An 18-year-old Skokie man and a juvenile face felony charges of possessing a stolen motor vehicle, and possibly other offenses, after they were arrested March 1 just after 1 p.m. inside a stolen 2014 Jeep Cherokee parked at the North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 Cermak Road.
The arrests are the latest examples of North Riverside police identifying stolen vehicles entering the mall property using license plater reader cameras. Police have recovered several stolen vehicles and have made multiple arrests as a result of data captured by the cameras and transmitted to officers on patrol.
Jonathan Curtis, who was behind the wheel of the Jeep when police swarmed the vehicle in the east parking lot, also was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon after police reported recovering a loaded 9 mm handgun on his person during a pat down following his arrest.
The owner of the Jeep reportedly told police the vehicle was stolen after being left running and unlocked while the owner was running an errand on the north side of Chicago on the morning of Feb. 28.
Within minutes of the vehicle theft, Curtis and the juvenile reportedly used the victim’s credit card to purchase 10 gift cards totaling $1,600 from a Jewel-Osco. The following day, they allegedly used those gift cards to purchase hundreds of dollars in merchandise in Chicago and at North Riverside Park Mall.
Police reported recovering gift cards on both Curtis and the juvenile and recovered newly purchased merchandise from the Jeep.
According to the police report, Curtis attempted to drive away from police as they approached in the mall parking lot, striking a parked SUV and the front end of a police squad car. Police reportedly smashed out the passenger side window of the Jeep and dragged Curtis out of the vehicle.
Police also charged Curtis, who as of March 6 remained in custody at Cook County Jail, with felony damage to government property.
Packages stolen
- A woman who lives in an apartment building in the first block of Forest Avenue, Riverside, went to police on Feb. 27 to report that on Feb. 24 two packages containing clothing and a mirror were delivered to her building while she was at work.
When she returned home, neither package could be found.
- A 44-year-old Brookfield resident went to police on Feb. 27 to report that a package delivered to his home earlier in the month had been stolen.
The victim told police that the package was supposed to arrive on Feb. 9. When it didn’t he contacted UPS and was informed that they had indeed delivered the package, leaving it on the front step of his residence.
DUI, reckless driving
North Riverside police charged a 26-year-old Cicero woman with aggravated speeding, reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol after officers pursued her white Chevy Malibu as it sped eastbound on Cermak Road from 5th Avenue at speeds in excess 60 and 70 mph on March 5 at about 3:10 a.m.
According to police, the driver sped through red lights at First Avenue and Harlem Avenue before coming to a stop in the left traffic lane on Cermak Road near Kenilworth Avenue in Berwyn.
She reportedly appeared intoxicated and was uncooperative with police while she was in custody, refusing sobriety tests. Police also cited her for failure to yield, disobeying a red light and operating a vehicle with expired registration.
Car leaves roadway in front of school
Paramedics transported a 96-year-old Riverside man to the hospital for medical evaluation after he reportedly drove his Dodge van over a pedestrian stop sign in the middle of the roadway at the intersection of Longcommon and Herrick roads and dragged it for about a block and a half before turning onto Woodside Road, jumping the curb and driving on the parkway in front of Central School on Feb. 26 at about 9:05 a.m.
No one was hurt and the van wasn’t seriously damaged. Police found the van parked on Maplewood Road. The driver appeared disoriented, police said, and could not remember how the crash occurred or how he ended up on Maplewood Road.
Police cited him for damage to village property.
Aggravated speeding
A 39-year-old Chicago woman was charged by North Riverside police with aggravated speeding on March 4 at around 12:40 a.m. after a police officer on patrol reported observing her white Jaguar traveling at 70 mph in a 35-mph zone while northbound in the 2400 block of First Avenue.
The car, which had expired registration, also reportedly drove through a red light as it turned eastbound onto Cermak Road. Following a traffic stop, police also issued the driver citations for speeding, disobeying a red light and expired registration.
Doing doughnuts at Central/Hauser
Riverside police responded to the rear parking lot of the Central School/Hauser Junior High campus, 56 Woodside Ave., on March 4 around 4:05 p.m. after someone called to report a white Ford Mustang with silver racing stripes doing doughnuts on the asphalt.
Police were unable to locate the vehicle. The witness was able to provide police with a video, but the car had no front license plate and the video did not capture the rear plate.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Feb. 26-March 5, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.
