found a two-pack of Degree deodorant on him, the report said. The combined value of the stolen items was $19.88. Garcia's bail was set at $1,000.

Woman Turns Herself In on Warrant

Police said Beatrice I. Minner, 54, of the 17200 block of South Ridgeland Avenue in Tinley Park, was arrested around 7 p.m. on a warrant out of Tinley Park for criminal trespassing to real property. She was released on a $1,000 recognizance bond.

SATURDAY, JULY 9

Wallet Stolen

A 47-year-old Mokena man called police from Speedway, 7201 W. 183rd St., Tinley Park, after he said someone stole his wallet around 4:50 p.m. It was at that time that he left his wallet unattended on the cashier's counter, he said. A heavyset man who had tattoos on his forearms picked up the wallet and sped off in a red sport utility vehicle, heading southbound on Harlem Avenue. Employees at the station gave a copy of the surveillance video to the cops, according to the report.

FRIDAY, JULY 8

Kids Toss Sign at Window

A 37-year-old man was startled around 1:25 a.m. while he was quietly watching TV in his living room when a group of teenagers threw a construction sign at the window of his home in the 7100 block of 173rd Place in Tinley Park, he said. The window broke, and the teens were last seen hopping a fence at 7272 173rd Pl., the report said.

Not So Neighborly Assault

Police said they arrested David E. DuBois, 47, around 5 p.m. in the 8100 block of West 161st Place after they got a call about a fight between two neighbors. The neighbor said that DuBois had blown debris in his yard using a leaf blower, but DuBois contended that the neighbor had done so on July 7, the day before he did. Police stepped in to mediate the argument and DuBois took a break to go in the house and get a pair of shoes, according to the report.

" … I observed DuBois run out of his house, screaming at (the neighbor)," the officer wrote, in the report.  " … (He) had clenched fists as he continued aggressively approaching. At this point, DuBois' aggressive actions placed me in reasonable apprehension that DuBois was intended to batter (his neighbor)."

An officer stepped in between the two, the report said. DuBois then reached around the officer and pointed his finger, aggressively, while telling the neighbor to "grow the f--- up," police said.

DuBois was charged with one misdemeanor count of assault.

Man With Mullet Steals from TJ Maxx

Employees at TJ Maxx, 16025 Harlem Ave., called Tinley Park police around 8:40 a.m. to report that around 3:25 p.m. on July 7, a man with a mullet had switched the tags on several items, bought them at the switched-out, reduced price, and left the store. The man ended up taking off with about $85 in stolen merchandise when it was all said and done, staff members said.

The man was described as between 20 and 30 years old, 6 feet tall, about 350 pounds and having "brown mullet styled hair." Police got the license plate for the suspect’s car from employees and found out it was a rental. They eventually tracked the man down. He was "uncooperative and stated that he was not sure if anyone was using the vehicle," the report said.

Burglars Break Into Two Vans

A 25-year-old man, who had two vans parked in the 6000 block of West Lake Bluff Drive, called the cops around 7:30 a.m. after he found that both vehicles had been broken into. One of the vans belonged to the man's employer and the other was his, the report said. The back window of a Ford van had been punched out and its padlock was cut. Although items in the vehicle had been rummaged through, nothing was missing. A Chevrolet van also had its door lock broken, according to the report. Several tools were reported missing.

THURSDAY, JULY 7

Possession of Marijuana

When police pulled over a driver in the 18300 block of South Harlem Avenue around 9:30 p.m., they found that his passenger, Samir D. Diaz, was wanted on a warrant out of Woodridge for possession of marijuana. They also found that Diaz, 27, of Chicago, had a "small bag of weed in his left shoe," the report said. He was arrested on the warrant and charged with one count of possession of marijuana. The driver, Esmeralda Velasco, 27, of Chicago, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license.

Attempted Ruse Burglary

Burglars tried stealing from an 86-year-old man last week by distracting him while others entered his home, police said. The elderly man, of the 7200 block of 170th Place in Tinley Park, called the cops around 10 p.m. He said that between noon and 6 p.m., someone knocked on his front door and began talking to him about tree stump removal. The homeowner then walked the visitor through the home and into the backyard. At that time, police said someone else went inside the home and tried to pry open a safe in the man's closet. They were not able to open the safe and nothing from the home was reported missing. The attempted burglary remained under investigation Monday.

Water Tower Damaged

Tinley Park Public Works called police around 8:50 a.m. after finding damage on a water tower in the 17500 block of Cloverview, according to the police report. The handle to the tower's service door had been removed and there was damage below the keypad in a "blast pattern." The village employee said he last saw the door and lock in good condition around May 23.

Catalytic Converter Stolen

A 62-year-old man, whose 2008 Toyota Highlander was parked in the 80th Avenue Metra lot in Tinley Park, called police around 7:45 p.m. when he noticed that the catalytic converter to his vehicle had been stolen. He said he believed the theft occurred sometime between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.