Blotter: Jewel-Osco assault, attempted auto part theft

Grace Wu, Reporter

A Franklin Park man was charged Wednesday evening with assault and other criminal complaints.

The man reportedly went to Jewel-Osco, located at 1128 Chicago Ave., to purchase cigars around 8:20 p.m., according to Evanston Police Cmdr. Brian Henry.

The store employee at the counter asked the Franklin Park man for his ID, and the man refused, Henry said. The employee told the man he couldn’t sell the cigars to him, and the man became “very irate” and reportedly threatened the employee with bodily harm, Henry said.

The Franklin Park man then reportedly proceeded to walk behind the counter and throw merchandise around, including bottles of wine and alcohol, Henry said. The five bottles of alcohol that were damaged in the event are valued in total at $61.45, according to Henry.

Henry said while the Franklin Park man was throwing merchandise around the store, the employee that was previously assisting him and the store manager reportedly tried to physically restrain him. A bystander called the police, Henry said.

The store employees were “interested in filing complaints for criminal complaints and assault” against the Franklin Park man, Henry said. The man is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 18.

Attempted auto part theft

Somebody attempted to steal auto parts from an Evanston man’s car earlier this week.

The 28-year-old Evanston man parked his 2014 Jeep Compass on the street near 105 Grey Ave. around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Henry. When the man returned to his car Wednesday around 10 a.m., he found it damaged, Henry said.

The man believes somebody attempted to steal the catalytic convertor, as the piece was not in its usual spot, Henry said. The tubing around the transmission appeared to have been cut, and the cables and terminals were ripped out, Henry said.

The man filed the police report for insurance purposes and was not interested in filing a criminal complaint, Henry said. The man did not report any belongings missing from inside or outside of the car, Henry said.

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