Crime & Safety

Guitar Stolen From Church

Burglary, consumption of alcohol by a minor among reports.

The following incidents and arrests were reported by the Downers Grove Police Department:

Theft From Building

A black Epiphone LesPaul Electric Guitar valued at $700 was stolen from the Hobson Road Community Church in the 2500 block of Hobson sometime between December 11 and December 14. The guitar's owner said he keeps the guitar on the stage of the church and there are numerous activities and people coming and going throughout the day. Responding officers also spoke to someone who was in the church that day who advised he spoke with a suspicious person in the building that day, a white male in his 40s, approximately 5'7” to 5'10” with short brown hair and a possible mustache. The man had a gruff voice and was asking for money for gas.

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Possession of Tobacco Product by a Minor

Officers responded in reference to a patient at Good Sam hospital being in possession of drug paraphernalia on December 12. DGPD spoke to the mother of the patient who told police her son was in possession of “potpourri” or “spice” and a glass smoking pipe. The mother turned it over to the officer, and the officer instructed the mother the product was viewed as a tobacco product unless it contained certain substances, and that the only course of action the officer could take for the mother would be to issue her son a village ordinance ticket for Possession of Tobacco Product under the age of 18.

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Theft Under $500

Officers responded to a report of a subject stealing scrap metal from Global Fire Protection on December 12, and arrived to find 56-year-old John Laheta of 2S340 Sanchez in Warrenville removing scrap metal from a dumpster and putting it inside of a van. The business owner estimated the 18 pipes of scrap metal Laheta had gotten into his van was worth approximately $50.

A worker/bell ringer for Salvation Army had her bag stolen outside of Jewel on Main on December 13 after she left it on the ground outside while she ran inside to use the bathroom and quickly warm up. The stolen property value was estimated at $280.

Unlawful Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor

Gloria Galan, 18 of 4936 Highland Avenue, was transported to DGPD for unlawful consumption of alcohol after returning home under the influence on December 13. Galan told officers she got the alcohol after meeting 22-year-old homeless man Shawn Daly at the library. Galan said she was at the library when she met Galan and went to hang out with him, traveling to the DG North football field to drink under the bleachers. Galan said they then hung out in the downtown area before Galan went home. Based on info given by Galan, officers found Daly sleeping on the top floor of the parking deck on Curtiss in a stairwell. Daly confirmed the story, was placed under arrest for delivery of alcohol to a minor.

Disorderly Conduct—Battery

A DGPD officer responded to a school radio alert of a fight between three girls at Downers South on December 12 resulted in one of the girls being charged with Disorderly Conduct, a village ordinance. The girl was processed and released to her father.

Burglary to Garage

An unknown offender stole a woman's black mountain bike from her garage sometime overnight between December 11 and December 12 in the 4900 block of Wallbank. The garage was unsecured and nothing else in the garage was disturbed. The value of the bike was estimated at $300.

Criminal Damage to Property

The complainant told responding officers he had been out of his house for the past two-and-a-half years because he was going through a divorce, and when he moved back in he found the electric meter damaged and he had to pay $1000 to have it fixed. The man stated the power was shut off at his house in September because his wife did not pay the bill, and he believes someone tampered with the meter to get power without paying. The man also told police he had to pay a tampering bill of $488.61 to get the power turned back on.

Burglary From Motor Vehicle

A woman advised officers than an unknown offender entered her unsecured car in the 4900 block of Stonewall Ave sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. December 12. The complainant stated there were papers from the center console strewn about in the car, but nothing was missing. The complainant also told police she found a couple of receipts, a nail file and a Panera Bread Preferred Customer Card that wasn't hers laying on the driveway near her car.

Burglary

Property valued at $1,360 was stolen from a house in the 4900 block of Stonewall Ave on December 12 between 1 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.. The complainant told police she returned from a party around 1 a.m. and left her purse on the couch in the family room, and at approximately 3:30 a.m. she observed her sliding glass door was ajar, and then noticed numerous items were missing. The complainant stated a desktop light was on in the family room and the stolen items would've been in plain view from the backyard. The sliding glass door is usually locked, the woman said, but her daughter forgot to lock it earlier that evening. Stolen from the house were two cameras, a laptop, computer case, purse, wallet, cash and credit cards.

 

Patch reports on law enforcement activity in our town, using information provided by official agencies. Persons charged with a crime or issued a citation for violation of a local ordinance are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If you or a family member are charged with a crime or cited for a violation and the charge or citation is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor of this Patch at Robert.Bykowski@Patch.com so we can follow up on the case.


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