Police Blotter: Suspected Arson on School Grounds, Thanksgiving Burglar Tackled

SUNDAY, NOV. 27

Domestic Battery

Joseph A. Martire, 23, of the 1200 block of Peacock Lane in Bradley, was charged with domestic battery. Police said Martire shoved a woman in the 5400 block of Margie Lane following an argument around 4 p.m. involving a snow suit.

SATURDAY, NOV. 26

Domestic Battery

Joseph P. Rizza, 27, of the 15800 block of Aspen Court in Oak Forest, was charged with domestic battery. Police said Rizza pushed a woman inside his home around 4 a.m. following an argument. She grabbed a knife in defense and later took a swing at him with a frying pan but missed, before he threw her to the ground, police said. According to the report, Rizza’s side of the story—which included being hit in the head with a frying pan—did not check out medically, though he did sustain scratches on his face.

Cars Involved In Stolen Gas

Police are looking for a Mitsubishi SUV with license plate G13 9079 and a white Dodge van with license plate L40 2909 that were involved in theft and damage at a gas station in the 5500 block of 159th Street. Police said owners of those cars and two more pried the covers off four pumps and illegally filled their gas tanks after hours. The plates were pulled off the station's video surveillance cameras, according to the report.

FRIDAY, NOV. 25

Suspected School Arson

Police said playground equipment at Scarlet Oak School was set ablaze around 7 p.m. Witnesses told police they saw a red car near the playground shortly before the mulch under the equipment began smoking and flaming. Oak Forest firefighters noted char marks on some of the equipment.

THURSDAY, NOV. 24

Attempted Thanksgiving Burglary

Mark D. Kameczura, 51, of the 14600 block of Palmer Street in Posen, was charged with residential burglary. Police said a man who lives in the 15100 block of LaPorte Avenue came home around 8:30 p.m. and found Kameczura carrying a speaker bar out the back. The homeowner tackled Kameczura and a neighbor helped restrain him until police arrived. Officers searched the home for other possible burglars but found none, according to the report.

Domestic Battery

James Snyder, 19, of the 4800 block of 162nd Street in Oak Forest, was charged with domestic battery. Police said Snyder was arguing with a woman inside his home when he shoved her. In return, police said, she knocked over a bong in the living room, prompting Snyder to pull her to the ground and punch her in the face. On the ground, the woman bit Snyder on the chest, according to the report. He was arrested while she received medical treatment for her head.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 23

DUI, Open Alcohol

Brian D. Bettenhausen, 34, of the 27600 block of 80th Avenue in Peotone, was charged with driving under the influence, illegal transportation of alcohol, failure to signal and defective windshield. Police said they stopped Bettenhausen’s car at the I-57 South off-ramp near 167th Street around 1 a.m. for turning twice without a signal. Officers found an open cup of alcohol in his car, and he failed field sobriety tests, according to the report.

Police Blotter information is provided by the . Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.