Police Blotter: Retail Thefts, Fleeing Felon, Corrupt Adult

SUNDAY, APRIL 3

Walmart Retail Theft

Marie P. Davis, 51, of Chicago, was charged with retail theft after police said she took five items valued at $209.96 from Walmart, 2500 95th St., around 7:30 p.m. While in the domestic department, Davis placed electronics items in an empty shopping bag that she got from her purse, then pushed her cart into the customer service department, and requested a refund from an employee, according to reports. Davis gave the employee a receipt for five items she purchased March 31, and police said she was given a full refund. Store security caught Davis upon exiting, according to reports.

SATURDAY, APRIL 2

Fleeing Felon

Officers said Chicago resident Clarence L. Weaver, 35, was charged with felony unlawful possession of marijuana, fleeing and attempting to elude police, and disobeying a stop sign. Tactical officers heard Weaver would be delivering a package of marijuana to someone at the intersection of 98th Street and Washtenaw Avenue at about 8:25 p.m., and that he would be driving a silver four-door car, according to reports. Police said Weaver took off, traveling south, disregarding all stop signs and throwing plastic bags out of his window. Police said Weaver then stopped at the intersection of 99th Street and California Avenue, and was taken into custody by officers. According to police reports, Weaver was charged with a felony of unlawful possession for having between 30 and 500 grams of marijuana.

Walmart Retail Theft

Police said Anthony R. F. Vargas, 19, of Oak Lawn, took one item valued at $3.96 from Walmart, while Joseph M. Alagna, 20, also of Oak Lawn, took something valued at $39.88 from the store. At about 6:34 p.m., Alagna was seen opening a packaging and concealing a pair of headphones in his shorts, and store security saw Vargas place a stereo adapter in his pants pockets, police said. According to reports, Walmart security caught the two men exiting the store, and both were charged with retail theft.

FRIDAY, APRIL 1

Marijuana Possession

Police said Chicago residents E. Marquette Johnson, 45, and Ricardo A. White, 27, were charged with possession of marijuana. Police said they noticed three subjects in a car in the north lot of The Plaza, 9500 S. Western Ave., around 9 p.m., ran the license plate and found that there was a warrant from Cook County for contempt of court on the owner of the car, Marcellus Jenkins, 40, of Chicago. Reports said as police approached the car, they smelled a marijuana odor, and took the driver, Jenkins, into custody for the warrant, then patted down the passengers and found Johnson had .08 gram of marijuana and White had 2 grams of marijuana in his pocket.

THURSDAY, MARCH 31

Traffic Stop Gone Wrong

Officers said Jerry V. Mosley, 22, of Chicago, was charged with attempted obstruction of police after he was stopped for a cracked windshield. According to police reports, officers stopped Mosley at 3:51 p.m. at the intersection of 87th Street and Washtenaw Avenue for a cracked windshield, but found he had no front license plate and a suspended driver's license. Mosley initially tried to pass himself off as Justin Jeffery, a fictitious name, to avoid being arrested for driving on a suspended license, officers said, but when he was being finger-printed at the station, he told police his real name.

TUESDAY, MARCH 29

Adult Corrupting Minors

Police said a woman who drove a few kids to fight was charged with contributing to the delinquency of minors. Police said Evergreen Park resident Margaret A. Coffman, 44, knowingly caused two high school students younger than 18 to become delinquent by driving them to fight another juvenile on the street after school. According to police reports, officers responded to a call over the radio at 3:05 p.m. about a fight that happened at the intersection of 99th Street and Utica Avenue. Police said a gray SUV, occupied by three male juveniles and driven by one female adult, was seen at the location. Officers knew the driver to be Coffman and went to her home, police said, and asked if she knew of a fight that happened at Evergreen Park Community High School. According to reports, Coffman said she was picking up the three students and they got into a fight with another student. However, witnesses said two of the three students got out of Coffman's car, beat up another student and left, according to reports. Police said the ambulance arrived after the SUV left, and paramedics treated the student, but he refused other medical treatment.

MONDAY, MARCH 28

Disorderly Tenant

A man was charged with disorderly conduct for yelling while at his apartment complex. According to police reports, Kevin Dean, 28, of Evergreen Park, was on the phone at about 4:40 p.m., when he told someone if anyone came by his unit ever again he'd shoot them. Police said Dean was upset, claiming a pest control inspector unlawfully entered his unit when he was gone. According to reports, building management said they gave everyone in the building proper notice of the inspections, and each tenant was to give the inspector access to their unit.

Out-of-Breath Burglar

Police said Artaveis C. Bowens, 21, of Chicago, was charged with felony burglary and theft. According to reports, officers responded to a call at 3:51 p.m. of a car burglar running north from 2525 W. 95th St. Police said they found and detained an out-of-breath Bowen, who fit the description of the burglar, near 94th Street and Western Avenue. Store clerks who worked at the location of the burglary identified Bowen as the suspect who they saw inside of the car, according to police. Police said Bowen stole an iPod classic and coins from a 2005 Mercury. According to police reports, Bowen was charged with burglary to a vehicle for stealing from the car, and theft of loss or mislaid property for having items from another car burglary that had taken place a half hour earlier in Chicago. 

Police Blotter information is provided by law enforcement agencies. 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.