Homewood Police Blotter: Rampage Redux, Heroin Baseball

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11

Heroin, Baseball Bat & Traffic Fight: What Could Go Wrong?

A Homewood man was charged with aggravated battery and possession of a controlled substance after he beat another man with a baseball bat following a traffic fight, then was found with heroin, police said. Alberto C. Barbosa, 25, of Morris Avenue got into an argument with another Homewood man near the Speedway gas station Wednesday, police said. After the two argued about a traffic incident, Barbosa, who was wearing a baseball cap, went to his vehicle, got a baseball bat and struck the other motorist on his left forearm, police said. A woman and a young child were seated in the rear of Barbosa's vehicle at the time, according to police records. Barbosa fled, but was arrested at his workplace, where police discovered four bags of heroin in his possession, according to the report. The other man was treated for his injury at South Suburban Hospital.

Something's Really Wrong With Alexander Hamilton, Bubenik Says

On Monday, an unknown person made a payment at Homewood Village Hall with a counterfeit $10 bill, police said. The funny money was passed sometime between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. when the Village Director of Finance Dennis Bubenik realized that something was "off" with the $10 bill, according to police. Police said the bill features a portrait of U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. The counterfeit bill was placed into evidence, according to the report.

Bully Bus Ride Has Got To Stop, Says Homewood Mom

A Homewood mother sought help from police after her daughter was ridiculed, pushed, poked and had her shoe stolen and thrown as she attempted to leave the school bus at her Spruce Road stop, police said. The bullying occurred during a recent ride home from James Hart School, when the girl endured taunts and verbal abuse by a boy, as well as a girl, according to the report. The mother has also contacted school officials, police said. Police urged her to also inform the bus company, so that the company could independently investigate why the bus driver did not intervene, according to the report.

TUESDAY, MAY 10

Walt's Paper Thieves Strike Again, This Time in Homewood

A loss prevention officer at Walt's Food Store in Homewood contacted police Tuesday after realizing that several pallets of bundled cardboard had been stolen, following a pattern of recent paper recycling thefts at the Walt's stores in Frankfort and in Tinley Park, said police.

The first theft at the Homewood store was on Saturday, May 7, at around 12:40 p.m., according to police reports. Surveillance video shows a large, white box truck with a lift gate pulling into the parking lot and driving to the southeast corner, police said. At this point, two, possibly three people are shown getting out of the vehicle and loading up between two to three loads of baled cardboard weighing 600 pounds apiece, police said. Three minutes later, the truck left the parking lost, driving eastbound, police said.

On Tuesday, May 10 at 1 a.m., the same truck was again captured on video surveillance tape, with the unknown thieves again stealing baled cardboard, according to the report. Walt's Food store officials say the bales of cardboard were intended for Homewood Disposal, and had a value of between $200 and $360.

MONDAY, MAY 9

Loses Backpack, Metra Train Pass, Cosmetics

A Homewood woman was leaving for her daily commute when she discovered her driver-side window smashed and a backpack stolen from her car, police said.  The cost to repair the window was estimated at around $200, while the backpack was estimated at $45, the Metra train pass at $45 and assorted cosmetics, $50, according to police.

'Alarmed' Thief Flees With Nothing

A Tinley Park man visiting the Brunswick Zone Monday had the window of his 2001 Jeep Cherokee broken, according to police. Police said the car alarm went off and the unknown thief or thieves fled with nothing. The man was relieved that nothing inside the Jeep was stolen, but the estimated cost of repairing the window is $100, according to the report.

SUNDAY, MAY 8

Rampage Redux

A Homewood woman who was charged on April 19 for assaulting her boyfriend at their shared residence in the 1500 block of 183rd Street has again been charged with domestic battery, police said. Last month, Asaia L. Rampage, 45, had an argument with her 48-year-old boyfriend which ended with his glasses being broken, according to police reports. 

In this latest incident, Rampage contacted police around 4:13 a.m. to complain that her boyfriend was attempting to leave in his car, but should not drive because he had been drinking, police said. When police arrived, the officer observed that Rampage's boyfriend's shirt was bloodstained and he had a cut on his chin, according to the report. Asked to explain the injury, Rampage stated that the man had driven home with a bloody chin and that she had later taken his keys to prevent him driving under the influence, police said.

The boyfriend, whom police are not identifying because he is a domestic violence victim, told the officer he had never left the house, except to sit in the car to escape Rampage, according to the report. When the officer felt the car, the engine was cold to the touch, police said. 

Happy Mother's Day, Mom; I've Been Banned From Kmart

On Mother's Day, two female juveniles were 'multitasking' at the Homewood Kmart store, babysitting their younger siblings as they also shoplifted items and hid them in their purses, according to a police report. However, a store security officer spotted the two females and stopped them when they attempted to leave the store without paying, police said. In the first juvenile's purse, $116.93 in items were recovered, and $144.85 in the second juvenile's purse, according to police. Police then took the juveniles and their younger siblings down to the Homewood Police Department, where their mothers agreed to have an older cousin pick them up, according to the report. The juveniles have pending court dates, and a 'no trespass warning' banning them from Kmart, police said.