The following items were taken from police and court reports and news releases. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
Burbank
ILLEGAL GUN: Brian Nicasio, 28, Chicago, was arrested during a March 5 traffic stop at 79th Place and LaVergne Avenue after an officer recovered a 9 mm handgun from under the driver’s seat and a magazine containing 10 bullets from the center console during a pre-tow search of the vehicle, police said.
Frankfort
FORMER TEACHER SENTENCED: A former teacher at Summit Hill Junior High School was sentenced March 7 to 180 days in jail and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as part of 30 months’ probation after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual assault to a child, according to Will County Circuit Court records online. Jack L. Mecher, 53, 22500 block of Merritton Road, Frankfort, was a seventh grade teacher in March 2020 when the abuse occurred, according to court records online. Will County sheriff’s police said investigators learned of his relationship with the student from the student’s mother.
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Homewood
DISPLAYING KNIFE: Brandon Darty, 29, 19100 block of Pierce Avenue, Homewood, was arrested and accused of resisting a police officer, disorderly conduct and criminally damaging property March 5 in the 17700 block of Halsted Street, after displaying a knife while asking a McDonald’s cashier what was inside the register, police said. Darty left the store and then refused to comply with officers’ commands when he was located, police said.
DUI CRASH: Richard Jackson, 66, 22800 block of East Drive, Richton Park, was arrested and accused of drunken driving with a blood-alcohol concentration above the legal limit and failing to reduce speed to avoid a collision during a March 2 crash investigation at Halsted Street and Ridge Road, police said.
Mokena
TRAIN STOPPAGE: Service on the Rock Island Line was temporarily halted March 8 after a motorized vehicle became stuck in the tracks at Wolf Road and Front Street, police said. Recovery crews removed the vehicle, which was not struck by a train, police said. The Metra line runs from Joliet to the LaSalle Street Station in Chicago.
Oak Lawn
AGGRAVATED ROBBERY: A 42-year-old Palos Hills man wore a brown Cook County Corrections jacket while carting a $1,215, 180-amp portable welder and other tools March 9 out of Home Depot, 4060 95th St., police said. Daniel A. Smith, undisclosed address, retained the welder by pepper-spraying an employee in the face, but the injured employee managed to cart everything else back to the store despite Smith’s threat to pepper spray him again, police said. Smith, who left the store parking lot in a pickup truck, was booked into Cook County Jail March 11 on accusations of aggravated robbery and battery, according to Cook County sheriff’s records online. He remained in jail Wednesday in lieu of $150,000 bond, according to sheriff’s records online.
Palos Heights
ARMED MOTORIST: Omar Villicana, 26, Chicago, was arrested and accused of unlawful use of a weapon during a March 5 traffic stop in the 11900 block of Harlem Avenue after an officer recovered an undisclosed handgun and determined Villicana to be driving drunk with a blood-alcohol concentration above the legal limit, police said. Villicana was initially stopped for driving without headlights when required and following too close, police said.
ARMED PASSENGER: Fayiz Abdallah, 22, 9100 block of Beloit Avenue, Bridgeview, was arrested and accused of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and obstructing a police officer after he was found to have an undisclosed handgun while fleeing from a March 6 traffic stop in the 12100 block of Ridgeland Avenue, police said.
Palos Hills
GUNS STOLEN: Two Smith & Wesson handguns were reported stolen from cars March 5. One car in the 10300 block of Harlem Avenue had a .357 magnum revolver and the other car in the 11000 block of Southwest Highway had a CSX 9-millimeter pistol.
HOME BURGLARY: Residents of a home in the 11000 block of Theresa Circle reported finding their front door pried open March 10 after a three-hour daytime absence. They also reported evidence of rummaging, and the theft of two jars containing coins.
CAR THEFT: A 2021 Dodge Durango was reported stolen March 5 from the Palos Lanes parking lot, 11025 Southwest Highway, by the owner who checked on the car after realizing a jacket containing the car keys had been taken.
CAR STOLEN: A 2014 Chevrolet Cruz, parked with the keys left inside, was reported stolen March 8, but recovered by Justice police. It was abandoned after crashing into two parked vehicles, police said.
Park Forest
SEX OFFENDER: A 23-year-old convicted sexual offender was taken into custody March 10 by Lansing police on a warrant alleging he violated probation by failing to appear in Will County Circuit Court, according to police and court records. Joshua B. McGhee, 19100 block of Roy Street, Lansing, had met in November 2019 with a 14-year-old Park Forest girl he initially contacted on Snapchat, police said. He was arrested in July 2020, according to Will County sheriff’s and court online records, and pleaded guilty in November 2022 to criminal sexual abuse, using force. He was sentenced to 480 days in jail, with credit for time served, and 24 months’ probation with the requirement he obtain medical and mental health treatment, according to court records online.