Berwyn Police Blotter
Traffic stops / accidents
Monday, August 25, 2008
Janura Park drive-thru
August 25, 2008
Janura Park, on 28th from Oak Park to East, has a number of features—basketball court, baseball diamonds, grass, trees—but no racetrack as yet. Nevertheless, a man drove through the Park—through it, not past it—on August 9th at 11 AM. Earnest Lee, 26yrs old, of Bellwood, was charged with one count of driving under the influence of drugs, driving on a suspended or revoked license—for which his vehicle was impounded—and leaving the scene of an accident.
Traffic stops / accidents • Unusual, mysterious, odd or just weird • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Unlicensed speeders
August 19, 2008, 2:20 AM
A green Ford Explorer was stopped at Cermak and Elmwood for doing 40 MPH in a 25 MPH zone. Driver Nelida Ramirez, 30, of Cicero, told police she had no licensed. Objects were observed dangling from her rear view mirror. Ramirez was cited for driving unlicensed, speeding and having an obstructed view.
8:14 AM
In the 6700 block of Cermak, police stopped a red Ford Escape. The driver told police she did not have her driver’s license on her. In fact, her license was cancelled on March 15, 2008. Elizabeth A. Rodriguez, 26, of Lyons, said she was unaware of the cancellation. She was cited for speeding and driving unlicensed.
Traffic stops / accidents • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Bass falsehood
August 16, 2008, 2:58 AM
Police stopped an excessively loud black GMC Envoy at 26th and Highland, advising the driver of the reason for the stop. Driver Jesus Diaz, 26,of the 4900 block of 30th St., Cicero, replied that his music was not too loud and further, that he did not have “bass”. However, an inventory of the Envoy revealed a switch between the center console and the driver’s seat. Wires connected the switch to an amp in the rear of the vehicle. Flipping said switch activated the bass subwoofer. The Envoy was impounded, and Diaz ticketed for noise.
6:02 PM
An officer on Ogden heard an ever-increasing loud thumping bass noise coming from a Chevy Tahoe. The officer stopped the SUV at Wesley and Ogden. It was occupied by several people. The officer could just make out two large subwoofers by looking through the tinted windows. The SUV was impounded. Driver Alberto Rodriguez, 25, no address given, received the $500 noise-violation ticket. A custodial search of the vehicle revealed two amps under the back seat, two large subwoofers and numerous CDs.
Noise violations • Traffic stops / accidents • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Cicero/Berwyn traffic incident, with alleged gang interlude
August 16, 2008, 1:41 AM
Cicero police called to report they had a disabled vehicle whose driver told them he was involved in an accident in Berwyn. Driver Ulises Cornelio, 32, of the 4500 block of north Central Park, Chicago, driving a Chevy Blazer, had struck a yellow cement barrier behind the alley on the south side of 26th between Lombard and Harvey; the SUV had a broken axle. Cornelio was arrested because he had neither license nor insurance. A check of his name revealed he had been convicted of driving under the influence in 2001, resulting in the revocation of his license.
Cornelio made the following statement to police; this is the translated-into-English version:
“Today I went to visit my brother-in-law in Berwyn, not sure of address. I had a beer or two, then started to drive home when I hit a concrete barrier. I did not see the barrier. I stopped the car and got pulled out by two gangbangers who spoke Spanish, stole my chain and told me to leave. I did not get a clear view of the gangbangers. I left the car, then returned later. I was able to drive slowly. A little while later, the axle went out and I could no longer drive it. I work as a painter painting condominiums. I have lived in the US eight years.”
Cornelio was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, driving on a revoked license, and driving uninsured.
Gang activity • Suspicious people, objects or events • Traffic stops / accidents • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Suspicious car won’t pull over, tries to make it to mom’s place
August 15, 2008, 10:23 PM
A detective working as part of the West Suburban Drug and Gang Enforcement unit noticed a green Mercury Marquis with no tail lights at 38th and Cuyler. The officer activated his emergency lights to indicate the Mercury must pull over. Instead, the car drove several more blocks until it stopped in the alley behind the 3800 block of Lombard. As the detective approached the Mercury, a woman stepped up and tried to start a conversation; the detective told her to step back. Driver Richard Chapman, 34, of Genoa City, Wisconsin, was unable to produce a license, only a Wisconsin ID card. He told the detective he did not stop because he knew his license was suspended, and he wanted to return the car to his mom. The car was impounded. Chapman was charged with driving on a suspended license and having nonworking tail lights.
Suspicious people, objects or events • Traffic stops / accidents • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Failure to yield, and a sitcom-style speeding excuse
August 15, 2008, 4:17 PM
An officer attempted to curb a red Ford Escort after seeing it doing 34 MPH in a 20 MPH zone while northbound on East. But the car would not stop. Other cars were pulling over for the officer’s emergency lights, just not the Ford Escort. Finally, the officer was able to stop the car blocks away at 19th and Elmwood.
Driver Jorge Azpeita, 44, of Cicero, had no license. He presented an insurance card obtained at Magnum insurance, 4259 Weston, Chicago, which appeared to be good until March 2009. But when police phoned Magnum, they learned the policy was cancelled last month. Azpeita also had an active arrest warrant out of Westmont. He was charged with speeding, driving unlicensed and uninsured, no seat belt, and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.
4:49 PM
A white Olds Aurora, headed northbound on East from Cermak, was clocked doing 41 MPH in a 20 MPH zone. Driver Juana Aranda told the officer his wife was in labor, about to have a baby, so an ambulance was summoned. But things must not have been quite that far along, since the wife signed a refusal of medical treatment. Aranda, 23, of Cicero, received tickets for speeding, no license ever obtained, and failure to properly restrain a child under age 8.
Suspicious people, objects or events • Traffic stops / accidents • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Off to the tow yard, noisemakers
August 15, 2008, 12:59 PM
Police stopped a loud Chevy Tahoe in the 6400 block of Cermak and impounded it. The $500 ticket went to driver Richard Castellanos,26, of Summit.
1:40 PM
A white BMW was stopped at the same location for the same reason and with the same result. The ticket went to driver Anthony Martinez, 19, of the 1200 block of Cuyler.
Noise violations • Traffic stops / accidents • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Seat belt safety check trips up suspended/revoked drivers
August 15, 2008, 9:41 AM
Police stopped a white Ram van during a seat belt safety check on Harlem near the Burlington tracks. Driver Dario E. Lemus, 30, of Chicago Ridge, had a revoked license, no insurance and no seat belt. The van was impounded because of the license revocation.
9:48 AM
Same location, this time a white Acura’s driver wore no belt. Jose L. Osornio, 25, of the 4400 block of south St. Louis, Chicago, had a license that had been suspended since June of 2006. He was cited for both and the car was impounded.
10:08 AM
Silver Sonata, seat-belt-less driver. Barbara Anne Held, 45, of Hobart, IN, told police she had no license on her person; in fact, her Indiana license had been suspended, so the car was impounded.
10:19 AM
A red Ford Explorer stopped at the checkpoint was driven by Charles D. Bartzowicz, 35, of the 1800 block of Clarence. His license had been suspended since September, 2007, so the SUV was impounded. He was cited for that and driving on a suspended license.
10:22 AM
A red Chevy pickup was stopped at the checkpoint. When asked to produce license and insurance, the driver instead identified himself using a Polish ID. Krzysztof Nykaza, 23, of Burbank, had no license and was listed as on “suspended” status by the secretary of state, He was arrested and charged with driving while suspended, no valid license, no insurance and no seatbelt; the truck was impounded.
10:52 AM
In the 3400 block of Harlem, police stopped a black Crown Victoria. Driver Pamela J. Brials, 38, of Melrose Park, told police her license was not with her. In fact, it was suspended, so the car was impounded. Brials was cited for that, for wearing no seat belt, and for have an unsecured child passenger.
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Pimped out and pulled over
August 15, 2008, 10:47 AM
An officer stopped a green Ford Explorer at Oak Park and Cermak because the SUV had a red flashing light in action behind its front grille, contra the state code regarding such lights.* Driver Gerardo Miranda, 46, of the 2100 block of Gunderson, also had no license to drive and was cited for both offenses.
*
625 ILCS 5/12‑215) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12‑215)
Sec. 12‑215. Oscillating, rotating or flashing lights on motor vehicles. Except as otherwise provided in this Code:
(a) The use of red or white oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:
1. Law enforcement vehicles of State, Federal or
local authorities ...[etc., etc].
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Monday, August 18, 2008
The Tragedy of Impaired Driving
A message from Chief William Kushner:
As long as I’ve been a police officer, I’ve never gotten used to the sorrow I feel when I am called to the scene of a crash where a person has died due to impaired driving. Yet this senseless loss of human life is a daily reality throughout Illinois and the nation — year after year.
Imagine the public outrage if 33 jumbo jets — each carrying about 400 people — crashed every year in America killing all on board. That tragedy is equivalent of the toll our country suffers annually due to impaired driving. Where is the indignation over this catastrophe?
The fact is that impaired driving deaths did decline dramatically during the 1980s through the early 1990s. Social activism, including the rise of organizations such as MADD, led to tighter laws that helped bring the death toll down. During that period, every state, including Illinois in 1997, made it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or above.
But within the last decade, the numbers have been essentially stagnant. In 2006 alone, the latest year for which we have data, 13,500 people died in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was legally drunk, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Particularly shocking is that among those dead were
306 children under age 15 — innocent crash victims easily avoidable.
In Illinois in 2006, according to estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 594 people lost their lives in crashes involving drivers who had been drinking alcohol.
During the last five Labor Day holidays in Illinois, 86 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes. Statistics say 38 or 44 percent of these fatalities resulted from crashes involving drivers who had been drinking alcohol.
Because we are committed to ending this tragedy, the Berwyn Police Department will join with others throughout the Illinois and the nation during the upcoming Labor Day holiday period for an intensive crackdown on impaired driving. This nationwide enforcement campaign, bolstered by new Illinois radio and TV advertising, is focused on the worst offenders, 21- to 34-year-old males. It airs from August 18th through September 1st.
As police officers, our message during this crackdown and all year long is clear and unwavering: You Drink & Drive. You Lose. With stepped-up law enforcement throughout Illinois — including roadside safety checks and saturation patrols — if you drive impaired, you will get caught.
With summer winding down, Labor Day is an extremely popular time to gather for with friends and family in Berwyn and across Illinois. All too often, it can also be deadly due to impaired driving.
If you plan on using alcohol while celebrating Labor Day, designate a SOBER driver BEFORE the party begins. Be responsible, or risk a DUI charge.
Sincerely,
Chief William Kushner
Berwyn Police Department
The Berwyn Police Department will conduct Roadside Safety Checkpoints on the following dates at these locations –
Saturday August 23, 2008 – 11:00 pm to 3:00 am at Harlem Ave and 25th Street
Friday August 29, 2008 – 11:00 pm to 3:00 am at Ogden and East Aves.
Saturday August 30, 2008 – 11:00 pm to 3:00 am at Harlem Ave and 25th Street
Saturday September 6, 2008 - 11:00 pm to 3:00 am at Ogden and East Aves.
Announcements • Drugs, alcohol, DUI • Traffic stops / accidents • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
License plate, children, casually attached
August 14, 2008, 6:09 PM
A Suburban, northbound on East, was stopped at 16th when an officer saw its front plate was not properly attached, but merely wedged into the front grille. Driver Juan Carlos Gonzalez, 26, of Cicero, had a suspended license, so the SUV was impounded. He also had a can of Miller beer under the driver’s seat, and objects hanging from the rear view mirror, the report noted. Four children were in the car, ranging from 10 years down to an 18-month-old baby. The bigger kids were not in seat belt or car seats. The baby was sitting on a booster seat, but it was not attached to the vehicle. The rear license plate was obscured by green paint. Gonzalez was cited for all of the above.
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Noise-violators keep tow trucks busy
August 14, 2008, 8:15 AM
A Honda Civic was stopped for violating the noise ordinance in the 6800 block of Cermak. Driver Noe Agosto, Jr, 23, of Cicero, received the $500 ticket, and the car was impounded.
11 AM
In the 1900 block of Gunderson, police stopped a Nissan Maxima for excessive loudness. The car was impounded and the noise ticket went to driver Marian Mark Vasilas, 25, of the 2300 block of Euclid.
11:37 AM
A maroon Plymouth Voyager minivan was pulled over in the 7000 block of Cermak for being too loud. It was impounded. Driver Salvador Solais, 25, of the 2300 block of Home, was cited for the offense.
1:14 PM
A white Suburban, audible more than 75 feet away, was stopped for same in the 6400 block of Cermak. Driver Rogelio Guzman, 17, of the 2400 block of south Harding, Chicago, had no license, just a learner’s permit. The SUV was impounded. Guzman got ticketed for noise, no insurance, and violation of license classification.
Noise violations • Traffic stops / accidents • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Impounded for noise
August 13, 2008, 9:12 PM
A silver Ford pickup truck was stopped in the 6200 block of Cermak for violating Berwyn’s noise ordinance. Driver Carlos A. Sosa, 28, of the 2100 block of 61st Ave., Cicero, was issued a $500 noise ticket. He refused to sign the ticket, and also refused to sign the tow form when the vehicle was impounded.
Noise violations • Traffic stops / accidents • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Suspended Cicero driver blows stop at Scoville
August 11, 2008, 6:13 PM
An officer saw a white Oldsmobile disobey the stop sign at 24th and Scoville. The car was impounded after it was determined that the license of Julio Salasa, 21, of Cicero, had been suspended. He was cited for the blown stop, the suspended driving and no insurance.
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Friday, August 15, 2008
Suspended speeder
August 10, 2008, 8:06 PM
Police stopped a silver Pontiac at Grove and Ogden for doing 54 MPH in a 30 MPH zone. The driver said he had no ID, but gave the name “Carlos Beltran” and a birthdate; that combination yielded “no record on file”. He was arrested, and his fingerprints said he was actually Manuel M. Beltran, 36, of the 1900 block of Harvey. He also had two active arrest warrants out of Cicero. Beltran was charged with driving on a suspended license, speeding, no insurance and obstruction (for the false-name delay).
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