Resident Hands Over $594 in Phone Scam

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

Monday, March 21

8:56 a.m.: Two laptops valued at $500 were reported missing from View Marketing, 3130 Finley Road. The president of the company said the laptops were taken from two offices between 10 a.m. March 19 and 7:45 a.m. March 21. Police said there were no signs of forced entry.

12:44 p.m.: George F. Chopp, 52, of Sandwich was charged with drinking alcohol on public property at the Fairview Avenue train station, 5099 Fairview Ave. Police said they observed Chopp drink from a can of beer then throw the can away near the station. When approached, Chopp apologized for drinking in public.

5:04 p.m.: A GPS valued at $125 and a car stereo valued at $100 were taken from a car in a parking garage at Corridors II, 2651 Warrenville Road, between 7:45 a.m. and 5 p.m. Police said entry to the car was gained by breaking a rear vent window and unlocking the passenger side doors. Damage to the window is estimated at $100.

Tuesday, March 22

8:50 a.m.: The front door handle and lock of a car parked at Advocate Good Samaritan Wellness Center, 3551 Highland Ave., sustained $100 in damage between 12:30 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. March 21. The owner of the car noticed the damage after returning from a physical therapy appointment. Police said the damaged appeared to have been from another car door swinging into the car.

11:39 a.m.: A resident of the 1000 block of Ogden Ave. came to the police station to report a theft of $594. Police said the resident was contacted in January by phone and told he owed $10,000 for a loan opened in his name, but he would not have to go to court if he sent $594. An authorization letter with the resident’s bank account number was faxed two times, once for $300 and the other time for $294. The resident said his bank statement later showed the transactions, one in New York and the other in California. Although the resident was apprehensive about what happened, he did not report the incident until receiving another call at 2 p.m. March 21 asking for more money.

2:52 p.m.: The word "MINE" was spray painted on the east side of Belmont Plaza, 5129 Belmont Road, between 2 p.m. March 21 and 1 p.m. March 22. 

Wednesday, March 23

7:24 a.m.: Hugo Nmi Mora, 27, of Downers Grove was charged with obstructing identification after a patrol officer recognized him from previous booking photos and knew he had a revoked license. When the officer pulled Mora’s car over near Belmont Road and Curtiss Avenue, Mora claimed he did not have identification and allegedly gave the officer a false name. When the officer showed Mora the photo of his last arrest, Mora admitted to his identity and was taken into custody, according to the police report. 

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 elaine@Patch.com so we can follow up on the case.