The following items were taken from police reports and news releases. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
Chicago Ridge
SHOTS FIRED: Police have recovered spent casings — all of the same caliber — from a recent roadway shooting, but continue to seek the public’s help in finding the participants. Chief James Jarolimek said in an email that a witness reported a car pursuing a tow truck around 5:15 p.m. Feb. 13 on Oak Avenue from 106th Street to 108th Street, with someone in the car shooting at the truck. The tow truck driver had not contacted police as of Tuesday, Jarolimek said. While the good news is there appear to be no gunshot victims or local property damage, “without the driver of the tow truck coming forward, we have no idea what could have caused this to happen,” he said of the chase, which passed the 2-acre Village Memorial Park. “We are very fortunate nobody was struck by any of the rounds, especially because it was a sunny 50-degree afternoon when the incident occurred,” he said. Anyone with information should call 708-425-7831.
Homer Glen
AGGRAVATED BATTERY: Christopher Mroz, 37, 14500 block of Coachmans Lane, Homer Glen, has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery/victim 60+, in connection with a Feb. 13 incident in that block, according to Will County Circuit Court records online. He is scheduled to appear at a March 7 preliminary hearing and remained in the Will County Adult Detention Facility Wednesday in lieu of $40,000 bond, according to court and Will County Sheriff’s records online.
Mokena
DRONE ASSIST: The department’s Facebook page is crediting a drone operator from the department with helping Illinois State Police nab three people who fled a single-vehicle crash on I-55 at Weber Road early Tuesday morning. The department purchased two drones in 2021 after previously borrowing drones from Orland Park.
New Lenox
AGGRAVATED BATTERY: Michael P. Franczyk, 54, 400 block of Sycamore Street, New Lenox, was arrested and accused of aggravated battery Saturday at the Harry E. Anderson VFW Post 9545 after punching one employee in the face and pushing a second, police said.
Orland Park
AGGRAVATED SPEEDING: Abdallah M. Dalis, 19, 7900 block of 172nd Street, Tinley Park, was arrested and accused of aggravated speeding Feb. 7 after an officer clocked him driving 57 mph while passing Jerling Junior High School as students were exiting, police said.
DUI: Daniel M. Finn, 22, 14900 block of Highland Avenue, Orland Park, was arrested and accused of drunken driving, driving under the influence of drugs and driving with unsafe tires Feb. 6 at Poplar Road and Golfview Drive after driving a pickup truck for approximately 12 blocks without a fourth tire, police said. Officers found Finn and the three-tired vehicle by following rim scrapes in the roadway, police said. Finn told officers he was trying to get his passenger home quickly “due to having flat tires,” police said.
CHILD ENDANGERMENT: Elijah J. Fuller, 22, 200 block of Farragut Street, Park Forest, was arrested and accused of child endangerment Feb. 14 after leaving his girlfriend’s infant alone in an unlocked car in an Orland Square Mall parking lot, police said. Illinois law prohibits leaving children younger than seven alone for more than 10 minutes. Fuller said he brought the baby into the mall but returned it to the car after it began crying, estimating an hour had passed, police said.
RETAIL THEFT: Paulina A. Ochoa, 32, Kankakee, was charged with felony retail theft Feb. 12 at Macy’s, 1 Orland Square Drive, after stealing clothing selling for $1,252, police said.
ILLEGAL GUN: Denzel R. Pettis, 25, 16100 block of Saint Louis Avenue, Markham, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon during a Feb. 15 traffic stop at 157th Street and Harlem Avenue, police said. Officers checking the vehicle after smelling marijuana, recovered a .45 caliber handgun with an attached loaded magazine and a bullet chambered from under the front seat, police said. Pettis’ firearm owner’s identification had been revoked, increasing the seriousness of the offense, police said.
Palos Heights
DUI: Yuridia E. Carreto, 37, Chicago, was arrested and accused of drunken driving with a blood-alcohol concentration above the legal limit, sleeping/parking in the roadway and illegally transporting alcohol Feb. 18 in the 7000 block of 126th Street after officers found her slumped over the wheel, police said.
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DUI: Clarence E. Mays III, 31, 14700 block of Central Avenue, Oak Forest, was arrested and accused of drunken driving with a blood-alcohol concentration above the legal limit, sleeping/parking in the roadway and illegally transporting alcohol Feb. 19 in the 7000 block of 127th Street after officers found him slumped over the wheel, police said.
Park Forest
DOMESTIC BATTERY: Officers involved in a fatal vehicle crash investigation near the intersection of McGarity Road and Hemlock Street were approached shortly after midnight Saturday by a naked woman with a bleeding mouth and swollen cheek, police said. An officer accompanied the woman and her dog to her home, where he arrested Phillip J. Hubbard, 28, 3600 block of Western Avenue, on an accusation of domestic battery, police said. The dog became upset when Hubbard was handcuffed, prompting a sergeant to deploy his stun gun, striking the dog with two prongs, police said. The dog ran away but returned later “in good spirits,” police said.
Steger
BURGLARY: Marcanthony C. Littlejohn Jr., 28, Country Club Hills, was arrested Feb. 14 in the 3700 block of Green Street and accused of burglary, battery and criminal trespassing, police said.
GUN THREAT: A student at Bloom Trail High School was removed from class Feb. 13 after threatening to bring a gun to school to shoot other students during a verbal altercation, police said. School officials searched the student’s locker, determined there was no gun, released him to a parent and are planning administrative action, police said.
Tinley Park
AGGRAVATED BATTERY: Kimberly M. Adams, 25, 21500 block of Locust Street, Matteson, is scheduled to return to Will County Circuit Court Thursday, Feb. 23 on charges of aggravated battery in a public place and domestic battery stemming from a Feb. 2 physical altercation at Buffalo Wild Wings, 7301 183rd Street, according to court records online.