Hinsdale Man Charged With Starting Brushfire, Stealing Ceramic Turtles

Riley J. McBride, 29, of the 400 block of South Monroe Street, was charged with violating local theft and open burning ordinances, police say, after he allegedly stole lawn ornaments from outside one home in the 600 block of West Hinsdale Avenue and started a brushfire in front of another between 8:41 p.m. and 9:16 p.m. on Nov. 9.

Police say they were dispatched to the block after there was a report of a suspicious person shining a flashlight on passing vehicles. While searching for the person, who is believed to have been McBride, an officer was flagged down by a resident who had spotted a brushfire in the parkway. Police say a different resident then told the officer that ceramic turtles and a lantern decoration were missing from their front yard after a male subject was seen outside the house.

After putting out the fire, police found McBride, who matched the second resident's description, in the 400 block of South Monroe. His clothes had burn holes and he was in possession of the stolen lawn ornaments. Based on that evidence and further questioning, McBride was charged with both offenses and was released on bond.

Deputy chief Mark Wodka of the Hinsdale Police Department said the responding officer observed some signs that McBride was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, but did not find enough evidence to confirm it.

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Police Blotter information is provided by local law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken 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 us by emailing joe.odonnell@patch.com. We will verify and report the outcome.