Year in Review: Lemont Police Blotter

Patch reported on a variety of crime-related stories in 2012, from burglaries and road rage to stolen cars and a coffee shop peep show. Here are just a few of them.

• Lemont Police Report String of Car Burglaries: Chief Kevin Shaughnessy urged residents to lock up their valuables in light of incidents on 127th Street, State Street and Derby Road.

• Police Arrest Man Accused of Driving Truck into House, Leaving Kids Behind: Nerijus Miciulis, 42, turned himself in, five days after he drove his truck into a Lemont house and fled the scene, police said.

• Lemont, Romeoville Residents Indicted in Luxury Auto Theft Ring: Five defendants were accused of purchasing vehicles in Cook and DuPage counties and shipping them overseas for resale without repaying loans used for the purchases.One of the defendants—Eva Gebus, 44, of Lemont—was arrested Jan. 16 at O'Hare International Airport as she arrived on a flight from Canada, according to the State's Attorney's Office. The remaining defendants were Lemont residents Wojchiech Kujawa, 41, and Jaroslaw Gebus, 38, and Romeoville residents Halina Gebus, 61, and Tadeusz Gebus, 64.

• Prognosis Positive for Lemont Native Willie Hayes After Bar Attack: The North Central College senior was discharged from Edward Hospital after being stabbed in a Naperville bar fight that killed his friend and former teammate, Shaun Wild.

• Cook County Police Search for Road Rage Shooter: Police were searching for a white male, between 20 and 30 years of age, who they said shot a 58-year-old Downers Grove man in a road-rage incident at 107th Street and 104th Avenue between two forest preserves near Lemont and Palos Park.

• Judge Denied Bond for Olaska, Said He Posed Threat to the Community: Judge Kathryn E. Creswell denied bond for Daniel Olaska, who was charged in the February stabbing death of Naperville teacher Shaun Wild. Olaska was charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder after a fight at Frankie's Blue Room. Naperville elementary teacher Shaun Wild died as a result of his injuries. Lemont native and North Central College senior Willie Hayes was also injured and discharged from Edward Hospital several days after the attack.

• Police Release Sketch in Lemont Sex Assault: Lemont police were searching for a man—described as a white male in his late 20s or early 30s—who allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in the 1100 block of State Street March 23. According to police, the victim was walking alone in the 1100 block of State Street at approximately 11:45 p.m. when she was approached by a man in a vehicle. The man reportedly forced her into his vehicle and sexually assaulted her, police said.

• Lemont Man Sentenced to 6 Months in Jail for Molesting 14-Year-Old Girl: A Will County judge sentenced a Lemont man on Thursday to six months in jail and four years of sex offender probation for repeatedly molesting a teenage girl between 2003 and 2007. Greg A. Voegtlin, 44, was convicted in May of repeatedly sexually abusing a teenager from 2003 to 2007.

• Lemont Police Investigate Hacked Tornado Sirens: Lemont Police Chief Kevin Shaughnessy said it would be tough to track down the person responsible for setting off all seven of Lemont’s tornado sirens."It appears that someone defeated our system and activated the sirens," Shaughnessy said.

• Passenger Comes Forward in Hit-and-Run Case: Detective. Sgt. Jerry Lehmacher said police were having a "hard time" tracking down the driver of 2007 black Lexus that fled the scene after crashing into a guard rail and speed sign on Main Street on July 29.

• Two Lemont Teens Accused of Residential Burglary in Unincorporated Downers Grove: Christopher G. Forzley and Jacob G. Carpenter of Lemont were charged Aug. 7 with felony counts of burglary and residential burglary, according to the DuPage County Sheriff's Office. The teens were accused of burglarizing a home in unincorporated Downers Grove.

• Old Quarry Student Struck by Vehicle Crossing 127th Street: The girl was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries just before 3 p.m. Aug. 28, according to Lemont fire officials.

• 43 Suspected Latin Kings Charged in Drug-Trafficking Investigation: Men from Lemont, Joliet, New Lenox and Orland Hills were among 43 charged in state and federal drug trafficking investigations that targeted distribution of cocaine, heroin and marijuana in Chicago and the south suburbs.

• Police Evacuate McDonald's After Finding Live Grenades in Vehicle: Lemont Police evacuated the McDonald’s at 1152 State St. after discovering live grenades in a vehicle in the restaurant’s parking lot Sept. 16.The explosive devices were discovered as police and Lemont Fire Department personnel responded to the report of a man passed out in his vehicle in the parking lot of the restaurant at about 9:30 p.m. George Crocker of New Lenox was held on $300,000 bond on weapons and drug charges.

• Cook County Sheriff Looking for Oct. 3 Burglary Suspect: Residents of a home on Derby Road in Lemont Township spotted a man making off with some of their belongings at about 9:30 a.m. Oct. 3. The man was driving a two-door, blue SUV with temporary license plates.

• Lemont Man's Trial For Alleged Romeoville Road Rage Killing Set: Christopher Yeoman of Lemont faces second-degree murder charges in connection with the death of a man he allegedly punched at a Romeoville stoplight in June 2011.

• Bomb Threat at Old Quarry Result of Wrong Number: Old Quarry Middle School was placed under “soft lockdown” while police and school officials investigated an alleged bomb threat texted to an Old Quarry student’s phone. Police determined the text was sent to the wrong number and referred to an incident in DuPage County.

• Police Blotter: Man Lets Pals Take Scrap Rap: Police say an alleged thief left his accomplices behind when confronted by a worker opening a scrap yard in the early morning hours Nov. 8. Three Chicago men were charged with the theft after allegedly being caught in the act of stealing materials from a scrap processing business in the 16200 block of New Avenue.

• Police: Downers Grove Duo Caught Driving Stolen Car after Evading Roadside Check in Lemont: Vidmantas Karla, 45, and Virginijus Karla, 25, both of Downers Grove, were arrested by Lemont police on charges of felony vehicle theft conspiracy after being caught driving a stolen vehicle in Lemont, police said.

• Police Nab Two Men in $500,000 Copper Heist: Lemont Police, working in conjunction with the Tri County Auto Theft Task Force (TCAT), arrested two brothers Nov. 14 in connection with a theft of $500,000 worth of copper from a business on New Avenue in unincorporated Lemont. Kyle Anderson, 22, of Bridgeview and Mike Anderson, 27, of Oak Lawn were booked into the Cook County Jail on charges of felony theft.

• Unlawful Possession of Weapons by a Felon: Philip D. Ipema, 56, of the 600 block of McCarthy Road, was charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon. Lemont police were called to assist the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) and while in the process of serving a search warrant, police allegedly discovered a shotgun in Ipema’s home.

• Man Arrested Twice in One Day – for the Same Offense: Lemont police arrested Jeremy Townsend, 22, of the 14000 block of Pulaski Road in Midlothian, Dec. 15, following a traffic stop at Main and Stephen streets. Townsend was charged with driving while his license is suspended and no insurance. Police arrested Townsend again at 3:56 a.m. at Main and Wheeler streets – on the same charges.

• Lemont Police Bust Burglary Ring, Recover Stolen Items: Avshalom Chayim, 37, and Dawvid Chayim, 35, were arrested in connection with several residential burglaries—including one in Lemont on Dec. 18 and another in Lake County, police said.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There are plenty of ways to keep up on Lemont news:

• Sign up for our daily newsletter and breaking news email alerts.

• Like us on Facebook for a slightly different take.