Stranger Gets Into, Asks For Woman's Car At CTA Station: Blotter

WILMETTE, IL — The following information comes from the Wilmette Police Department as a record of police activity and those arrested by police. Criminal charges represent merely accusations by the state and are often dropped or reduced. Updated information may be available from the Cook County Clerk of Courts. Anyone named below is innocent unless their guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

INCIDENTS

APPLE SCAM
A 3rd Street resident reported on Nov. 27 that they had gotten numerous phone calls claiming that their iCloud account had been hacked. The resident answered one of the calls purporting to come from an Apple representative, who convinced the resident to allow full access to their computer, provide scans of identification and buy and send the caller a $100 Amazon gift card, $600 worth of cryptocurrency and $4,000 in Google Play gift cards.

HOME BURGLARIES

• A resident in the 2900 block of Lake Avenue reported on Nov. 25 that he was awoken by the sound of a burglar alarm between 3:11 and 3:48 p.m. The resident went downstairs and witnessed an unidentified person fleeing from the living room and out the front door to a waiting four-door white sedan, which was last seen fleeing west. The front door had been broken open with brute force, but nothing was reported missing at the time of the report.
• Someone broke into a home in the 3100 block of Nina Avenue between Dec. 2 and Dec. 6. It did not appear anything was stolen at the time of the report.
• Someone tried to break into a home in the 1200 block of Elmwood Avenue between 6 and 10:45 a.m. on Dec. 5 through a basement window. The resident reported a home security alarm went off at 6:30 a.m.
• A Trek mountain bike was stolen from an unlocked garage in the 1000 block of Elmwood Avenue sometime between Dec. 4 and Dec. 11.
• Miscellaneous personal items were reported stolen from a home in the 1000 block of Manor Drive between 10 a.m. and 10:10 p.m. on Dec. 19. The house was ransacked after being left unlocked.
• Someone got into a home in the 1000 block of Elmwood Avenue through an unlocked door, stealing a purse, wallet and watch. The burglar may have tried to gain entry by removing a screen and cutting a screen door on the porch.

STOLEN CARS

• Someone stole an unlocked car from the commuter lot at the Metra station between 6:53 a.m. and 6:09 p.m. on Dec. 21. The key had been left in the glove compartment.
• Someone stole a car parked in a driveway in the 2000 block of Central Avenue between 1:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 22. It appeared that it had been left unlocked with a key fob inside.

ARRESTS

Mariela Avila-Vilchez, 26, of the 4100 block of North Mason Avenue, Chicago, was arrested around 4:50 a.m. on Dec. 2 and charged with aggravated driving under the influence after she was found sitting in her vehicle with the emergency lights activated near the intersection of Lake Avenue and Skokie Boulevard. She failed field sobriety tests and was found to have a revoked driver's license.

Lamar Wimberly, 51, of the 7600 block of North Sheridan Road, Chicago, was arrested and charged with retail theft at the Skokie Bed, Bath and Beyond after a store employee at the Wilmette Bed, Bath and Beyond reported he and a woman had just stolen two vacuums. The employee sent images of the pair to surrounding stores, and Wimberly and his companion were found trying to return the stolen items to the Skokie store. Wimberly, who also had an outstanding arrest warrant from the Palatine Police Department, was charged with misdemeanor theft.

Omari T. Johnson, 33, of the 600 block of Elmwood Place, Evanston, was arrested around 8:45 p.m. on Dec. 17 and charged with aggravated driving under the influence, DUI – alcohol and driving with a suspended driver's license by officers responding to a driving complaint from Kenilworth.

Trevein Staten, 24, of the 1200 block of River Drive, Calumet City, was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing to a vehicle following an incident shortly before 8 p.m. on Dec. 20 at the Linden Avenue CTA station. Police were told he opened the door of a car at the station and asked the driver "if she was a taxi." Before the driver answered, Staten had gotten into the front seat and buckled in. He askd the driver twice "if he could have" her vehicle. She fled the car and called 911. Police found Staten a short time later at the station. He was taken to the police department and processed for criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct. Officers learned he also had a bond forfeiture warrant issued by Cook County in connection with a charge of retail theft.

Earlier: 100-Year-Old Woman Reports Car Stolen By Caretaker: Wilmette Police Blotter, Nov. 13 to Nov. 21

Stay Patched In!

• Get Patch real-time email alerts and daily newsletters for the latest Wilmette news.
• Like our Crime page on Facebook
• Check out the Events Calendar for what's going on
• Like Wilmette Patch on Facebook
• Patch Mobile: Get app for iPhone and Android