BERWYN
Women face theft charges
Marilu Resendiz, 25, and Veronica Hernandez, 23, both of Chicago, were charged with retail theft after allegedly attempting to steal items from Marshalls, 7163 W. Cermak Road, at about 2:15 p.m. May 18, police said.

A store employee told police he watched Resendiz put $26.37 worth of items into a baby carrier, which was also holding her 5-day-old daughter. The employee also said Hernandez, who had her 5-year-old son with her, put $83.94 worth of merchandise into her purse. The employee stopped the women as they attempted to exit the store.

Police use stun gun in chase
Walter Espinoza, 18, of the 2700 block of South Kenilworth Avenue, Berwyn, was shot with a stun gun at about 3:15 p.m. May 18 after attempting to flee from an officer, police said.

The chase began near the corner of 14th Street and Wenonah Avenue when officers saw Espinoza and two other men riding bicycles. Two of the men, including Espinoza, were wearing clothing indicating they were gang members, police said. Those two men fled the area on foot when police attempted to question them, according to police. An officer followed Espinoza through several yards and alleys before Espinoza hid behind a pine tree, police said.

The officer asked Espinoza to show his hands. Espinoza threw a plastic bag into the pine tree and started running again, police said. The officer then Tasered Espinoza in his lower back and retrieved the plastic bag, which contained 10 smaller bags filled with a total of 10 grams of marijuana.

He was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Car stereo stolen
A $250 Sony radio/CD player was stolen from a 1996 black Honda Accord parked in the 6600 block of West 28th Street between 8 a.m. May 20 and 4:15 a.m. May 21, police said.

Lose roosters captured
Two roosters were captured at about 5 a.m. May 21 in the 1300 block of Clinton Avenue, police said.

Officers responded to the scene after receiving a complaint about roosters running at large. The officers searched the area unsuccessfully for the birds’ owners, police said.

The officers cornered, netted and caged each bird individually and brought them back the Berwyn Police Department until the owners could be located or a rescue farm could pick them up, police said.

2 men injured in fight
Two men were hospitalized and charged with disorderly conduct after a fight erupted May 21 at about 1 a.m. on the 6600 block of West 19th Street, police said.

Brian C. Juarez, 24, of the 1800 block of Clarence Avenue, Berwyn, and Celerino Vargas, 35, of Chicago suffered multiple injuries to the head, arms and knuckles after the two began fighting at a friend’s barbecue, police said. Both men told officers they were friends and refused to sign battery or assault complaints against the other, police said.

Each was taken to an ambulance for treatment when they became combative with officers and paramedics, according to police. Juarez made a threatening motion toward a paramedic before an officer was able to handcuff one of his arms, police said.

Juarez refused to give the officer his other arm and was warned three times before another officer used a stun gun on him.

The paramedic declined to press assault charges and both men were taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn for their injuries.

Retail theft alleged
Nina N. Vann, 18, of Melrose Park was charged with misdemeanor retail theft after employees at Shoe Carnival, 7001 W. Cermak Road, witnessed her leave the store without paying for a pair of shoes at about 12:45 p.m. May 23, police said.

A store security agent already had Vann in custody when police arrived and told police he saw Vann put a $22 pair of Nike sandals into a white purse and leave the store, police said. Vann later admitted to stealing the sandals and also admitted she stole the purse from Marshalls, according to police.

Foul odor leads to citation
Catherine McNamara, 58, of the 3200 block of South Maple Avenue, Berwyn, was issued a local ordinance citation for unsanitary conditions on a premises on May 24 after neighbors complained of a stench coming her vehicle, police said.

Officers were first called to the home  May 23 because of a complaint and found a swarm of flies coming from a bag in the bed of a pickup truck. The officers immediately recognized the smell as that of a decomposing animal.

McNamara said the bag was filled with white bass she had brought back from a resort she owns in Wisconsin because she could not dispose of them there. Police confirmed the bag was filled with fish and told McNamara to put the waste into airtight bags, dispose of them and clean out the back of the pickup.

On May 24, at about 2:45 p.m., police were called again because the smell and flies were still in the truck. McNamara had disposed of the bag but had not cleaned the truck as ordered.
She was cited for unsanitary conditions and given a June 18 court date.