Elgin

• A California woman told Elgin police that she was swindled out of $300 last week after answering an online advertisement to buy two bulldog puppies near Elgin. Reports said that a man claiming to be their owner said his wife died and that he didn't have anyone else to look after the puppies. The woman wired the money through Western Union on Saturday, which she believed would cover the dogs' airfare. But the puppies never left the ground - they were expected to arrive Tuesday, the woman said. When she tried calling Western Union to stop payment, a worker informed her that someone had already collected the money at an Elgin location.

• Three masked men got into a car Monday night and robbed the driver at gunpoint, making off with a cell phone that belonged to the victim's mother, as well as a Boston Red Sox baseball cap, police said. Reports said the incident occurred at 1:30 a.m. at Liberty Street and Bluff City Boulevard, after the driver stopped his car at a red light. Police said the front seat passenger pointed what appeared to be a gun and hit the victim on top of his head. Another passenger in the front seat pointed a black semiautomatic pistol at his head and told him to start driving. They later told him to open his trunk, and he complied. Police said he dropped them off 10 minutes later on westbound Bluff City Boulevard. The men, described as Hispanic, were last seen heading north on Liberty in black gloves, black ski masks and black clothes.

• Police are looking for whoever rammed a vehicle into a gate at the Elgin Mental Health Center Tuesday, smashing the fence and the gate.

• A man was taken to Sherman Hospital Monday, after two men beat him with a tire iron and a wooden stick in the head and kicked him in the ribs in the 600 block of Page Avenue. Police said the men were last seen driving a red truck on Preston Avenue. Both men are described as Hispanic - one man had no facial hair and a heavy build and the other man had a small mustache and beard, a small ponytail and a thin build.

• Someone stole seven pairs of men's and women's jeans Tuesday that were inside of a dryer at a laundry in the 0-100 block of State Street, police said.

• A Jay Cutler Bears jersey, a Sony PlayStation 2, a video game and a pair of controllers were stolen Tuesday from a home in the 200 block of Jefferson Avenue, police said. There were no signs of a forced entry, aside from pry marks on the rear door.

• Police are looking for a man they say stole 10 packs of Big Red chewing gum Monday from a gas station in the 800 block of St. Charles Street. Police said the gum was worth $14.90.

• Someone slashed all four tires on a 2000 Lincoln Towncar parked in the 600 block of Lincoln Avenue between Sunday and Monday.

Lake in the Hills

• Police are looking for whoever is responsible for a recent uptick in graffiti concentrated along Pyott Road near Navajo Drive. It has turned up on the roadways, stop signs, fences, a building and the silo at the Silo Glen Apartments, police said. If you have information about the crimes, call the police department at (847) 658-5676 or send them a text message anonymously by texting "LITH" and the tip's details to "TIP411."

Crystal Lake

• An undercover police check to see whether 39 Crystal Lake businesses were obeying local tobacco laws Tuesday turned up one business that was not in compliance - Crystal Lake Shell in the 200 block of South Virginia Street, police said. Ellen C. Pierce, 62, of the 100 block of South Virginia Street, was charged with selling cigarettes to a minor, police said; the other 38 businesses passed the random check.

St. Charles

• Todd Cassens, 43, of the 1500 block of Jewel Avenue, was charged Nov. 19 with creating a public nuisance with a barking dog, according to a police report. It was the fourth time police have responded to Cassens's residence for that kind of complaint. Police observed two dogs in the backyard barking excessively and for an extended period of time.

• Robert Lee White, 21, of the 3700 block of North Central Park Avenue in Chicago, was charged Friday with possession and delivery of cannabis greater than 2 grams, but less than 10 grams, according to a police report. Police responded to the 2000 block of Wessel Court for suspicious activity in a parking lot. Upon arrival they found men sitting in a car that was not running. Upon opening the driver's side door, police smelled cannabis. Police found five plastic bags containing a total of 5.32 grams of cannabis in White's pockets and pants. White told the police the cannabis was for personal consumption, not for sale.

• Joseph Lee Jang, 30, of the 3000 block of Langston Circle, was charged Friday with retail theft, according to a police report. Employees at the Blue Goose, 300 S. Second St., observed Jang place items in a backpack and leave the store without paying for them. Police located Jang at the scene. Jang told police he has obsessive compulsive disorder, didn't have any money and was hungry when he took the items. Store employees told police they witnessed Jang place a six-pack of apple sauce and other items in his backpack.

• Thomas Andrew Batchelor, 25, of the 500 block of Horizon Drive, was charged Saturday with possession of a controlled substance and having an outstanding warrant, according to a police report. Police were called to the Fairfield Inn on a noise complaint where they arrested Batchelor for having an outstanding warrant for driving with a suspended license. Police then located three plastic bags concealed in the insole of one of Batchelor's shoes. The bags contained a total of 1.99 grams of cocaine.

• Ernest Nance, 55, of the 2000 block of Lincoln Highway, was charged Saturday with retail theft, according to a police report. Store employees at Dominick's, 2063 Lincoln Highway, observed Nance conceal multiple personal hygiene items in his pockets and a box of Klondike ice cream in his jacket and attempt to leave the store without paying for them. The total value of the products was estimated at about $551.

• Mariana Flores-Montoya, 26, of the 3800 block of East Main Street, was charged Saturday with retail theft, according to a police report. Store security at Kohl's, 3840 E. Main St., observed Flores-Montoya walk through the store with her two young children and select numerous items from the jewelry department, enter a fitting room to conceal the items, then attempt to leave the store without paying for them. Police found a total of about $279 worth of unpaid merchandise on her.