A 19-year-old cashier was arrested Jan. 11 on theft charges for allegedly letting hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise leave the store where she worked while her customers paid less than $1 in some cases.
According to a department report, De Drionne Leach, of Maywood, was seen by her supervisors at the K-mart on Roosevelt Road under-charging customers on three separate occasions. In the first instance that allegedly occurred Jan. 5, Leach charged the customer $53.71 for almost $150 worth of items. Later that same day, Leach allegedly charged a customer 54 cents for more than $34 worth of merchandise.
The following day, according to a department report, Leach let a customer take $159 in goods for only 76 cents.
When confronted by a store employee and police about the alleged thefts, Leach signed a statement in which she admitted and apologized for her actions, according to police.
Stumbling suspect caught with needles, spoon
Shortly before 10 a.m. on Jan. 8, police spotted a 25-year-old woman “staggering” down Harlem Avenue at the junction with Randolph Street, and upon checking to see if she needed medical assistance, discovered evidence of drug use. The woman, Bonnie M. Siragusa, of Berwyn, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to a department report, Siragusa was holding a small black case that contained a burnt metal spoon, a lighter and a small metal tube stuffed with steel wool. All of these items, often used to ingest narcotics, according to police, were seized. Also, four hypodermic needles and two small plastic bags “consistent with narcotics packaging” were confiscated.
Peeping Tom caught masturbating in neighbor’s yard
Police were called to the 200 block of Elgin Avenue Jan. 7 after a woman reportedly saw a man masturbating in a neighbor’s yard. The woman, who told authorities she was new to the area and did not recognize the suspect, called police several hours after the 2 a.m. incident, according to a report.
While standing on her balcony she allegedly saw the man walking south along the west side of the street when, after he glanced to his left, stopped and stared at whatever he had seen. He then crossed the street into a neighboring property’s yard and after checking to see that no one was watching, began masturbating while looking through a basement window, according to the report.
The woman was able to frighten the man away by shouting at him.
Old warrants die hard; traffic stop yields arrests
An early morning traffic stop along the 600 block of Harlem Avenue yielded a pair of arrests when police discovered that both the passenger and the driver of the 1998 Pontiac Grand Am were wanted on outstanding warrants issued several years ago.
Joseph Gray, 29, and Ulonda Gray, 28, were each taken into custody on Jan. 13. According to a department report, the pair was stopped for a traffic violation when police discovered Joseph Gray was wanted on a 2002 warrant for driving on a suspended license. Ulonda Gray had two warrants for her arrest, one for retail theft issued in 2003 and another for domestic battery.
Both suspects live in Warrenville, according to the report.
Suspected prostitute nabbed on warrant
A trio of Chicago residents was arrested during the evening rush hour along the 900 block of S. Harlem Avenue after police curbed the vehicle for an expired registration. The driver of the car, 35-year-old Miguel R. Robinson, was taken into custody on the invalid registration and a suspended license. His two passengers were arrested on outstanding warrants.
Taneisha Williams, 20, was wanted on a prostitution charge from May of 2007 and 27-year-old Johnina Miller was wanted for retail theft.
Repeat offender hit with felony charge
A Chicago man was taken into custody on a felony traffic charge for repeatedly driving on a suspended license, according to police. Jimmy Eggleston, 23, was stopped by authorities shortly after 7 p.m. on Jan. 11 for failing to signal a lane change near the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Lathrop Avenue. When the officer approached the window, Eggleston allegedly said, “I’m not gonna lie. I don’t have a valid license.”
A records check revealed that Eggleston’s license has been revoked “several times,” according to police. He is also facing a traffic charge for failing to signal.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between Jan. 6 and Jan. 13, 2008, 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
