Monday Blotter: Stealing Electricity, Resisting Arrest, Arson

Burglary to Vehicle

Saturday at 3:02 p.m. police responded to a call from a man who reported that his driver side window had been busted and an iPhone was taken from the center console while parked in a lot on the 800 block of E. Oakton Street. A witness said she observed two unknown male suspects standing around the vehicle around 1 p.m. She did not see them break the window but did see them pull on the door handle. Estimated property loss: $450.

Burglary

Saturday at 11:33 a.m. police responded to a report of burglary at a residence on the 400 block of Harding Avenue. They observed a rear door and frame that had been damaged by unknown means. Items reported stolen include: one Dell laptop, one Nikon D60 camera and lens. Total estimated property loss: $2,950.

Unlawful interference with public utility services

Wednesday at 9:25 a.m. police were sent an anonymous tip that a man living in a residence on the 400 block of Bellaire Avenue was stealing electricity via a jumper cable attached to power lines outside of the residence. ComEd representatives relayed that the electricity had indeed been shut off in May 2008. Upon arrival at the scene, police observed the illegal connection. ComEd estimates that approximately $3,500 in electricity had been stolen. 

Bernard Hirschbine, 51, of the 400 block of Bellaire Avenue was charged with unlawful interference with public utility services. Bernard said that he had rigged the outside connection within the last three weeks and had previously been running the home on a generator.

Editors note: Previously Patch had incorrectly listed the name of the offender's wife as being charged as well. This was a mistake and in order to correct the mistake fully, we have taken her name out of the report completely so as to not have her name appear in search engines for the above offense. We sincerely apologize for the mistake.

Arson

Saturday at 2:49 a.m. Des Plaines police and fire were dispatched to an apartment building on the 2000 block of Pine Street where a fire had been reported. It was determined at the scene that the fire started in the first floor storage area and was deemed criminal in nature.  No residents were hurt in the blaze. The scene is under investigation.

Criminal damage to property

Friday at 5 p.m. a woman reported that while she was traveling westbound in her vehicle on the 1800 block of E. Golf Road, near the train tracks, a large object came down from the trestle striking her windshield and breaking it. Police arrived and observed many rocks in the roadway. They informed Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to clean up the area. Total estimated property loss: $500.

Accidental damage to property

Friday at 5:02 p.m. a man reported that as he was traveling westbound on the same stretch of 1800 E. Golf Road (see above incident), a vehicle struck a rock that then struck his passenger side, damaging his vehicle. 

Disorderly conduct/resisting arrest

Monday at 12:03 a.m. police responded to a report of a woman repeatedly honking her horn, screaming profanities and getting in and out of her vehicle at a residence on the 900 block of Beau Drive. Police initially were unable to locate the woman because an address was not given in the complaint, but eventually caught up to her.

Jody Tarapczynski, 27, of the 1700 block of Forest Cove in Mt. Prospect was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. In an expletive-fueled rant, Tarapczynski related that she was at the residence to pick up her daughter from a babysitter, but that the woman would not allow her to come inside the home. Police observed that Tarapczynski appeared to be intoxicated. 

Police later determined that Tarapczynski is not the mother of the child. She said she was trying to help by picking up the child. She then let out another expletive-fueled rant and returned to her vehicle. Police had to forcibly remove her from the vehicle, after which she became limp and continued to be uncooperative, and transport her to the station.

She will appear in Skokie Courthouse on Dec. 14.