A 50-year-old woman allegedly caught with marijuana and PCP didn’t have much to say about the dope, but told police the hallucinogenic substance was to treat a medical condition.
Linda Wassmund, of Hanover Park, told authorities she had a small glass vial of PCP to alleviate the discomfort of her menstrual cramps. Wassmund was arrested on Jan. 26 in the parking lot of Thornton’s service station on Harlem Avenue on two counts of drug possession, according to a police report.
Shortly after 7 p.m. that day, police became suspicious of the vehicle driven by Wassmund as it sat parked in the gas station lot. During a search of the suspect and several passengers, Wassmund allegedly told police she had some “weed in her pocket,” but failed to the mention the PCP. After being transported to the police department for processing, Wassmund explained her reason for carrying the substance, according to the report.
“Linda advised that she hasn’t used PCP since she was a teen, but has had severe menstrual pains and when she bought the marijuana the guy asked if she wanted some PCP,” authorities stated in their report. “Linda related that she was going to use the PCP to alleviate the menstrual pains.”
Ice cream shop burglarized
Police were called to investigate a burglary at the Brown Cow ice cream parlor on Madison Street shortly before 11 a.m. on Jan. 26.
According to a department report, the suspect broke a window in the front door of the business and used a tool to pry the door open. An inventory of the store revealed that roughly $100 in cash was removed from the register.
A possible witness who lives in an apartment above the ice cream shop told police she heard a loud noise coming from below the apartment at about 4 a.m., however, noticed nothing suspicious. No suspects were named in the department report.
Graffiti not linked to gangs
Between Jan. 25 and 27, Forest Park police reported at least five separate incidents of graffiti in the village. However, in three of the reports, authorities apparently rule out the likelihood that the markings are gang-related.
The remaining reports contain no statements regarding the nature of the defacement.
On Jan. 25, police found two cases of graffiti in the 900 block of Elgin Avenue, both written in black marker, according to department reports. At 932 Elgin Ave., the suspect wrote the word “Fur.”
The other incidents of graffiti were discovered on Jan. 27 in the 7300 block of Harrison Street, the 800 block of Thomas Avenue and the 800 block of Beloit Avenue. “The graffiti is substantially similar to some reported on Jan. 23 nearby,” police said in their report. “The defacement appears to be a tagger and not gang-related.”
Bartender cited for violation
A bartender at Horan’s Snug was cited for violating a village ordinance after police allegedly found several patrons consuming alcohol at the establishment after 3 a.m.
Terese M. Perisin, 27, of Forest Park, was apparently given a verbal warning for a similar infraction on Jan. 20 when authorities found some 25 people consuming alcohol in violation of the village’s last call ordinance. On Jan. 27, police became suspicious when they saw two patrons leave the bar at 3:05 a.m., according to the report. Upon going into the bar at 7218 Madison St., police allegedly found three more patrons drinking beer.
Suspects nabbed for marijuana
More than 140 grams of marijuana was allegedly confiscated from a couple first spotted in a gas station parking lot in the 900 block of Harlem Avenue, according to police.
Shaina A. Niketopoulos, 20, and Robert Mallery, 29, were arrested on several drug-related charges, Jan. 27, after two officers in plain clothes and an unmarked car stopped the driver of the vehicle, Niketopoulos, for failing to use her turn signal. When officers approached the car, they reportedly noticed a strong odor of marijuana and found several different stashes in the vehicle. In addition to finding some 12 grams of the substance in the woman’s purse, another 127 grams were reportedly found in a backpack in the vehicle’s trunk.
Two smaller amounts were also found in the passenger area of the car, according to police.
Mallery, of Glendale Heights, was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Niketopoulos, of Wheaton, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two traffic violations.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between Jan. 20, 2007 and Jan. 27, 2007, and represent only a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in this report has only been charged with a crime. The cases have not been adjudicated.
Compiled by Josh Adams
