Fake School Official Scams Parent Out Of 'Tuition' Money: Blotter

The following information comes from the Glencoe, Kenilworth, Northfield, Wilmette and Winnetka police departments as a record of police activity and incidents reported to the police. Criminal charges merely represent accusations by the state, and county prosecutors often choose to drop or reduce them. Updated information may be available from the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Anyone arrested is innocent unless later proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

GLENCOE

INCIDENTS

UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD
Twenty-seven Glencoe residents reported their identities had been stolen and used to fraudulently apply for unemployment benefits between Dec. 16 and Jan. 6.

IDENTITY THEFT
A Grove Street resident reported on Dec. 16 that they were scammed into providing personally identifiable information by a caller who claimed to be a representative of Amazon.

CAR/GARAGE BURGLARY
Someone got into a Lamborghini left unlocked in the 1000 block of Forest Avenue at some point prior to 1 p.m. Dec. 19. Nothing was taken from inside, but burglars also entered the home's garage and stole clothing from an unlocked Rolls Royce parked inside.

CAR BURGLARY
Someone stole a Chicago parking sticker from a Mini Cooper left unlocked in the 2100 block of Frontage Road prior to 2 p.m. Dec. 21.

RETAIL THEFT
A shoplifter tried to steal a necklace and a paperweight from an unspecified business in the 300 block of Park Avenue prior to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 22 but fled when confronted.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

A 37-year-old Mundelein man was arrested around 9:15 a.m. Jan. 4 and charged with driving with a suspended license following a traffic stop at Knollwood Lane and Sheridan Road. He was also issued an obstructed windshield citation.

A 35-year-old Highwood man was arrested around 10 p.m. Jan. 4 and charged with driving without a valid license following a traffic stop near Green Bay and Lake Cook roads. He was also issued a speeding ticket.

Artur Luberda, 40, of the 10400 block of South 83rd Avenue, Palos Hills, was arrested around 4 p.m. on Jan. 5 following a traffic stop near Lake Cook Road and Turnbull Woods Court and charged with possession of a stolen part, expired registration and unlawful operation of a salvaged vehicle.

KENILWORTH

INCIDENTS

UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD
Between Dec. 19 and Jan. 7, police received eight reports of residents' stolen identities being used in fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits claims.

NORTHFIELD

INCIDENTS

COMMERCIAL BURGLARY
Someone stole two laptop computers, two tables, a cell phone, a GPS measuring device and charging cables from an office suite in the Willow Hill Executive Center, 540 W. Frontage Road, at some point prior to 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 21. Three other burglaries were reported in the building later that morning, with documents, and a radio reported missing.

EMAIL FRAUD
An Old Willow Road resident was scammed into making a wire transfer by a fraudulent email that appeared to have come from a legitimate company.

STOLEN SIGN
Someone stole a sign from the front side of an unspecified business in the 100 block of Northfield Road prior to 8:45 a.m. Dec. 23.

POSSIBLE THEFT
A resident in the first block of Meadowood Lane reported on the evening of Dec. 25 that they suspected a caretaker working at their home had carried out a theft. The resident said they had fired the caretaker and did not want to press charges.

FLEEING/ELUDING
The driver of a gray Toyota fled a traffic stop for running a stop sign at Winnetka Road and Lagoon Drive around 4 p.m. on Dec. 27. The car fled west on Winnetka Road but officers were unable to stop it.

UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD
Twenty-two village residents reported their stolen identities had been used to fraudulently file for unemployment insurance benefits between Dec. 21 and Dec. 31.

RECYCLING DISPUTE
Square reported that someone approached a family member as they placed cardboard boxes into a dumpster and told her that they should have been cut into smaller pieces.

BROKEN WINDOWS

• Police were called to a construction site in the 1800 block of Willow Road on the morning of Dec. 28 for a report of a damaged window.
• A resident in the 500 block of North Happ Road reported that someone had smashed out the back window of an SUV parked in their driveway between 7 p.m. Jan. 1 and 3 p.m. Jan 2.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

Matthew D. Weber, 56, of the 1200 block of Pitner Avenue, Evanston, was arrested shortly before noon on Jan. 2 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop on eastbound Willow Road past Wagner Road. Officers reported the driver, Weber, ran a red light and drove into a snow bank near the 300 block of Churchill Street. Police also issued him citations for disobeying a traffic control device and failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash.

Shantele D. Cobb, 26, of the 7700 block of South Carpenter Street, Chicago, was arrested around 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 3 after officers called to a traffic crash at the intersection of Sunset Ridge and Willow roads and learned Cobb had an active warrant for failure to appear in court following an arrest by state police. Cobb also picked up fresh charges of driving with a suspended license and issued a citation for operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

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WILMETTE

INCIDENTS

UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD
Eighty-one village residents reported their identities had been stolen and used to fraudulently apply for unemployment insurance benefits between Dec. 18 and Dec. 31.

IDENTITY THEFT
A resident in the 1300 block of Greenwood Avenue reported on Dec. 20 that someone had used their identity to open a bank account.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE
Someone damaged a car parked in a lot in the 1100 block of Central Avenue on or before Dec. 22.

PORNOGRAPHIC BLACKMAIL
On Dec. 26, a Timber Lane resident reported he started an online conversation with someone who identified themselves as "Kathlyn," who convinced the resident to strip naked. After he did so, he received an email demanding a blackmail payment to prevent the distribution of the video. The resident made no payment and contacted police.

HOME BURGLARY/BATTERY
A homeowner was beaten after he confronted burglars who broke into his home in the 400 block of Beverly Place on or before Dec. 29. Officers were told the man was home alone when someone came into his home and tried to steal property. The resident chase the burglar outside into a waiting vehicle, where the burglar and a getaway driver battered the homeowner before fleeing.

FRAUD

• A Beverly Drive resident reported on Dec. 22 that someone used their credit card number to make an unspecified unauthorized purchase.
• A 10th Street resident reported that someone used their credit card to make unauthorized purchased at unspecified stores at some point on or before Dec. 29.
• A person at Walgreens, 811 Green Bay Road, reported on Dec. 30 that someone had used their credit card information to make a purchase at an unspecified local business.

THEFTS

• Someone stole a catalytic converter from a vehicle in the 600 block of Hibbard Road on or before Dec. 18.
• On Dec. 19, an officer discovered that a street sign for "Miami Road" was stolen from the corner of Miami and Elmwood roads.
• A resident in the 700 block of Lake Avenue reported that someone stole several personal items from inside their home on or before Dec. 21.
• Someone stole an unspecified part from a car parked in front of a home in the 100 block of Park Avenue on or before Dec. 29.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

A 55-year-old Morton Grove woman was arrested on Dec. 18 following a traffic stop near Lake and Laramie avenues and charged with driving with a suspended license. She was also issued a citation for failure to wear a seat belt.

Lorenzo Caporossi, 53, of the 8700 block of West Sunset Road, Niles, was arrested Dec. 22 and charged with battery following an incident two days earlier near the intersection of Glenview Road and Skokie Boulevard. A bicyclist reported Caporossi confronted him and battered him.

Lonnell Fleming, 47, of the 700 block of Station Boulevard, Aurora, was arrested around 2:45 p.m. on Dec. 23 and charged with driving under the influence following a traffic stop near 15th Street and Wilmette Avenue.

Elliot S. Woodruff, 26, of the 2400 block of Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, was arrested around 1:45 p.m. on Dec. 25 after police officers and fire department paramedics were called to the 3500 block of Walnut Avenue for a report that a driver needed medical attention. Woodruff, the passenger, had an arrest warrant from an unspecified jurisdiction and gave a fake name to officers. He picked up a fresh charge of obstructing identification.

Brooks L. Weber, 26, of the 900 block of West Altgeld Street, Chicago, was arrested around 10:45 p.m. Dec. 30 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop in the 1200 block of Wilmette Avenue. Officers also issued Weber a citation for driving without headlights or proof of insurance.

A 31-year-old Chicago man was arrested around 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 31 and charged with driving with a suspended license and issued citations for not wearing a seatbelt, illegal transportation of an open container of alcohol and no proof of insurance following a traffic stop near Skokie Boulevard and Glenview Road.

WINNETKA

INCIDENTS

UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD
Forty-two village residents reported their stolen identities were used to fraudulently apply for unemployment insurance benefits between Dec. 21 and Jan. 2.

THEFT FROM VEHICLE
Someone stole a laser level worth $700 from an unlocked truck at a construction site in the 900 block of Ash Street prior to 3 p.m. on Dec. 28.

EMAIL SCAM
A Fuller Lane resident was contacted by someone claiming to be the director of the private school their child attends. Between Oct. 20 and Dec. 30, the resident wired the scammer $2,600 for a "tuition" payment.

IDENTITY THEFT

• A Westmoor Road resident reported on Dec. 21 that someone had made nearly $1,000 in unauthorized purchases using their account between Dec. 13 and Dec. 15.
• A Rosewood Avenue resident reported on Dec. 23 that someone had used their identity to apply to rent apartments outside Illinois at some point between Dec. 9 and Dec. 21.

PACKAGE THEFTS

• A resident in the 1100 block of Oak Street reported that someone stole a package delivered to their front porch worth about $36 between 12:20 and 12:40 p.m. on Dec. 22.
• Someone stole a package delivered to the 500 block of Ash Street between 2:42 and 3:40 p.m. on Dec. 28 for a loss of about $14.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

Lorenzo V. Johnson, 21, of the 3000 block of Gabriel Avenue, Zion, was arrested around 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 26 and charged with possession of a controlled substance and driving without ever having been issued a license. Officers also issued him citations for possession of an open container of cannabis in a motor vehicle and disobeying a stop sign.

Marquis D. Williams, 33, of the 1100 block of Cedar Street in Michigan City, Indiana, was arrested around 9 a.m. Jan. 2 at the Wilmette Police Department, 710 Ridge Road, on a charge of identity theft stemming from a Jan. 21, 2019, incident.

Quinlan M. Grimes, 20, of the 800 block of Green Bay Road, Winnetka, was arrested around 3 p.m. on Jan. 2 on a warrant connected to an earlier DUI allegation after officers were called to his home for a report of an argument.

Earlier: Clown Mask-Wearing Man Considered "Suspicious;" Fingerprints Track Identity Thief; DUI Crash In Winnetka; Fake Boss Scams Staffer Into Buying Gift Cards: New Trier Area Police Blotters, Dec. 10–Dec. 16

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