Two Arrested on Minor Drug Charges During Traffic Stop

Two men were arrested on minor drug-related charges during a traffic stop by La Grange police at about 12:15 a.m. Oct. 1 at Ogden and Kensington avenues.

The driver, 22-year-old Chicago resident Jason Valero,  was charged with possession of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful use of a weapon (a switchblade knife), and ticketed for improper lane usage and no insurance. Passenger Michael Scanlon, 28, of La Grange Park, was charged with possession of cannabis.

Stolen Car Found

La Grange police are reminding residents not to leave their keys inside their vehicle, even if they go inside for a few minutes, after an investigator found a car in Chicago that had been stolen last week at the 7-Eleven, 47th Street and LaGrange Road. Another stolen car had been left in its place.

“It takes five seconds to take a car,” said investigator Patrick Fulla who found the Brookfield man’s car on the 2600 block of Cermak Road in Chicago on Sept. 30 while checking the area for the vehicle.

Both the stolen cars had the keys left inside them. “Take the keys, even if it’s a short stop,” Fulla said.

‘Gun’ Aimed at Driver

A driver was at a stop sign at 47th Street and East Avenue at about 6:09 p.m. Sept. 30 and reported someone in a white van pointed a “gun” at their vehicle. The vehicle last was seen gong south on East Avenue near 51st Street. Brookfield police stopped the van, with three men inside, and recovered a weapon, said La Grange police, who turned over the investigation to Brookfield police.

The “gun” turned out to be a BB gun and never was aimed at anyone, said Brookfield police Lt. Edward Petrak. Two females were driving west on 47th Street, saw a gun displayed In a van and used a cell phone to call police, Petrak said. The incident happened in Brookfield and police made an arrest on a disorderly conduct charge under a local ordinance violation.  

Homes Burglarized

A woman living on the 900 block of south Spring Avenue reported a wallet was stolen from inside the home Sept. 30 while she went to pick up her child from school. No signs of forced entry were evident and a door was found open, police said.

A woman living on the 300 block of east Calendar Avenue told police she came home at about 11:17 a.m. Sept. 30 and believed someone had broken into her home. She waited for the arrival of police, who said there was forced entry. No loss was reported.

A resident of the 500 block of south Kensington venue told police at about 1:36 p.m. Sept. 30 that she had been home for a while and noticed the back door was open. Neither she nor her son had opened it, the woman told police. The home was secure, police said.

‘Stolen’ Wallet Found

A woman told La Grange police at about 1:12 p.m. Sept. 30 that her wallet had been stolen at a business on the 0-100 block of Hillgrove Avenue. A crossing guard came in to tell police that someone had found the wallet and was holding it at Anthony’s Shoe Repair. The woman got the wallet back and said cash and all the other items still were inside. The wallet must have fallen out of her stroller, according to police.

Don’t Take the Napkins

A restaurant on the 0-100 block of south LaGrange Road told police at about 8:57 p.m. Sept. 30 that a man and woman stole linens from their table and were seen going into the LaGrange Theatre. Police found the couple, and the woman said she had spilled water in her purse and used a napkin to dry it. The napkin was returned, police said.

La Grange Animal Stories

Three or four coyotes have been reported in La Grange in the last three or four days, said Police Chief Michael Holub on Oct. 3, including one seen near Seventh Avenue School, 701 S. Seventh Ave. Police had received several calls at about 8:06 a.m. Sept. 30 about a coyote near the school and a police officer was sent there to keep an eye on the coyote since children were in the area.  The officer lost sight of the coyote.

A woman living on the 100 block of Dover Avenue told La Grange police Oct. 1 that she heard a loud animal noise between 10 and 10:30 p.m. Sept. 30  that she thought came from a cougar. La Grange police said there are no cougars in this area.

A male holding a baby squirrel was coming up to children on the 700 block of south Madison Street at about 4:39 p.m. Sept. 30, police said. An officer found the male, whose age was not given, at 50th Street and Madison. He said he found the squirrel and was taking care of it. Police told him to leave the children alone.

Patch reports on law enforcement activity in our towns, using information provided by official agencies. Persons charged with a crime, or issued a citation for violation of a local ordinance, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If you or a family member are charged with a crime or cited for a violation, and the charge or citation is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor of this Patch site, matthew@patch.com, and we will do follow-up reporting on the case.