Tow Truck Used In Darien Truck Theft: Cops

DARIEN, IL — People in a red tow truck were seen stealing a truck from a driveway in Darien last week, according to police.

Valued at $3,500, the truck was stolen about 8:30 p.m. April 29 in the 7600 block of Brookhaven Avenue, a residential neighborhood.

Asked about the incident, Police Chief Greg Thomas said there was no repossession order and that those doing repossessions are supposed to check in with the local police department beforehand. The owner has title to the truck, he said.

"The detective reviewing the case advised (and the original report indicates) some strange things that occurred," Thomas said in an email to Patch. "The truck was to be sold, but wouldn’t start when the intending purchaser looked at the truck earlier in the week. There was a witness to the theft, but (the witness) didn’t confront the tow truck driver or call the police."

Here is information from other recent Darien police reports:

Domestic battery

• Aimee Andrews, 30, of Summit, was arrested about 1:30 p.m. Sunday near Williams Street and Hawthorne Place on two counts of domestic battery. She was taken to the DuPage County Jail.

Drug possession

• Carleen North, 37, of Chicago, was arrested about 12:30 a.m. April 26 in the 8300 block of Cass Avenue on charges of possession of a controlled substance, driving with a suspended license and speeding. She was speeding 50 mph in a 40 mph zone. She was released and given a date to appear in court.

Driving violations

• Valerie Walton, 20, of Bolingbrook, was cited about 10 p.m. April 26 in the 2600 block of Oldfield Road on charges of no valid driver's license and speeding. She was speeding 45 in a 25 mph zone. She was released and given a date to appear in court.
• Pierre Prescott, 25, of Darien, was cited at 1 a.m. April 27 near Cass Avenue and Plainfield Road on charges of driving with a suspended license, improper lighting and operating an uninsured vehicle. His passenger, Natalie Chavez Espinoza, 22, of Westmont, was cited on two DuPage County warrants charging failure to appear. They were released and given a date to appear in court.
• Kenneth Taggart, 21, of Woodridge, was cited about 10 a.m. April 27 on 83rd Street on Beller Drive on charges of driving with a revoked license, unlawful possession of marijuana by a driver and speeding. Taggart was released and given a date to appear in court.

Catalytic converter stolen

• Someone stole a catalytic converter from a bus overnight April 22 at The Sportsplex, 451 Plainfield Road. The loss is estimated at $2,000. The Sportsplex is part of the Darien Park District. Catalytic converters have been targeted by thieves because they contain metals that have become a lot more valuable in the last year.

Police report information is provided by local police departments. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.