Crime & Safety

OMG PD: Dissatisfied Cellphone Thief, Case of the Disappearing Driver

Here's a round-up of recent, bizarre police report items from the area.

ELMHURST

‘Yeah, I Stole Your Phone, But it Sucks’


A black Apple iPhone and case worth $849 were stolen from the elliptical machine at Xsport Fitness, 621 W. North Ave., between 11:30 and 11:45 a.m. Oct. 21. The victim called her phone and spoke to the suspect, who said he did take the phone, but he can get better phones than hers so he would return the phone to Xsport. The victim said she would continue to track the phone and notify police if it was returned to Xsport.


BATAVIA

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'Injured' Driver Disappears into Thin Air


A driver who might have been playing possum to avoid identification gets a ride to the hospital after a three-vehicle accident, then can’t be found when police go to investigate. So the passenger and owner of the car gets hit with other charges.


DOWNERS GROVE

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Man Urinates on Girlfriend's Car After Fight


Alex J. Montemayor, 50, Downers Grove, was charged with disorderly conduct after urinating on his girlfriend's car. Police arrived after Montemayor got into an argument with his girlfriend. They observed him go outside and heard liquid hitting her car, then saw him zipping up his pants. He admitted to the act.


Pumpkin Graffiti Artist on the Loose


Someone left disturbing writing on a pumpkin in the 7100 block of Grand Avenue in Downers Grove on Oct. 20. The pumpkin graffiti artist is still at large.


ELMHURST


Hold On There, G-Man, Let’s See Some ID


A 23- to 25-year-old man with short brown hair, a black jacket and blue jeans flashed from his vehicle a five-pointed gold star in a flip-down wallet toward another driver and verbally identified himself as a federal agent at 2:52 p.m. Oct. 15. The young man told the driver to pull over at Poplar and May, then got out of his black Lexus, approached the driver and said, "you're driving like an (expletive)." The man then asked the driver for his identification. The driver refused, asked the suspect for his badge and ID, and attempted to write down the man's license number. The young man took off westbound on St. Charles Road from Poplar.


Cold Comfort


A dead coyote was found wrapped in a comforter on the trunk of a vehicle parked on the 100 block of South York at 10:22 p.m. Oct. 18. Officers were unable to make contact with the owner of the vehicle; they removed the coyote.


They Were There a Minute Ago


Cassondra Zimbelman, 23, 1125 E. Railroad Apt. 4, Sandwich, was arrested and charged with DUI after police said she was driving her green Pontiac Sunfire on the rims, with two tires "completely gone from the vehicle," at North Avenue and Route 83 at 4:42 a.m. Oct. 20.


Hiding in a Pine Tree Usually Indicates Innocence


A man was seen sitting on the stoop of a home at 7:11 p.m. Oct. 10. Police did not release the location. When the neighbor asked what he was doing, the suspect fled eastbound on Butterfield Road. The vehicle at the home appeared to have been rummaged through, but nothing was missing. Police located the suspect hiding in a pine tree. He said he was meeting a girl and denied going through any vehicles. He was arrested for prowling but then was released without charges pending an investigation.


WOODRIDGE


Painting the Town Orange


Someone shot orange paintballs above the garage door of a home in the 1200 block of Hastings Road sometime between 6:30 p.m. at 7:50 p.m. The paintballs caused damage to the aluminum siding.


HINSDALE


’Thirsty’ Customer Banned from Jewel


Police said a man was issued a criminal trespass warning after he was observed by an officer consuming merchandise at Jewel-Osco, 303 Holmes Ave., and hiding the empty containers behind full ones on shelves as he walked through the store. When asked by the officer if he was going to pay for the items, the police report states the man said "he didn't have any money and was thirsty." The store's manager elected not to press charges, but police said the warning bans the man from entering any Jewel-Osco location.


GENEVA


Jewelry Theft … Between Chicago and Montreal


A Geneva resident reported to police a jewelry theft, but good luck collecting from insurance. The theft reported this week took place on Sept. 5 and the location was on a plane somewhere between Montreal and Chicago.


$800 Painting Stolen From School District Office


Geneva police report a curious theft of a 4-by-3-foot oil painting from the newly renamed Coultrap Educational Services Center, 227 N. Fourth St.


Police report information is provided by local police departments. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.


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