OMG PD: Goin’ Batty, Public Drinking, Worth the Wait

Written by Charles Menchaca

DOWNERS GROVE

Nice Day For A Public Drinking Arrest

Police charged Robert J. Okonski, 52, of the 900 block of Warren Avenue, Downers Grove, with drinking in public. A woman waved down an officer at about 9:15 a.m. Sept. 5 to report a half-naked man inside of the patio area at Hummer Park on the 4800 block of Fairview Avenue, according to a police report. The officer saw Okonski drink from an aluminum can and then throw it into a garbage can as he approached him.

"I asked Robert why someone would have told me that he was half-naked, and he advised that he had urinated in the corner of the patio and 'she might have saw,' " the report said. "I asked Robert if he knew that drinking alcohol in public was illegal in Downers Grove, and he advised, 'Yeah, but I'm not bothering anyone.' " Read the full report.

ST. CHARLES

New Wrinkle on Speeding Excuses

James Hugh Lee Smithey, 23, of the 200 block of Walnut Drive, St. Charles told police he was in a hurry to get home to iron a shirt when an officer clocked him at 66 in a 35 mph zone. Smithey was charged with speeding 30 to 39 mph over the posted 35 mph limit, disobeying a traffic-control device, and no license. The incident occurred at 12:04 p.m. Sept. 10 on West Main Street, where police then watched Smithey run a red light while making a turn.

Smithey told police he knew he was speeding but did not think he was going "that" fast, and admitted to running the red light. According to the report, he told the officer he was in a hurry to get home and iron his shirt.

CLARENDON HILLS

Yep, We’re All Goin’ Batty

A police officer at 10:51 p.m. Sept. 1 saw a bat behind a wall panel after responding to a call at a residence on the 400 block of McDaniels Circle. The officer could not safely capture the bat alone, so DuPage County Animal Control was notified per Clarendon Hills Police Department regulations. An animal control employee and police were able to capture the bat from within the wall. The bat was transported for testing.

Have You Seen A Boxed Baby Squirrel?

A resident at 7:08 p.m. Sept. 1 reported that a box with a baby squirrel in it was taken on the 200 block of North Richmond Avenue. The resident put the baby squirrel in the box and nailed it to a tree to try and entice the mother squirrel into taking it back, according to police. An officer checked with neighbors but nothing came up. The officer planned to check with a neighbor not at the scene that might have video of the incident.

GENEVA

Worth the Wait?

Someone took a woman’s engagement ring and two diamond inlaid bands that were soldered into the engagement rings after they were left in the sink at the Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center, 2507 Kaneville Road ... on Nov. 8, 2012.

The woman told police that the theft took place between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Nov. 8, 2012, and she reported the incident to the recreational center but "waited until now to report it to the police … hoping somebody would return the rings," according to a report.

The woman is now making a claim with her insurance company. The ring’s estimated value is $11,000, and the diamond-inlaid bands were estimated at $1,300, for a total value of $12,300.

GLEN ELLYN

A Sticky Situation

Someone placed stickers on miscellaneous food items throughout a store on Aug. 27 on the 600 block of Roosevelt Road. The estimated loss is $35, according to police.

Police report information is provided by local police departments. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.

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