Police beat
Des Plaines
• A man climbed through a bathroom window and into a home on the 1700 block of South Illinois Street around 4:50 p.m. Dec. 8. A woman resident who was in the basement heard a loud crash and heard someone swear; she ran upstairs, found the bathroom light on and saw the man climbing back out the window. He jogged north through the alley and disappeared. Nothing appeared to be missing.
• A pair of con artists tricked a 38-year-old woman out of $750 around noon Dec. 9. The woman was shopping on the 1100 block of East Oakton Street when she saw a man drop a small bag containing a gold necklace; his accomplice, a woman, picked it up and shouted after the man but he pretended not to hear and kept walking. The female con artist then told the victim they should keep the necklace, which had a price tag of $1,500. They agreed to split the cost, and the con artist pretended to be unable to get $750 out of her bank account. Together the women went to the victim's bank where she withdrew $750, gave it to the con artist and took the necklace. She later learned from a jeweler that the necklace was not real gold.
• Vandals cut 24 tires on seven vehicles on the 400 block of Dorothy Drive and 1000 block of South Wolf Road overnight Dec. 7-8. They also cut telephone and cable lines at a Wolf Road home. Damage was estimated at $2,980.
• Daniel J. Cushing, 44, 1020 S. Delphia Ave., Park Ridge, was arrested around 9:50 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Sugar Bowl tavern, 1494 Miner St., and charged with criminal damage to property. His court date is Dec. 29.
• Burglars broke into a 2000 Honda Civic on the 400 block of Stratford Road overnight Dec. 8-9 and stole a GPS unit. Total loss was estimated at $420.
• Burglars broke into a 2009 Toyota sedan on the 900 block of Beau Drive between 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8 and 6:45 a.m. Dec. 9 and stole a GPS unit. Total loss was estimated at $240.
Mount Prospect
• Two vans belonging to Northwest Electrical Supply and parked in the store's lot at 600 W. Rand Road, were vandalized Nov. 29-Dec. 1. Total damage was estimated at $600.
• Vandals cut up an inflated Santa, reindeer and snowman on the 100 block of North Fairview Avenue between midnight-5 p.m. Dec. 8. Damage was estimated at $155.
• A man stole a cell phone, charger, digital camera, computer disk and briefcase out of an unlocked Ford Explorer on the 1900 block of West Bonita Avenue between 6:30-6:44 p.m. Dec. 8. A neighbor saw a man walking near the home as she pulled out of her driveway; she drove away but her suspicions brought her back. She saw him leave the Explorer and walk away. She notified the owner of the SUV and then followed the offender but lost sight of him on South Hatlen Avenue, where the stolen briefcase was found on a front lawn. Value of the missing items was estimated at $635.
• Police are looking for a man who has confronted and threatened to punch a 56-year-old woman handing out anti-abortion materials outside St. Raymond's Catholic Church, 301 S. Elmhurst Road, around 9:30 a.m. on three successive Sundays. The woman told police he grabbed a flier out of her hand Nov. 23, bumped her hip to move her out of the way Nov. 30, and told her Dec. 7 that if he sees her again he will punch her in the face. She said she has been standing on the public sidewalk outside the church. The man is approximately 60, about 6-1, 200 pounds, gray hair, light complexion and medium build.
• Someone stole seven power tools out of an unlocked 2008 GMC van on the 700 block of West Busse Avenue between 6 p.m. Dec. 5 and 5:45 a.m. Dec. 6; they thief used a wheeled garbage can behind the garage to cart off the tools, worth an estimated $1,600.
• Burglars broke into a 2003 Ford Ranger pickup on the 2300 block of South Cannon Drive between 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8 and 8:30 a.m. Dec. 9 and stole a GPS charger and mount. Total loss was estimated at $185.
Prospect Heights
• Vandals slashed three tires on a 1995 Lexus sedan and two tires on a 1994 Geo Prizm in the same driveway on the 300 block of West Willow Road overnight Dec. 7-8. Total damage was estimated at $515.