Three women and a minor were arrested in a bizarre confrontation with police after the youngest in the group was accused by store employees of shoplifting a $30 watch.
According to police reports, a loss-prevention agent for the Kmart store on Roosevelt Road reported he had witnessed a young girl remove a watch from its packaging and attempt to steal the item shortly after 5 p.m. on Nov. 17. When the employee confronted the juvenile, a woman, later identified as Chimere Jones of Oak Park, intervened on the suspect’s behalf and claimed to be the girl’s mother. No arrest was made and the suspect left with Jones.
Three hours later, police were called back to the store where Jones, 27, and several other women were yelling loudly and creating a disturbance near the registers. After asking the women to leave the store, the group continued to yell at various employees. Jones was warned several times to leave or else she would be arrested, according to police. After a final warning, police attempted to handcuff Jones, but she pulled her arm away and shoved the officer.
One of the other women, Brigette Jones-Cooper, 45, of Maywood, stepped between the officer and Jones. Police then used a stun gun to subdue Jones, who continued to ignore commands to put her hands behind her back.
Jones-Cooper and Dorothy Jones, 47, of Chicago, were also arrested. At this point the juvenile suspected of shoplifting the watch approached the scene and was taken into custody.
Chimere Jones was charged with disorderly conduct, trespassing, resisting arrest and battery to a police officer. Dorothy Jones and Jones-Cooper were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor after authorities viewed surveillance footage from the store that showed the alleged theft occurred in their presence. They are also facing charges for disorderly conduct and trespassing.
The minor, whose name was not released because of her age, was cited for violating a local theft ordinance.
Teen nabbed for marijuana
Responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle in the area, police netted 11 grams of marijuana and a digital scale from a teenager parked at 7749 Roosevelt Rd. who claimed he was waiting for his girlfriend to return from a nearby store. The Brookfield teen, whose identity is being withheld because of his status as a minor, was cited for two ordinance violations in connection with the Nov. 14 incident.
Shortly after 5:30 p.m. that day, police were called to the parking lot of the 7-Eleven where the teen and a passenger were sitting in a parked car. Police asked what the individuals were doing there and received nervous responses, according to a department report. With a little more questioning, the suspect allegedly admitted he had marijuana in his pocket. The boy’s father signed the citation and a hearing was scheduled at village hall, Dec. 5.
Caught on tape
A quick-thinking witness to an alleged fight outside of Zambonie’s on Madison Street used her digital camera to record a partial video of the altercation that helped police make an arrest.
According to police reports, Ryan Olson, 23, of Westchester, got into a fight with three women during the early morning hours of Nov. 11. Olson allegedly threw one of the women to the ground and punched another in the face. A third woman involved in the altercation attempted to intervene, only to have Olson grab her by the hair and punch her in the face as well, according to police.
Meanwhile across the street, an unidentified witness recorded the altercation and turned the images over to police.
Differing accounts of how the incident started were provided by those involved in the alleged tussle, and Olson claimed he contacted the police. Authorities said they had no record of Olson’s phone call. He was charged with three counts of battery and given a Jan. 15, 2008, court date.
Vicodin plot foiled
An Elmwood Park man is facing several charges for allegedly trying to obtain prescription drugs under false pretenses.
Daniel J. Cahill, 39, was arrested Nov. 8 at 3:30 p.m. after employees at the Walgreens pharmacy on Roosevelt Road became suspicious of a prescription for 100 pills of Vicodin. The doctor’s office where the script allegedly originated was contacted and the pharmacy learned that a prescription pad was recently stolen.
Police were contacted when Cahill returned to the store to pick up the Vicodin and, according to a department report, several other receipts for prescriptions in various names were recovered from the suspect’s car. Cahill is facing felony charges for possession, possession with intent and unlawful possession of a prescription pad.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between Nov. 8 and Nov. 18, 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.
Josh Adams
