Police: Deerfield woman choked hospital worker

A woman choked a worker in the waiting area of the emergency room in a south Evanston hospital Sunday afternoon, police said.

The 30-year-old Deerfield resident was causing a disturbance when a 44-year-old employee of Presence Saint Francis Hospital, 355 Ridge Ave., went out to speak with her. The Deerfield woman then grabbed the worker by the throat and squeezed, causing the 44-year-old to lose consciousness, Evanston police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan said. She was eventually restrained by hospital security and the hospital employee did not require any additional medical attention, he added.

The Deerfield resident was held at the hospital for psychological evaluation, and no arrests have been made, police said.

Two fire extinguishers stolen from medical office

Two fire extinguishers were stolen Friday morning from a medical office in north Evanston, police said.

A maintenance engineer reported the crime when he saw a black plastic bag with two wall-mounted fire extinguishers inside. He claimed to have previously seen a man on two floors of the office building in the 1000 block of Central Street “tinkering” with extinguishers, Dugan said. After conducting an inventory check, the maintenance worker discovered two other extinguishers were now missing, police said.

The extinguishers are worth about $225 each. Dugan said police are currently reviewing security camera footage of the incident.

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