Palos Heights Police Blotter: Grocery Shoppers Detain Thief, Man Drives With Loaded Gun

SUNDAY, FEB. 13 

Citizens' Arrest

A small group of shoppers at  managed to chase and detain an alleged purse thief, police said.

Cheryl M. Oliver, 31, of the 9400 block of Oak Lawn, was charged with theft after police said she grabbed a purse from an unattended shopping cart around 11 a.m.

The owner of the purse told police she saw Oliver fleeing the store and yelled for help. A small group of shoppers sprung to action after hearing the woman's cries and caught up to Oliver in the parking lot, where she tried to ditch the purse, police said.

Techno Theft

Awatef M. Ghusein, 41, of the 9300 block of 69th Court in Oak Lawn, was charged with theft. Police said Ghusein knowingly purchased a stolen iPad and was arrested at Pinehurst Court around 10:30 p.m. Feb. 13.

On the morning of Feb. 14, police arrested Charles K. Gries, 19, of the 12600 block of Central Avenue in Palos Heights, and charged him with theft. Police believe Gries stole an iPad and several GPS units from Pinehurst Court and sold the items to Ghusein and others.

Loaded Handgun

Odeh S. Tadros, 54, of the first block of Ruffled Feathers Drive in Lemont, was charged with driving under the influence, unlawful use of a weapon and speeding. Police said they stopped Tadros’ car in the 7600 block of College Drive around 3 a.m. in connection with speeding and found a loaded handgun in the glove compartment.

Police report information is provided by law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.