Gotcha! Food 4 Less Thief Caught: Oak Forest Police Blotter

SATURDAY, DEC. 22

Smashed Rear Window

Police were called to a home in the 4400 block of Adele Lane, after a victim reported criminal damage to a car.

At the home, police spoke with the victim, who said sometime overnight, an unknown suspect(s) broke out the rear window of their car. Officers saw the damaged vehicle, and noted that some sort of blunt object was used to completely break out the rear window of the vehicle.

The victim said they believed they knew who damaged the car, but were not totally positive.

THURSDAY, DEC. 20

Liquor Theft at Food 4 Less 

Joshua Runions, 31, of the 3200 block of 161st Street, Markham, was charged with retail theft after an incident at Food 4 Less.

While on patrol, officers were flagged down in the Food 4 Less parking lot buy a complainant, who said Runions had just stolen liquor from the store. Police saw Runions tumble out of the back of a pickup truck that was exiting the parking lot and followed the trunk, pulling it over across the street.

Police spoke with the driver, who said Runions had asked for a ride to the store to pick up groceries, and that on the way the driver advised Runions not to steal anything.

The driver told officers he knew Runions had stolen items from the store and pulled away because he did not want to be part of the theft. Officers had the driver call Runions and located him at the Dunkin' Donuts, 159th Street and Laramie Avenue.

Officers convinced Runions to turn himself in and then took him to the Oak Forest Police Station, where he was charged with retail theft for $264.78 and released on bond. Runions is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 8, 2013.

MONDAY, DEC. 17

Speeding Down Central, Pot in Tow

James L. Gonzales, Jr., 24, of the 2600 block of Vermont Street, Blue Island, was charged with speeding over the posted limit, no valid proof of insurance, driving while license suspended and cited for possession of cannabis after a traffic stop in the 15000 block of Central Avenue.

While on patrol, officers clocked Gonzales going 41 mph in a 25 mph zone, and imitated a traffic stop. During the stop, officers detected a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle and asked to search the car.

During the search, officers found three small plastic baggies in the car. The baggies contained a green, leafy substance that field-tested positive as 2.5 grams of cannabis.

Gonzales was taken to the Oak Forest Police Department, where he was processed and released on bond. He was given a courtdate of Jan. 15, 2013, in the Bridgeview Courthouse.

SATURDAY, DEC. 15

Candy-Caned Basketball Hoop

A resident in the 15200 block of Pine Drive reported that some time between midnight and 2:30 a.m., an unknown suspect(s) removed two lighted candy canes from their yard, and hung two more from a basketball hoop on the victim's property.

Car Crash Driver Flees

Londray Robinson, 29, of the 15800 block of LeClaire Avenue, was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash, leaving the scene of a property damage crash, driving while suspended and no proof of insurance.

Officers were called to an accident scene in the 4800 block of 158th Street, where they spoke with a crash victim who said the offending vehicle hit their car and drove off.

Officers later were contacted by the Markham Police Department, who said they had Robinson in custody on unrelated charges and that his passenger admitted to being involved in an accident prior to the Markham incident.

Officers went to the Markham Police Department, where they spoke with Robinson who admitted to the accident. He was charged and released, with a pending court date of Jan. 2, 2013, at the 5th District Court Building.  

Police Blotter information is provided by the Oak Forest Police Department. 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.