First reported 12/22/2009 11:39 a.m.
A River Forest woman and three Oak Park men have been charged with burglarizing schools in this community, and in nearby River Forest, according to law enforcement officials. According to the charges, the foursome is charged with breaking into two buildings in each of the communities.
Arrested were Ashley A. Ronsen, 18, Brandon Rowe, 17, Rakeem Scatton, 19, and Alex Carraminana, 18. All four have been charged with felony burglary for the Dec. 2 burglary of Lincoln School in River Forest. The break-ins that allegedly occurred in Forest Park took place several weeks ago, according to District 91 Superintendent Lou Cavallo, and involved the Field Stevenson and Garfield schools. A few windows were broken and older laptop computers were taken, said Cavallo, but otherwise the incidents did not cause much damage.
Burglaries at the public schools are unusual, said Cavallo, because each building is surrounded by residential properties.
In River Forest, a window in a basement well at the school was broken Dec. 2 and a laptop computer was stolen from the principal’s office.
On Dec. 5, officers responded to multiple burglar and motion sensor alarms at Willard School. They found a screen pulled from an open window, and several interior doors open, but no damage or loss.
Ronsen was out on bond from a number of previous criminal charges at the time of her arrest.
Ronsen was arrested by Oak Park police Sept. 7, and charged with residential burglary, burglary to an automobile, possession of a stolen car and criminal defacement to property. On Oct. 30 she was arrested on a warrant charging her with an Oct. 12 battery outside Whittier School, during which she was allegedly found in possession of 18.5 grams of the hallucinogenic drug psilocybin.
She was also one of three Oak Park area adults arrested in connection with the theft of $224 worth of clothing from a Kmart in Indiana in early June.
Last May, Scatton was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer and resisting arrest following an under-aged drinking party on the 1100 block of Washington.
Forest Park Review editor Josh Adams contributed to this report.
