Blotter: Driver, Passenger Caught Trying the Old Switcheroo; Woman Steals Books from Donation Bin

The following incidents were listed among the official reports of the Lake Forest and . Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Only a court of law can make that determination.

LAKE BLUFF

No Valid Driver's License

Maria Juarez, 45, of Waukegan, was charged with improper lane usage, no valid driver's license, uninsured motor vehicle and not wearing a seat belt on May 2 at the intersection of southbound Route 41 and Saab Exchange. The officer conducted a traffic stop after observing Juarez driving erractically. She was released on a personal recognizance bond.

Arcadio Vasquez-Vonoe, 33, of Waukegan, was charged with no valid driver's license and speeding on May 4 near the intersection of Sheridan Road and Crabtree Farm roads. The driver was traveling at 51 mph in a 40 mph zone. The officer conducted a traffic stop and Vasquez-Vonoe did not have a valid driver's license. She was released on a personal recognizance bond.

Telma Augustine-Martinez, 32, of Grayslake, was charged with no valid driver's license and only one operating tail light at 4:40 a.m. May 7 at the intersection of Waukegan and Atkinson roads. She was released on a personal recognizance bond.

Theft

A resident in the 10 block of Woodland Road reported a Weber grill, a blue Schwinn mountain bike and a stainless steel chopping block stand stolen between April 26 and May 1. The items had been tethered to the house by a cable, which had been cut.

Possession of Marijuana, Theft of Government Property

Rodney White, 37, of Waukegan, was charged with expired vehicle registration, improper use of registration, no motor vehicle insurance, suspended and revoked driver's license, theft of government property, forgery and unlawful possession of marijuana at 8:02 a.m. May 2 at the intersection of Green Bay Road and West Washington Avenue. The officer observed the expired registration sticker on White's vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. The officer observed a street sign in the back seat of the vehicle for Martin Luther King Drive. During an inventory of the car, the officer found a $20 bill that appeared to be counterfeit and 8.5 grams of marijuana. White was held on a $50,000 bond pending a May 26 court date in Waukegan.

Suspicious Circumstance

An officer received a report of a possible scam involving a sweepstake offer in the 300 block of Briar Lane on May 5. The complainant said the caller called back and left a phone number for her to call. The officer made contact with the other party and explained to him not to contact or show up at the residence and that the homeowner was not interested. He said he understood and hung up. The officer returned to the complainant's house for more telephone harassment calls. The caller stated that after eight more calls that his delivery people were on their way over to the residence for a pickup. The officer advised the homeowner to advise the caller that she wanted to be placed on the "Do Not Call List" and to stop calling and that a police report had been filed. The officer advised the homeowner to call AT&T and have the number blocked. The officer made another trip to the home after additional calls. The officer met with the homeowner, who said the number showed a Jamaican area code.

Theft

A resident in the 300 block of East Blodgett reported the theft of a copper downspout from the home on May 4.

Theft

A resident in the 500 block of Sunrise Avenue reported the theft of copper downspouts from the southeast corner of the house on May 3. The theft occurred between 4 p.m. May 1 and 9 a.m. May 3. Approximate value is $1,000.

Public Complaint
An officer responded to the Dominick's, 201 S. Waukegan Road, for a report of a woman stealing out of the book donation bin on May 2. The suspect was described as a white female wearing a dark-colored coat with long black hair and large frame black sunglasses. She was not in the area when the officer arrived.

LAKE FOREST

Driving Under the Influence (DUI)

Richard D. Artman, 24, 495 Ryan Place, Lake Forest, was charged with driving under the influence (DUI), DUI for a blood alcohol level over .08 and speeding at 1:04 a.m. May 3 at the intersection of Sheridan Road and Old Elm Road. Artman was stopped for speeding and found to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. Artman failed the field sobriety tests and submitted a breath sample indicating a blood alcohol level of .286. He was released on a $100 bond and surrendered his driver's license pending a May 27 court date in Waukegan.

Juan Carlos Molina-Tigurcio, 21, 120 High St., Highwood, was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and DUI over .08, aggravated DUI, speeding, improper lane usage, fleeing/attempting to elude a police officer, driving an uninsured vehicle, no valid driver's license, driving while license revoked, obstructing a peace officer and obstructing justice at 2:39 a.m. April 28 in the 700 block of Everett Road. Molina-Tigurcio was stopped for traveling 67 mph in a 25 mph zone on Ridge Road. He changed places with the passenger during the traffic stop in order to avoid arrest. Molina-Tigurcio provided a false name to the arresting officer. He failed field sobriety tests and a breath test resulted in a blood alcohol content of .175. He was held overnight pending an April 28 bond hearing in Waukegan. No further information was available. Joaquin Lopez, 21 122 High St., Highwood, was charged with obstructing a police officer during the arrest of Juan Carlos Molina-Tigurcio. He was the passenger in the vehicle and changed places with the driver during the traffic stop in order to have the actual driver avoid arrest. Lopez was released on a $100 bond pending a June 10 court date in Waukegan.

Warrant Arrest

Daniel J. Kneip, 44, 112 W. Austin Ave., Libertyville, was arrested for violation of an Order of Protection (2 counts) at 10:55 a.m. April 20 in Lake Forest. Kneip committed an act which was prohibited by the order of protection. He made contact with a protected party via phone message, sent flowers and a card. He was released on a $25,000 bond and appeared in court in Waukegan on April 29. No further information was available.

Disorderly Conduct

Albert A. Thumler III, 39, 706 Woodlawn Ave., Lake Forest, was charged with disorderly conduct at 5:45 p.m. May 2 in the 100 block of Washington Circle. Thumler was yelling and telling a male victim that he was going to commit battery on the individual. He was released on a $120 bond pending a June 7 court date in Park City.

Improper Lane Usage

Katherine M. Gaa, 41, 6815 N. Wellsley Court, Gurnee, was charged with improper lane usage at 10:55 a.m. April 14 at the intersection of Route 41 and Deerpath Road. An officer responded to the area in response to a report of a possible drunk driver. Witnesses observed Gaa driving all over the road and strike a guard rail for the Deerpath exit. She was taken to Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital for a blood and urine draw. Samples were sent to the Northeastern Illinois Regional Crime Laboratory for analysis. Test results showed the presence of Bupropion. She was released on a $100 bond and surrendered her driver's license pending a May 13 court date in Waukegan.

Possession of Marijuana

Eric A. Clover, 20, 400 S. 4th Street, Libertyville, was charged with speeding, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia at 12:48 a.m. April 30 at the intersection of Westleigh and Green Bay roads. Clover was stopped for traveling 52 mph in a 35 mph speed zone on Westleigh Road. Items found during a search were a plastic bag containing less than two grams of marijuana, three marijuana smoking devices, one digital scale, and a grinder also containing marijuana. He was released on a $120 bond pending a June 7 court date in Park City.

Theft, No Valid Driver's License

Victor E. Rivas, 53 909 Woodlawn Ave., Waukegan, and Benjamin Najera-Diaz, 41, 1213 Jackson Court, North Chicago, were changed with no valid driver's license and theft of more than $300. The officer observed Rivas driving with items believed to have been stolen in the area earlier. Officers identified Najera-Diaz and recovered 12 pieces of wrought iron furniture and two copper down spouts in Lake Forest and elsewhere. They were each released on a $5,000 bond pending a May 1 court date in Waukegan. No further information was available. The investigation continues.