A Niles man who allegedly told police he had taken LSD is accused of grabbing an officer’s taser, hitting the officer in the head with it and jumping into the driver’s seat of his running squad car.

Joshua Dartez, 24, of 8855 Greenwood Ave., faces criminal charges — including felony disarming of a police officer and felony aggravated battery to an officer — in connection with the Oct. 13 incident.

According to Niles police, an officer encountered Dartez while responding to a report of a man attempting to open car doors in the parking lot of Baker’s Square, 8584 Dempster St., and along an adjacent street at about 2:40 p.m.

A woman told police she was inside her car when a man, later identified as Dartez, approached and tried to open her locked car door, police said. Dartez then tried to open the door of another car belonging to the woman’s mother before heading to other vehicles in the restaurant parking lot, police said.

When police arrived and began to speak with Dartez, he attempted to open the driver’s side door of a squad car, prompting the responding officer — who had called for back-up — to push Dartez away, police said.

Dartez sat on the ground but suddently jumped back up, opened the driver’s door of the squad car, got inside and put his foot on the accelerator, “revving the engine,” police said.

When the officer attempted to use a taser on Dartez, the device had no effect, as it penetrated only Dartez’s jacket, police said. The officer pulled Dartez out of the squad car, but Dartez grabbed the officer’s taser, striking the officer with it on the left side of his head, police said.

A witness to the altercation helped the officer restrain Dartez on the ground until other responding units arrived, police said.

Dartez, who said he had taken “acid” that day, resisted efforts to take him into custody, removed his pants, and kicked the rear driver’s side door of the squad car three times, attempting to open it, according to police.

Niles paramedics transported Dartez to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. Dartez was put in restraints but yelled for the emergency crews to let him go, police said.

In addition to aggravated battery and disarming a police officer, Dartez was charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest and two counts of criminal trespass to a vehicle.

Bond information was not available Thursday night. Dartez is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 30.

A man serving 13 years in prison for sexually abusing a child and owning child pornography in Lake and Cook counties died Sunday morning in Chicago.

Philip Helfand, 62, an inmate at Dixon Correctional Center, died at University of Illinois Hospital at 10:14 a.m., the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Helfand died while under secure IDOC guard in a hospital after a “long illness,” according to Tom Shaer, Dept. of Corrections spokesman.

In May 2006, Helfand, a former Park Ridge resident, was convicted in Lake County of aggravated criminal sexual abuse to a person younger than 13, and possessing child pornography, according to the IDOC website.

During a May 2006 investigation, Park Ridge police found thousands of pornographic images of children in Helfand’s home, including photos of a 9-year-old Lake Zurich girl he admitted abusing, Pioneer Press reported.

Police searched his home in the 2200 block of Parkside Drive on May 11, 2006 after reports of “unauthorized videotaping,” police said.

Park Ridge police, acting on a tip from the live-in caretaker for his elderly, ill mother. The caretaker showed police a stuffed animal containing a hidden camera, which Helfand had placed in her bedroom. Helfand was arrested and charged for unauthorized videotaping after the search yielded 3,800 known images of child pornography and more than 13,000 “suspect images” of child pornography.

In second charge, Helfand, a friend of the girl’s father, had been baby-sitting the girl and she wanted to show him her Halloween costume, styled like an M&M candy.

After she put the costume on, Helfand began taking photos. He talked her into taking off her clothes and posing, and he continued taking photos. He also touched the girl’s genitals, according to reports.

A Cook County judge found him guilty of having child pornography in March 2007, court records show.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

A Michigan man allegedly locked his adult cousin in a dog cage inside an unincorporated Maine Township apartment.

William Bailey, 27, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was arrested Oct. 13 in Berrien County on a warrant issued by Cook County Sheriff’s Police.

A 47-year-old man reported to sheriff’s police on Sept. 30 that Bailey, his cousin, punched him and confined him to a dog cage inside his apartment on the 10000 block of Linda Lane, police said. The victim also accused Bailey of throwing hot wax on him and burning him with a cigarette lighter, police said.

The man was able to escape from the cage and sought help from a neighbor, who called police, sheriff’s police said. The man was taken to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries, where police were contacted, they said.

Bailey allegedly fled the area in his cousin’s 1992 Toyota Camry and was still driving the car when he was apprehended in Michigan, police said.

Sheriff’s police said an argument between the two men preceded the alleged battery and confinement. Police did not say how long the victim was inside the cage.

Bailey was charged with aggravated domestic battery. He remains in custody in the Berrien County Jail, pending extradition, Cook County sheriff’s police said.

The following incidents were listed in the weekly bulletin prepared by the Park Ridge Police Department. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Only a court of law can make that determination.

BATTERY

Nicholas Cronin, 20, of the 200 block of Berry Parkway, Park Ridge, was charged with battery on Oct. 13 following an alleged incident that occurred the previous day. According to police, a 52-year-old Park Ridge man accused Cronin of punching him in the face three times during a traffic-related dispute at the intersection of Cherry Street and Redfield Court. Several people witnessed the alleged altercation, police said, and the 52-year-old was found to have a cut to his cheek and lower lip. He agreed to pursue charges against Cronin the next day, according to police. Bond for Cronin was set at $1,500 and he has a Nov. 21 court date.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

Robert Kaplon, 41, of the 9300 block of Hamilton Court, unincorporated Maine Township, was charged with disorderly conduct, violating an order of protection and resisting a police officer on Oct. 14. Police said Kaplon entered Maine East High School, 2601 W. Dempster St., and refused to provide identification to school security, stating that he was there to walk around the hallways. According to police, it was learned that Kaplon had an order of protection filed against him, prohibiting him from being on the grounds of Maine East. He was also accused of resisting officers’ attempts to take him into custody. Bond was set at $5,000 and he remained in Cook County Jail custody early this week. He has a Nov. 18 court date.

UNDERAGE DRINKING

Nikko Skordilis, 18, of the 300 block of Edgemont Lane, Park Ridge, and 17-year-old Park Ridge boy were each charged with underage drinking on Oct. 18 after police and members of the Parent Patrol responded to a call of a possible underage drinking party on the 400 block of South Prospect Avenue. When police arrived, a number of individuals reportedly ran out of the rear door of the house. Police were given permission to enter the home by one of the residents and charged a 16-year-old girl who lives there with unlawful use of a premise for consumption of alcohol. All three teenagers were released on their own recognizance and assigned a Nov. 11 adjudication hearing date.

WARRANT

Russell Reynolds, 50, of the 8800 block of Prospect Avenue, Niles, was taken into custody Oct. 17 on a bond forfeiture warrant for a battery charge. He was initially arrested by Park Ridge police on Aug. 29 after he was accused of grabbing a female nurse’s breast while he was being treated at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, 1775 W. Dempster St. He remained in custody at Cook County Jail this week.

BURGLARY

Someone attempted to break into a business on the first block of South Prospect Avenue overnight between Oct. 9 and Oct. 10. A pry tool was reportedly used on the door trim, but entry was not gained.
A computer tablet was stolen Oct. 16 from a condominium on the 1700 block of Dempster Street. A door lock was reportedly broken with a pry tool.

BURGLARY TO VEHICLE

Three vehicles parked along the 200 block of Busse Highway were burglarized during daylight hours on Oct. 15. Windows were broken on two of the vehicles and items stolen included cigarettes, a GPS device, and cash.
A door handle was broken to gain entry to a vehicle parked in a lot on the 200 block of West Touhy Avenue on Oct. 15. The vehicle’s stereo and a wallet were stolen.

PROPERTY DAMAGE

A piece of concrete was used to break the windshield on a vehicle parked overnight between Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 on the first block of South Lincoln Avenue. A window was also shattered on a vehicle parked on the 1700 block of South Courtland Avenue on the night of Oct. 12.
On Oct. 12 or Oct. 13, a patio brick was used to break two windows of a home on the 900 block of North Prospect Avenue.

THEFT

A lawn sign supporting the Park Ridge library referendum was stolen Oct. 10 from the 600 block of South Prospect Avenue.
An animal trap was stolen overnight between Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 from the front of a home on the 2800 block of West Sibley Avenue.

A Chicago woman was arrested on drunken driving charges after she allegedly crashed into the back of a Park Ridge police car.

According to police, an officer was responding to an accident at Dee Road and Oakton Street around 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 12, when he parked his car just south of the intersection. As the officer exited the vehicle to approach the accident scene, a silver car reportedly drove straight at him, forcing the officer to jump out of the way, police said.

The approaching car then struck the rear of the officer’s squad car and continued for another 20 feet before stopping, according to police.

Mary Aguilar, 34, of the 6000 block of North Francisco Avenue, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, damage to city property and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Approximately $800 in damage occurred to the rear bumper of the squad car, said Deputy Police Chief Lou Jogmen.

Bond for Aguilar was set at $1,000. She has a Nov. 17 court date.

The following incidents were listed in the weekly bulletin prepared by the Park Ridge Police Department. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Only a court of law can make that determination.

INDECENT EXPOSURE

Brian McChristian, 59, of the 1200 block of North Hamlin Avenue, was charged with indecent exposure on Oct. 22. According to police, the mother of a teenage girl accused McChristian of standing naked in the window of his house with the lights on while children were outside during a neighborhood block party on Sept. 20. Police said a 13-year-old girl and her friends had their attention drawn to McChristian because the lights in his house had reportedly been “flipped on and off in rapid succession.” The alleged incident was not reported to police until Oct. 8. Bond for McChristian was set at $1,500 and he has a Nov. 17 court date.

CRIMINAL TRESPASS

Russell Glowden, 31, of the 400 block of South Clifton Avenue, Park Ridge, was charged with criminal trespass on Oct. 21. According to police, Glowden was accused of trespassing inside the Park Ridge Community Center, 1515 W. Touhy Ave., at 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 16. Police said Glowden was a former employee of the center and still had a key to the building when he was spotted inside by a member of a cleaning company. Nothing was reported missing from the building. Bond for Glowden was set at $1,500 and he has a Nov. 20 court date.

DRUG POSSESSION

Matthew Pesola, 18, of the 500 block of Redfield Court, Park Ridge, was charged with possession of marijuana on Oct. 22 near the Wildwood Nature Center, 529 Forestview Ave. Police said Pesola had 2.5 grams of suspected marijuana in his possession. He was released on his own recognizance and assigned a Nov. 11 adjudication hearing date.

Benjamin Winterhalter, 18, of the 7900 block of West Grand Avenue, Elmwood Park, was charged with possession of marijuana on Oct. 24 after police responded to 27 N. Northwest Highway for a report of a suspicious vehicle. He was released on his own recognizance and assigned a Nov. 11 adjudication hearing date.

DUI

Kevin Ryan, 39, of the 7700 block of Norwood, Chicago, was charged with driving under the influence, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, driving off the roadway, improper lane usage and driving without a seat belt on Oct. 26. Police said Ryan’s vehicle struck a utility pole near the corner of Canfield Road and Belle Plaine Avenue at 3:50 a.m. Bond was set at $1,000. He has a Nov. 20 court date.

WARRANT

Matthew Angleton, 26, of the 800 block of Park Plaine Avenue, Park Ridge, was taken into custody on an arrest warrant from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 21. The nature of the warrant was not included in the report.

Nicholas McHugh, 19, of the 3700 block of West Belmont Avenue, Chicago, was taken into custody Oct. 25 on a warrant out of Elmwood Park for possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT

Police said two men entered the home of a 92-year-old woman on the evening of Oct. 17 after claiming they were there to check her water. One of the men went into the woman’s kitchen, where he turned on the faucet and declared the water was “dirty,” police said. The second man then entered the woman’s bedroom, but she reportedly followed him and grabbed her purse, which was sitting on the bed. The men then left the residence.

BURGLARY TO VEHICLE

Three unlocked vehicles parked on the 800 block of North Delphia Avenue, the 900 block of North Greenwood Avenue and the 400 block of North Northwest Highway were reported burglarized Oct. 19. Items stolen included cash, a wallet, and ID cards. Cash was also reported stolen Oct. 21 from an unlocked vehicle parked on the 900 block of West Oakton Street.

THEFT

On the morning of Oct. 9 a man was seen stealing four bottles of alcohol from Whole Foods, 225 W. Touhy Ave. On Oct. 17, two women allegedly stole six bottles of alcohol from the same store.

On the morning of Oct. 17 a cell phone was reported stolen from a backpack that was hanging on a hook near the track inside the Park Ridge Community Center, 1515 W. Touhy Ave.

A catalytic converter was stolen between Oct. 19 and Oct. 20 from a vehicle parked on the 1000 block of West Prairie Avenue.

Park Ridge police have confirmed that a man arrested in the city on drunken driving charges last week is a member of their department.

Kevin P. Ryan, 39, a 16-year veteran of the Park Ridge Police Department, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after he was involved in a one-vehicle crash at the intersection of Canfield Road and Belle Plaine Avenue just before 4 a.m. on Oct. 26, said Police Chief Frank Kaminski.

Ryan, a patrol officer, was off duty at the time, Kaminski said.

According to a preliminary accident report, one of Ryan’s fellow officers responded to the crash and noted a “strong odor of alcohol on [Ryan's] breath.” The officer also noticed that Ryan’s “speech was slurred and mumbled and his eyes were bloodshot and watery.”

The officer wrote that there was blood on Ryan’s forehead and the side of his head. His 2002 Chevy Trail Blazer had sustained extensive front-end damage, the report stated.

Ryan reportedly told the responding officer that he was heading to his nearby Chicago home and did not know how the crash occurred.

According to the accident report, Ryan’s vehicle appeared to be headed south on Canfield when it left the road and struck a light pole, knocking it down at the base. The vehicle then struck a parkway tree before coming to a stop.

Ryan was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. He was released later that day and was charged, in addition to DUI, with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, driving without a seatbelt, improper lane use, and driving off a roadway, according to police.

Ryan was placed on paid administrative leave as a result of his arrest, and an internal investigation is being conducted, Kaminski said.

“I’m extremely disappointed and, in fact, embarrassed by this incident,” Kaminski said. “Police officers are supposed to be positive role models in our community. Officer Ryan has dishonored his badge and ultimately will be held accountable for that.”

Ryan’s arrest was included in a weekly bulletin released by the Park Ridge Police Department on Oct. 27, but police did not initially identify Ryan as a member of the department.

Ryan is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 20.

In a morning after Halloween crash, several tombstones in Town of Maine Cemetery were damaged and three people injured when a woman went through a red light and knocked another vehicle and her own into the cemetery, police said.

Park Ridge Deputy Police Chief Lou Jogmen said the woman was talking on her cell phone around 10:30 a.m. Nov. 1 while traveling south on Dee Road in her four-door sedan.

The southbound traffic signal turned red and vehicles on Touhy Avenue were already crossing the intersection when she unsuccessfully attempted to stop at the last minute, Jogmen said.

The woman’s car struck the front end of a sports utility vehicle traveling east on Touhy Avenue, knocking both vehicles into the cemetery, police said. A man and his 11-year-old son were in the SUV and sent to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital as a precaution, police said.

The woman driving the car was cited for distracted driving and disobeying a stoplight, police said. After complaining she wasn’t feeling well, she was also transported to the hospital, Jogmen said.

All three suffered minor injuries, he said.

Police declined to provide the woman’s name until Monday.

The intersection was limited to one lane in all directions for about two hours.

SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT

Two 18-year-old women reported that a man between 40 and 50 years old followed them on the afternoon of Oct. 23 from the Cumberland CTA station to Mariano’s, 1900 S. Cumberland Ave. The women told police that the man continued following them inside the store until they called someone to pick them up. The man had black, slicked-back hair; a black mustache; and a “pock-marked face,” police said.

BURGLARY

A 16-foot pole used for a sail boat was stolen on the evening of Oct. 24 from an open garage on the 900 block of South Peale Avenue.

Jewelry and purses were reported stolen Oct. 25 from a residence on the 1700 block of West Pavilion Way. A door was pried open to gain entry.

BURGLARY TO VEHICLE

Five unlocked vehicles were reported burglarized between Oct. 23 and Oct. 30. Items stolen included three wallets; a backpack containing books and a laptop computer; cash; and a watch.

THEFT

A lawnmower was stolen on the afternoon of Oct. 17 from the front lawn of a home on the 300 block of South Home Avenue.

Four tires and rims were stolen overnight between Oct. 24 and Oct. 25 from a vehicle parked in a lot on the 1800 block of North Parkside Drive. The vehicle was then left on top of a concrete block.

Park Ridge police have announced an arrest in the 2013 break-in of an Advocate Medical Group office where computers containing personal patient information were stolen.

Marcus A. Miller, 48, of the 2100 block of South Tonne Road, Arlington Heights, was arrested Oct. 30 and charged with one count of burglary in connection with the early morning July 15, 2013 break-in at 205 W. Touhy Ave. Police announced Miller’s arrest on Nov. 7.

Miller was identified as a suspect based on forensic evidence that was recovered from the burglary scene, said Deputy Police Chief Lou Jogmen. Jogmen declined to release additional details about that evidence, as investigators are still looking for another person believed to have been involved.

“We’ve got one [suspect], but it’s still an open investigation,” he said.

Miller was in Cook County Jail custody on unrelated burglary and drug charges when he was charged with the Advocate office burglary, authorities said. He is being held on $75,000 bond and is expected back in court on Dec. 4.

Four computers were reported stolen in the Advocate burglary, which led to concerns that the personal information of as many as four million patients had been compromised.

According to Advocate, the computers contained information such as names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and “limited clinical information” dating back to the 1990s. The medical group offered patients free credit monitoring and identity theft protection following the theft.

Jogmen said Park Ridge police have not been made aware of any identity theft tied to the stolen computers. Advocate Health Care also reported no such cases.

“There is no indication that patient information has been used inappropriately as a result of the 2013 breach,” Advocate said in a Nov. 7 statement. “We continue to believe the computers were not stolen for the information they contained.”

The medical building at 205 W. Touhy Ave. has since been demolished to make way for construction of a 115-unit apartment building.

The U.S. Secret Service assisted Park Ridge in its investigation.

The following incidents were listed in the weekly bulletin prepared by the Park Ridge Police Department. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Only a court of law can make that determination.

DUI

Herminio Ballinas, 49, of the 1000 block of Boxwood Drive, Mount Prospect, was charged with driving under the influence, illegal transportation of alcohol and improper lane usage on Nov. 4. He was taken into custody at Touhy and Clifton Avenues at 8:40 p.m. Court information was not available.

Maria Godlewska, 54, of the 600 block of Goodwin Drive, Park Ridge, was charged with driving under the influence, driving without a license present, improper turn, improper use of a turn signal and driving without a front license plate on Nov. 8. She was taken into custody at 1:18 p.m. at Sibley Street and Florence Drive. Bond was set at $3,000. She has a Dec. 16 court date.

BURGLARY

A home on the 1600 block of Courtland Avenue was burglarized Nov. 5 between 9:45 and 10:03 a.m. A door was reportedly forced open to gain entry, but nothing appeared to have been taken.

BURGLARY TO VEHICLE

A cell phone and credit card were stolen between Oct. 29 and Nov. 3 from a vehicle parked in a driveway on the 400 block of South Western Avenue.

An unlocked vehicle was entered overnight between Nov. 5 and Nov. 6, while parked in a driveway on the 1200 block of South Delphia Avenue. Nothing appeared to have been taken.

PROPERTY DAMAGE

On the night of Nov. 1, the left rear quarter panel was damaged on an SUV parked on the 900 block of South Broadway Avenue. Obscenities were also written on the vehicle in mud.

Between Nov. 1 and Nov. 3, a projectile was used to damage the patio door glass and screen at a home on the 1800 block of Habberton Avenue.

Two people were shot and a man is in custody after a domestic-related shooting in the parking lot of the Harlem Irving Plaza in Norridge, police said Thursday.

The two victims, a man and a woman who are related to one another, remain in serious condition at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, according to hospital spokesperson.

The shooter, who is now in police custody, is reportedly the female victim’s boyfriend, police said.

The incident began in Chicago shortly after 1 p.m. and ended up in the first-level garage near the C entrance off Harlem Avenue outside of the mall, at 4104 N. Harlem Ave., said Norridge Police Chief Jim Jobe. The boyfriend allegedly took the female victim’s two children shopping against her wishes, police said.

The domestic disturbance started in the Chicago Police Department’s 11th District. At 1 p.m. they made their way to Harlem Irving Plaza, Jobe said, where the 36-year-old male victim was shot once in the groin and the 29-year-old female victim was shot four times, including in her wrist, shoulder and head.

After the shooting, the 30-year-old male offender fled the scene and was apprehended by Chicago Police at Fullerton and Cicero avenues in Chicago. He’s now in Norridge police custody.

Maribel Garcia of Elmwood Park had just finished shopping at the mall and was approaching her car when she saw a woman on the ground next to the vehicle. A crowd that had gathered yelled not to touch the woman, who appeared unconscious, Garcia recalled.

“When I saw the lady, I was too much scared,” she said. When paramedics arrived, Garcia said the woman began calling for her mother.

“(My mother) asked the crowd what happened and everyone was saying there were shots fired,” Garcia’s son, Santiago Barrientos, said. “She didn’t see any blood or if she was shot, but that is what everyone was saying in the crowd.”

Some were taking photographs, she said. Barrientos hurried to the mall after receiving his mother’s frantic phone call.

“I was pretty scared,” he admitted. “I rushed over here as soon as possible.”

According to a Harlem Irving Plaza spokeswoman, the incident was confined to the outside of the mall and the incident never spread inside the mall.

The mall and its parking lots remain open as police continue to investigate the incident, the spokeswoman said.

This is the first time a shooting has happened at the mall in more than 35 years, according to Jobe.

The Norridge-Harwood Heights News reported in September about security at the shopping plaza following a report of a person with a gun at the mall.

The Park Ridge Police Department is planning more patrols as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.

An intensified enforcement effort, largely during the nighttime hours, will begin Nov. 17 and run through Nov. 30. Officers will be looking for intoxicated drivers and drivers not wearing seat belts.

The effort is made possible through state grant funding.

Bond was denied for a man charged in connection with a Thursday shooting at a mall in northwest suburban Norridge that left two people injured.

Norridge police announced Saturday morning that Everett D. Harris, 31, of the 1100 block of North Keeler, was charged with three counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery on a public way, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and aggravated driving with a revoked licence.

Harris was scheduled to appear in bond court Saturday.

The incident leading to the shooting began in Chicago’s West Side Harrison police district, said Norridge Police Department Chief James Jobe. There, a 29-year-old woman’s ex-boyfriend took her two children, ages 4 and 6, without her permission, Jobe said.

The ex-boyfriend then went to Harlem Irving Plaza mall, 4104 N. Harlem Ave. in Norridge. The woman and her 36-year-old cousin followed him to the mall, but it wasn’t known how they knew of his whereabouts, Jobe said. When they confronted him in a parking garage there about 1 p.m., the ex-boyfriend shot them both before driving off.

The woman was shot a total four times in her head, wrist and shoulder, Jobe said. Her cousin was shot in the groin area. Both were taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and are expected to survive, Jobe said. Their conditions had stabilized Thursday night.

The children were not hurt but were taken to Lutheran General for observation.

The ex-boyfriend drove back to Chicago after the shooting and was arrested at Fullerton and Cicero by Chicago Police, Jobe said.

He was released to Norridge police and was interviewed by detectives Thursday night.

No customers at the mall were injured, Jobe said, and the mall operated normally afterwards.

The following incidents were listed in the weekly bulletin prepared by the Park Ridge Police Department. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Only a court of law can make that determination.

TRESPASSING

Robert Shelly, 45, of the 10600 block of South Major, Chicago Ridge, was charged with trespassing on Nov. 11. According to police, Shelly, a former employee of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, was seen waiting for someone in the hospital parking garage on an earlier date, though he had been issued a no-trespass letter. He was taken into custody in Elmhurst and released on his own recognizance. He has a Jan. 14 court date.

RETAIL THEFT

Jack Steele, 43, of the 8200 block of Summerdale Avenue, Norwood Park Township, was charged with retail theft on Nov. 11 at Mariano’s, 1900 S. Cumberland Ave. He was released on his own recognizance and assigned a Dec. 23 court date.

DUI

Grant Mikkelsen, 48, of the 800 block of Hamlin Avenue, Park Ridge, was charged with driving under the influence, driving without insurance and disobeying a traffic control signal on Nov. 13. He was taken into custody at Dee Road and Virginia Street just before midnight. Bond was set at $2,000. He has a Dec. 16 court date.

BURGLARY

Several rooms inside a home on the 400 block of South Chester Avenue were ransacked and jewelry was stolen between 8:30 and 9:15 a.m., Nov. 7. A window was reportedly broken to gain entry to the house.

Two homes, located on the 1300 blocks of South Crescent Avenue and South Courtland Avenue, were burglarized overnight between Nov. 9 and Nov. 10. In the Crescent burglary, a resident reported hearing noises in the living room and saw someone with a flashlight inside the house. When the resident called out, the suspect reportedly fled the residence through a garage door. A laptop, tablet computer and keyboard were reported stolen. In the Courtland burglary, a garage door opener was stolen from an unlocked vehicle outside and used to open the garage of the home, police said. A portable DVD player and two bicycles were taken, but the bikes were later recovered on the 1600 block of South Fairview, police said.

RUSE ENTRY

On the morning of Nov. 12, a man reportedly entered a home on the 200 block of West Devon Avenue through an unlocked door. When the 78-year-old resident of the home confronted the man, he reportedly told her he was with “the water department” and needed to check her water for contamination. Police said he turned on the kitchen faucet and then asked the resident to go down to her basement and report any water issues there. After about five minutes, the woman reportedly came back upstairs and asked the man if there were any problems with her water. The man told her he needed to go to his truck and that he would be right back, but he left the area, police said. The report did not indicate if anything was missing from the woman’s house.

BURGLARY TO VEHICLE

Cash was stolen overnight between Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 from an unlocked vehicle parked on the 1500 block of South Crescent Avenue.

Cash was stolen from two vehicles parked overnight between Nov. 12 and Nov. 13 in an alley behind the 400 block of South Cumberland Avenue and in a driveway on the 200 block of West Lake Avenue.

PROPERTY DAMAGE

On Nov. 13, graffiti was discovered written with black marker on three stop signs and a no parking sign in the area of Elmore and Lahon streets and Wisner and Sibley streets.

A bat was used to smash a window and damage the door frame of a vehicle parked at about 3:40 a.m. Nov. 13 on the 200 block of Berry Parkway.

THEFT

Two bicycles were stolen overnight between Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 from the yard of a home on the 1600 block of South Fairview Avenue. The bikes were later found at a restaurant on the 700 block of Higgins Road.

The following incidents were listed in the weekly bulletin prepared by the Park Ridge Police Department. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Only a court of law can make that determination.

RETAIL THEFT

Anthony Phillips, 34, of Niles and Nashawn Lagrone, 30, of the 1800 block of Lake Street, Evanston, were each charged with retail theft on Nov. 23. Police were called to the area near Jewel-Osco, 481 Busse Highway, for a report of shoplifters and located Phillips, who allegedly had a ham and $77 worth of other meat products in a bag he was carrying. According to police, Lagrone, who was accused of stealing a bottle of vodka, was seen walking through backyards on the 200 block of Cuttriss Street before he took a resident’s bicycle and attempted to flee from responding officers. He was apprehended on the 800 block of Merrill Street after attempting to climb a fence, police said. The owner of the bicycle declined to pursue charges against Lagrone, police said. Phillips was released on his own recognizance and assigned a Dec. 23 court date. Lagrone was charged with felony retail theft due to prior arrests, according to police. Court information was not available.

BATTERY

A 15-year-old girl from Niles and a 15-year-old girl from Des Plaines were each charged with battery and disorderly conduct on Nov. 19 after they allegedly became involved in a physical altercation at Maine East High School, 2601 W. Dempster St., the previous day. Police said the fight stemmed from an argument the girls were reportedly involved in on Facebook. Both are awaiting to appear before the Park Ridge Peer Jury.

UNDERAGE DRINKING

A 15-year-old Chicago girl was charged with underage drinking on Nov. 22 after she was seen walking in the area of Fairview and Devon avenues and police determined she had consumed alcohol. Officers were in the area investigating a report of a group of teenagers on the 900 block of South Cumberland Avenue and learned that residents of a home there had ordered the teens to leave their son’s party after he reported that some brought alcohol with them, police said. The 15-year-old girl, whom police said was at the party, was released on her own recognizance and assigned a Dec. 9 adjudication hearing date.