Crime & Safety

Coins in the Fountain are One-Way Transactions

Troubles with purloined purses are reported in Downers Grove and there's a serial water-ballooner in Wheaton.

Not the Same as Finding Them on the Sidewalk

ELMHURST, April 29—Police responded to a call for a woman taking coins from the City Centre fountain. Aris K. Sandefur, 26, 1262 Pine Valley Drive #105, Schaumburg, was arrested at 5:26 p.m. at Schiller and York streets. Police said she admitted taking the coins, but when police spoke to her, she provided officers with her sister’s name and date of birth. She was charged with providing a false ID. Police also discovered she had a failure to appear warrant on a retail theft charge. She was taken to DuPage County Jail.

Spiced Octopurse

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DOWNERS GROVE, April 29—A manager said a woman entered the Westbrook Market, 2065 63rd St., with a large, gray handbag that appeared to be empty. He later saw the woman taking items from the shelves and putting them in the handbag, according to police.

After the woman bought additional items at the register, the manager stopped her outside the store. Police said spiced octopus, herring, candy, crab meat, clams, rice, clam juice, Nutella spread, cereal and a garlic clove were found concealed in the bag.

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Joanne Kousnetz, 42, of Westmont was charged with retail theft. The items were valued at $51. Kousnetz told the manager she was out of work and trying to feed her 4-year-old, according to the report.

Porch Purse Poached

DOWNERS GROVE, April 29—A leather purse valued at $100 and containing items valued at $720 was taken from the front porch of a home in the 6700 block of Saratoga Avenue. Police said the resident forgot the purse on the porch while unloading items from her car between 12:25 p.m. and 12:33 p.m. An iPod, iPhone, cash, five credit cards, and five store credit vouchers were among the items taken from the purse.

Pilfered Purse Found Among the Loafers

DOWNERS GROVE, April 29—A woman came to the police station to report $96 in cash, a debit card and a credit card were taken from her purse at TJ Maxx Home Goods, 7349 Lemont Road, around 12:30 p.m. The woman said the purse was taken from a shopping cart and later found by a manager in the shoe department, but the cash and cards were missing.

Coloring Outside the Lines

GENEVA, April 26—Police stopped a 2000 Chevrolet Blazer at around 9:21 a.m. when it was eastbound in the 100 block of West State Street. The Illinois Secretary of State's Office revealed that the vehicle registration was expired, but the officer noticed the sticker on the license plate was the proper color, with a displayed date of November 2011. Jeffrey Dale Beutke of Cortland, IL, was arrested on charges that he violated motor-vehicle anti-theft law when he altered his vehicle sticker in an effort to make it look valid. Beutke also was charged with unlawful display of a license plate registration sticker, no valid driver's license and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Attempted Bank Withdrawal Raises Orange-Red Flag

ELMHURST, April 25—A woman attempted to impersonate a customer of Wells Fargo Bank, 333 S. Route 83, at 3:19 p.m. The woman, who was in her 50s with medium-length orange-red hair and wearing all-black clothing, attempted to withdraw $5,500 from another woman’s account. The transaction was denied and the suspect left and went into Kohl’s. Police did not locate her.

Trail of Missing Fridge Goes Cold

ELMHURST, April 22—The owner of a home on the 500 block of North Walnut Street reported that a refrigerator valued at $1,000 was missing from the rental property. The landlord said a double-door, stainless steel refrigerator was missing from the property after the tenants moved out. In its place was a small white refrigerator. The tenants, who were evicted from the house for not paying rent, said the stainless steel refrigerator broke, so they gave it to scavengers and replaced it with the smaller one. They denied taking the refrigerator.

Throw in a Sink

BURR RIDGE, April 21—At 6:21 p.m. a display sink was reported stolen from Kohler Water Spa. The estimated value of the sink is more than $1,000. Police are investigating.

Search Begins for Aquabomber

WHEATON, April 10—A water balloon dropped and nearly struck a Wheaton resident and her newborn daughters when they returned from a walk. The resident, who lives in the Wheaton Center Apartments, told police the water balloon missed the babies by just a few inches. When she took police to where the balloon hit the ground, other residents asked if police were there for “the water balloon problem,” according to a police report. Several residents said this is a recurring problem in which people are “constantly” struck by water balloons, but no one knows who throws them, police said.

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