Blotter:'Secret Shopper' Scam; Woman Finds Stranger In Her Car

The items below come from Northbrook Police Department reports. In all incidents where an arrest occurred, a charge is merely an accusation and not evidence of guilt. The arrested person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

WOMAN FINDS STRANGER ASLEEP IN HER CAR

A resident of the 600 block of Sanders Road reported that when she went to get into her minivan on Monday, April 25, she found a man sleeping in the car, which was parked in her driveway. An officer found Terrell E. Hughes, 23, of Northbrook, passed out in the car with a can of air duster in his hand, police reported. When questioned, Hughes gave a false name, police said, and he was arrested and charged with burglary to a vehicle, a felony count.

TEENS CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA

Five 16-year-old boys, one 15-year-old boy and one 15-year-old girl, all from Northbrook, were charged with possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia Tuesday, April 26, after an officer smelled marijuana during a stop for a traffic violation, according to police. The teens were previously observed walking from one house to another around Castilian Circle and Lisa Court before piling into a Honda Pilot, with two of them in the trunk, police reported. All five were issued local ordinance tickets.

‘SECRET SHOPPER PROGRAM’ TURNS OUT TO BE $1500 SCAM

A resident of Sarah Lane told police that beginning April 22, she took part in what she thought was a secret shopper program after receiving “a generic e-mail” asking her to participate. When the program was over, she sent back an evaluation of her experience, then received two money orders, each for $896, according to police. She was told to cash them, keep $230 and send the rest to an individual in Annapolis, MD. When she did so, she found out that no one from the organization had contacted her in the first place. In total, she lost $1,553.80, police reported. An investigation is currently underway.

IDENTITY THEFT

A resident of Second Street reported that while checking her credit card statement online Monday, April 25, she noticed $450 in unauthorized charges, according to police.

IPOD STOLEN AT GLENBROOK NORTH

An individual reported that someone stole her iPod touch, valued at $400, which she left unattended in the band room, Tuesday, April 26, according to police.

STOLEN AIR CONDITIONING UNITS

Two air compressors were reported missing from a Dumpster and two air conditioning units were reported stolen from a pickup truck on Anthony Trail on Tuesday, April 26, according to police. The total loss was estimated at $200.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO A VEHICLE

An individual reported that sometime overnight on Saturday, April 23, someone damaged two of his vehicles, both of which were parked in separate areas of a lot at Dundee and Pfingsten roads, according to police.

An AT&T employee related that he parked his work truck at Lee Road and Ridgewood Drive Friday, April 29, and went to work on a telephone pole. When he came back, he found the driver’s side and rear cab windows had been smashed, according to police.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY

An individual reported that two light fixtures on Western Avenue had been damaged sometime before Thursday, April 28, possibly with a blunt object, according to police.

A resident of Floral Drive related that someone broke the front porch window with a rock sometime before 10 p.m., Friday, April 29, police reported. The individual did not see anyone breaking the window, however.

DAMAGED VILLAGE PROPERTY

While on patrol Thursday, April 28, an officer noticed that a street sign was bent at Teri-Lyn Lane and Walters Avenue, according to police. The sign was photographed and a work order for Public Works was completed.