Infuriated Neighbor Shakes Early Morning Tree Trimmer Off Ladder, Cops Say

A Downers Grove man was charged with battery after he got into an confrontation with another neighbor who was trimming his tree at 4:17 a.m., reports said.

Police responded to the 400 block of Bunning Drive around 4 a.m. April 14 where he met the caller outside his house. The caller was trimming some elm tree branches with garden shears, because the tree was dripping sap on his parents’ cars, he claimed.

When asked why he chose that hour to do tree work, the caller said he got off work at 4 a.m., but did not go to bed until 5 or 6 p.m., police said.

The caller told police that while trimming his tree, his neighbor, Joe Baran, came out of his house and started yelling at him, according to the report.

The two men exchanged words and the caller went inside to tell his mother, police said. He went back outside again to his tree work.

While standing on second or third rung of the ladder, the caller claimed that Baran came over to his side of fence and allegedly shook the ladder, causing the caller to fall off and land on his rear.

Police did not observe any marks on the caller’s lower back, who refused paramedics. The caller also advised police that Baran took the garden shears, and offered conflicting statements to police, reports said.

The officer went over to Baran’s house, who explained to police that his neighbor had woken him with his tree trimming, He also said that he stayed on his own side of the fence line, and denied shaking his neighbor off the ladder, police said.

Baran was arrested and taken into custody. He charged with battery and released on an I-bond. He has a court appearance on May 21.

Police could not the missing shears.