Police Blotter: Teen Fights for His Pet Rat

MONDAY, JUNE 18

Fight at Summer School

Two 17-year-old boys were charged with disorderly conduct in connection with a fight that occurred during summer school at South High.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

Subdivision Pillar Knocked Over

A 5-foot-tall decorative pillar at the entrance of the Knottingham subdivision in the 7800 block of Queens was removed from its base and knocked over. Estimated damage is $1,000.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

$1,000 in Tools Stolen From Van

An estimated $1,000 in various tools were stolen from a van parked in a hotel parking lot sometime overnight.

Teen Punched Over Pet Rat

Police were called to the Red Roof Inn, 1113 Butterfield, in response to someone being punched after refusing to sell his pet rat to another tenant. The 17-year-old owner of the pet rat said he walked past a couple of girls about his age and one of them asked him to sell the rodent to her. According to police, when he said no, the girl's boyfriend started asking him in an aggressive manner. The two started yelling at each other and the boyfriend went inside and came back out with a hunting knife, police said. The rat owner was punched, causing him to drop the rat, which ran away, according to the report. Because the conflicting stories of everyone involved and the teen's unwillingness to press charges, no charges were filed.

Air Conditioner Stolen From Yard

A furnace/air conditioner valued at $4,000 was stolen from the yard of a house in the 3900 block of Sterling. The owner put the furnace near her garage after replacing it with a new one.

Shotgun Accidentally Fires

Albert Voss, 64, of 5620 Walnut, was charged with possession of a firearm without a FOID card after a shotgun was fired in his apartment. According to police, Voss was showing his cousin the gun he has had for more than 30 years and was trying to clear the gun when it discharged. After trying to clear the gun, Voss believed there wasn't another shell in it so he pulled the trigger and accidentally blew a hole in his wall about six inches from the ceiling, police said.

THURSDAY, JUNE 14

Car Shot with Paintballs in Shape of Smiley Face

A car parked in the Main Street Depot south parking lot was shot with paintballs in the design of a smiley face sometime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13

Catalytic Converters Stolen Off Cars

Two catalytic converters valued at a total of $1,000 were cut off Toyota vehicles parked in a parking lot on Butterfield Road.

FRIDAY, JUNE 8

Patio Furniture Stolen from Yard

A patio umbrella and two patio chairs valued at a combined $550 were stolen from the back yard of a house in the 4500 block of Oakwood sometime between June 8 and June 15.

The following incidents and arrests were reported by the . 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.