Homewood Police Blotter: Pepper Spray Threat-and-Run; Eavesdropping on Officer

THURSDAY, JUNE 2

Pepper Spray Threat

A Chicago man reportedly threatened a T.J. Maxx security officer with pepper spray, after which he and a young accomplice led police on a foot chase through three other area businesses, police said. Brian K. Travis, 20, of Chicago, was charged with retail theft,  trespassing and battery in connection with the Thursday evening incident.

Around 7:11 p.m., Travis and a juvenile accomplice were stopped outside the store at 17900 Halsted St. by a T.J. Maxx employee who suspected the two of shoplifting. At that point, the juvenile fled, while Travis pulled a canister of pepper spray from his right pocket, brandishing it toward the employee and threatening to spray him if he didn't move, according to the report. The employee told police he moved aside because he was afraid he'd be sprayed, and Travis and his accomplice then fled into the T-Mobile store at 17923 S. Halsted St., forcing their way into a back room. Officers responding to the incident found the room empty, then were tipped off by a woman waiting for a bus that the pair had fled into the Chili's restaurant at 17928 S. Halsted St.

Officers found Travis inside the Chili's and ordered him to the floor, according to the report. The juvenile accomplice was taken into custody after he was discovered hiding in the men's restaurant of the Wendy's restaurant at 18257 S Halsted St. in Glenwood. At the Homewood police station, Travis was found to have a canister of pepper spray in his right pocket, and a pair of blue men's underwear with T.J. Maxx tags on them in his left pocket, police said. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1

Mystery Shoe Shopper

A Chicago Heights woman said that after she gave a service manager at Pep Boys, 18024 Halsted St., her credit card information and three-digit security code,  she was surprised to receive a confirmation email from JimmyJazz.com stating that the company had received her order for a baseball cap and a pair of Air Force One men's shoes to be mailed to a Markham address. The woman canceled the $169.88 order and closed the credit card account, according to the report. No one has been charged in connection with the incident, police said.

Retail Theft at Kmart

A Ford Heights woman was charged with retail theft after a Kmart security officer said she was videotaped Wednesday morning attempting to take merchandise without paying for it. Wendella A. Johnson, 20, of the 1100 block of 11th St., was spotted removing tags from merchandise inside the store at 17550 Halsted St. and placing them in a bag, according to the report. The items were valued at $44.98.

TUESDAY, MAY 31

Party in Pinewood Park Nets Cannabis Charges for Trio

A Hazel Crest woman, a Hazel Crest man and a Lansing man were charged with cannabis possession after police found the trio with cannabis after hours in Pinewood Park, police said. Around 1:34 a.m., police found Jamal Turner, 21, of 3200 Manor in Lansing, on park equipment, along with Kenneth McDowell, 40, and Courtney M. Evans, 21, both of the 18100 block of Kedzie in Hazel Crest. The park closes at dusk.

Homewood Man Charged in Menards Theft

A Homewood man was charged with retail theft for taking $11.77 worth of merchandise from a Menards store at 17545 S. Halsted St. Jesse L. Myles, 44, of the 1100 block of Jamie Lane, was observed removing a drywall screen and dustmask from the store shelves, but failed to pay for the items, according to the report.

Felony Eavesdropping  

A South Holland man who recorded a conversation with a Homewood police officer was charged with felony eavesdropping in connection with that incident, police said. Charles A. Tate, 24, of the 400 block of E. 168th Street in South Holland, was pulled over in the 1600 block of 183rd Street after an officer in a marked squad car saw that the South Holland man was not wearing his seat belt, according to the report. As the officer waited for Tate to hand over his driver's license and proof of insurance, he realized that Tate was surreptitiously operating a cell phone against his right leg, police said.

Tate then admitted that he was recording the conversation, and the officer advised him that under Illinois law, he could be charged for recording the conversations of others without their consent, according to the report. The officer gave Tate a citation for not wearing his seat belt, at which point Tate declared he would challenge the citation and would keep the recording, police said.

The officer released Tate, who then promptly made his way to the Homewood Police Department to complain. A sergeant contacted the officer to come to the station, where the video and audio surveillance records from his car were reviewed. Tate again admitted making the audio recording and played it for the officers, at which point they read him his Miranda rights, police said. Tate interrupted the officers during the recitation, commenting that he knew his rights and could recite them himself, according to the report.

MONDAY, MAY 30

Poverty Blamed In Kids Clothing Theft

Two women charged with retail theft for taking children's clothing from Kmart told police they took the items because they were poor, police said. Tiffany M. Wilkins, 29, of the 17000 block of John in Country Club Hills, and Rochelle Williams, 50, of the 700 block of Burnham in University Park, were observed by store security removing tags from the clothes and placing them in Kmart bags, police said. Then, Wilkins paid for several small items while Williams walked by without paying for the items the two had bagged, according to the report. After they were taken into custody, the two women said they took $362.50 worth of clothes because they needed them for their children and could not afford to pay for them, police said.

Officer Pulls Homewood Man Over, Finds Pipe

A Homewood man was charged with possession of cannabis after police pulled him over and found a blue and orange pipe with residue in his vehicle, police said. Jeffery D. Forstall, 30, of the 18400 block of Cowing, was initially pulled over around 3:34 p.m. on a traffic stop, according to the report.