Elmhurst Police Report Arrests for Bank Fraud, Retail Theft, Panhandling

Fraud

Betty J. Wade, 53, 4017 W. Monroe, Chicago; Najia R. Bledsoe, 25, 7257 S. Phillips, Chicago; and Taneshia Walker, 25, 3308 Jackson St., Bellwood, were arrested and charged with counterfeiting credit cards after Wade attempted to use a bank card to receive a cash advance at PNC Bank, 565 S. York Road at 4:58 p.m. Aug. 16. After being denied, she left in a red Chevrolet Impala with the two other offenders, police said. They were stopped at York and Butterfield, and police said they recovered $4,500 in cash and "numerous counterfeit credit cards." Police reported they also allegedly had stolen $1,000 from Charter One Bank, 590 S. York, just prior to the PNC Bank incident. They were all taken to DuPage County Jail, and their vehicle towed for forfeiture.

A heavy-set black woman with long hair and wearing a white T-shirt, capri jeans and gym shoes completed four transactions totaling $653.02 using business checks at Jewel-Osco, 153 E. Schiller, at about 5:30 p.m. Aug. 20. The checks were returned as fraudulent.

A woman came through the drive-through at Bank of America, 205 N. Addison, at 3:09 p.m. Aug. 22 and attempted to cash a check for $1,850 using fraudulent ID. The teller looked up the ID information and discovered it had been reported stolen. The offender requested the paperwork and ID card back, but before the bank teller could speak to her, she left. She was last seen headed northbound on Addison in a dark gray Infiniti SUV.

Panhandling

Kevin Howard Beauregard, 23, 644 S. York Road Apt. 314, Bensenville, was charged with soliciting on a public highway after police said they saw him panhandling on the corner of Route 83 and Riverside Drive at 1:44 p.m. Aug. 27. Police said he got into a white Jeep Cherokee. After they pulled the vehicle over, they charged the driver, Mark A. Blakemore, 48, 266 W. Fremont, with driving with a suspended license. They were both released at the scene and the vehicle was released to a licensed driver.

Retail Theft Arrests

Melissa Cardinal, 47, 9N559 Koshare Trail, Elgin, was arrested and charged with retail theft after she was allegedly seen on camera taking a bottle of rum from Mariano's, 678 N. York St., at 10:46 a.m. Aug. 16. Police said she also stole another drink and some fish from the buffet bar. Total loss was $19.82. She was released on bond.

Jennifer Menendez, 31, 110 George St. Apt. 417, Bensenville, was arrested and charged with retail theft after she allegedly took several bedding items worth $197.59 from Kohl's, 303 S. Route 83, at 10:30 p.m. Aug. 16. She was released on bond.

Danny Whitfield, 21, 108 S. Wisconsin, Villa Park, was arrested and charged with retail theft and contributing to the delinquency of a minor after police responded to Kohl's, 303 S. Route 83, for a theft in progress at 5:07 p.m. Aug. 17. Police said Whitfield and a minor took a pair of Nike basketball shoes and a pair of toddler Nike shoes. The minor also was charged with retail theft. They were both released on bond.

Vincent A. Masella, 22, 1044 S. Addison, Bensenville, was arrested and charged with retail theft after he allegedly admitted to stealing two pair of Nike gym shorts worth $54.98 from Kohl's, 303 S. Route 83, at 1 p.m. Aug. 23. He was released on bond.

Shardeja M. Riles, 22, 400 47th Ave., Bellwood, and Ashley Imani Jewel Stevison, 21, 616 Maryland Ave. Apg. 1, St. Paul, Minn., were arrested and charged with retail theft after they allegedly took $85.94 in clothing items from Kmart, 265 S. Route 83, at 3:42 p.m. Aug. 22. They were released on bond.

Briann Kaye, 27, 107 Howard, Hillside, was arrested and charged with retail theft at Kohl's, 303 S. Route 83, at 10:01 p.m. Aug. 22. She was released on bond.

Linda Ponce, 56, 509 N. Wisconsin, Villa Park, and Sandra Nava, 57, 700 Central, Louisville, Ky., were arrested and charged with retail theft for allegedly taking $107 worth of items from Kohl's, 303 S. Route 83, at 10:44 a.m. Aug. 27. They were released on bond.

Maria Sanchez-Solorio, 21, 501 W. St. Charles Road Apt. C, Elmhurst, was arrested and charged with retail theft after police said they saw her leave Dominick's, 215 S. Route 83, at 10:06 p.m. Aug. 29 with a bottle of Rum Chada in her purse. The stopped her after she got into a silver Ford Contour and left the lot. Police also charged the driver with speeding. They were released on bond.

Identity Theft

A resident of the 600 block of North Willow told police Aug. 27 someone used his personal information to open an AT&T account. He received a call from Bay Area Credit stating he owed $266.56 for an AT&T U-verse package.

Theft

Someone removed the card reader that allows patrons into the lobby at Chase Bank, 207 E. Butterfield, while the bank is closed. The theft occurred between 6:30 p.m. Aug. 14 and 8 a.m. Aug. 15.

A pink coach wallet worth $100 was taken from the middle console area of a vehicle parked at Courts Plus, 186 S. West Ave., at 9:52 a.m. Aug. 15. The wallet contained a drivers license, credit cards and $18. The front passenger window was shattered to gain access to the vehicle. About an hour earlier, police got a call for a suspicious silver van in the parking lot occupied by two men who were looking into vehicles.

A Sony Vaio laptop, wireless mouse and external drive were stolen from a vehicle parked on the 600 block of West St. Charles Road at 10:25 p.m. Aug. 20. The passenger rear window was broken to gain entry. A witness said they saw a suspect in a silver SUV with Florida plates near the vehicle. Loss is estimated at $1,150.

A silver Marin Hawk Hill bike was taken from the 700 block of South Hawthorne between 7:45 p.m. Aug. 16 and 3:30 p.m. Aug. 17. The bike, worth $800, was unlocked.

Golf clubs were removed from the trunk of a car parked on the 100 block of North Maple between 7 p.m. Aug. 15 and 7:30 a.m. Aug. 20.

A silver and maroon Next Women's bike was taken from the 700 block of South Hawthorne between 7:45 p.m. Aug. 16 and 3:30 p.m. Aug. 18. The bike, worth $100, was unlocked.

A 1987 white Honda 150cc scooter was taken from a home on the 500 block of South Prospect between 2 p.m. Aug. 19 and 6 p.m. Aug. 21.

An orange, Mongoose Motivator-Mini bicycle was taken from Plunkett Park, 186 S. West Ave., at 7:26 p.m. Aug. 21. An elderly couple witnessed the theft and got the license number of the suspect, police said. An investigation is pending.

A yellow Freightliner Century Tractor was stolen from a lot at Century States Trucking, 901 N. Industrial Drive, between 8 p.m. Aug. 21 and 1:55 a.m. Aug. 22. A loaded trailer that was with the tractor was not taken. A Hyundai trailer loaded with clothing from Lands End also was taken from the lot.

A personal check book was taken from the lobby counter at Chase Bank, 207 E. Butterfield Road, between 1 and 1:12 p.m. Aug. 23.

One hundred dollars was taken from a wallet that had been placed in the employee closet at Fitz's Pub, 172 N. Addison, at 6:47 p.m. Aug. 24. Another employee also claimed to have had money stolen.

A 2005 white Freightliner truck was taken from a parking lot at 325 W. Lake St. between 8 p.m. Aug. 24 and 1:15 p.m. Aug. 26. While checking the area, police found a stolen black Freightliner truck out of Northlake. A window had been smashed.

A wallet was taken from a vehicle parked on the 100 block of North Addison between 2:15 and 2:25 p.m. Aug. 28. The wallet contained a debit card, drivers license, insurance card and several grocery store customer cards.

A Stihl gas power leaf blower worth $220 was taken from a atruck parked on the 400 block of North Maple between 3:15 and 3:40 p.m. Aug. 28.

Patch reports on law enforcement activity using information provided by official agencies. Persons charged with a crime or issued a citation for violation of a local ordinance are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If you or a family member are charged with a crime or cited for a violation and the charge or citation is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to contact karenc@patch.com and we will do follow-up reporting on the case.