OP_090116

14 | September 1, 2016 | The orland park prairie News
opprairie.com
Police Reports
Chicago woman with prior convictions charged with felony retail theft
Latyra Lewis, 40, of 10339
S. Calumet Ave. in Chicago,
was charged Aug. 5 with
felony retail theft after she
allegedly tried to take nine
cosmetics items valued at a
total of $296 from a department
store at Orland Square.
She reportedly concealed the
merchandise in a bag and
tried to leave the store before
she was stopped. She reportedly
has two prior charges
and convictions for larceny,
which led to the felony
charge, police said.
Aug. 6
• Troy A. Jozsa, 25, of 7625
Wheeler Drive in Orland
Park, was charged with leaving
the scene of an accident,
failure to reduce speed to
avoid an accident and improper
lane usage after he
allegedly knocked over a
mailbox while driving a
2013 Infiniti G37 in the 7600
block of Cashew Drive. The
registration on the vehicle
led to Jozsa’s residence,
police said. He reportedly
left no identification for the
homeowner of the mailbox,
which was valued at $250,
police added.
Aug. 5
• Lisa M. Garcia, 44, of 9023
Lunar Court in Orland Park,
was charged with unlawful
possession of a controlled
substance after police reportedly
found a bag containing
heroin concealed near her
chest outside Orland Square.
A missing person report and
an active arrest warrant were
issued in Garcia’s name, and
someone spotted her fleeing
her residence, police said.
She reportedly was located
near a bus stop near the mall.
The substance in the bag
field tested positive for heroin,
police said. A weight for
the drug was not provided in
the police report. The arrest
warrant was from DuPage
County for failure to appear
on a retail theft charge.
Aug. 2
• DeMichael L. Burley, 19,
of 13831 S. Illinois St. in
Riverdale, and Laneah J.
Hawkins, 18, of 88 E. 155th
St. in Harvey, were each
charged with one count of
theft after they allegedly
were found to be in possession
of stolen merchandise
from a store at Orland
Square. The two reportedly
were stopped in the parking
lot. Burley had a backpack
containing five stolen
items, some still with theft
detection sensors attached,
valued at a total of $47.41,
police said. Hawkins had
two stolen items valued at a
total of $27.98 concealed in
her purse — one of them a
T-shirt that still had a theftdetection
sensor attached,
police added.
July 29
• Jasmine S. Marin, 22, of
3024 E. 98th St. in Chicago,
was charged with one
count of retail theft and three
counts of theft after she allegedly
tried to take four
clothing items valued at a
total of $166 from a department
store at Orland Square
Mall. Marin reportedly
took the clothing to a fitting
room, concealed the items in
her purse and tried to leave
the store. When she was
stopped, an officer found her
to be in possession of stolen
items from three other
stores, as well, police said.
She reportedly had items
valued at $202.59 from one
store, $160.30 from another
and $105.90 from the third.
Editor’s note: The Orland Park
Prairie’s police reports come
from the Orland Park Police
Department. Anyone listed in
these reports is considered to
be innocent of all charges until
proven guilty in a court of law.
FROM THE HOMER HORIZON
Homer Harvest Days to present
variety of vendors, historical
demonstrations
Homer Glen is to showcase a
plethora of demonstrators, history
exhibitors, musicians and more
the second weekend of September,
during the annual Homer Harvest
Days.
The event is to take place from
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 10, as well
as 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 11, at the
Trantina Farm, 15744 W. 151st St.
in Homer Township.
Admission and parking for the
event are free.
In addition to classic fair activities,
like a petting zoo and pony
rides, there will also be a few new
exhibits. Ron Jones is to present
wet plate photography from the
Civil War era.
Another new exhibit is to be
courtesy of Russ Knaack and
Shawn Borri, who are to present
phonograph recordings. Newcomer
Les Marszalek, an archaeological
surveyor who has worked with
the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources, is to present artifacts
from the area, describe the history
of the area and assess artifacts
visitors bring, describing how they
may have been used and their values.
Kevin Wood is to return as Abraham
Lincoln, and the Civil War
cannon demonstration, crafts for
children and tomahawk throwing
also are slated to entertain the
crowds, along with many other
vendors and demonstrators.
The event committee is still
seeking volunteers. Though the
committee prefers volunteers contact
them by Thursday, Sept. 8, the
event can take volunteers the day
of the event.
For more information about the
event, visit www.homerharvest
days.com, call (708) 301-0522 or
email homerharvestdays@homer
township.com.
Reporting by Mary Stroka,
Freelance Reporter. For more, visit
HomerHorizon.com.
FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION
Tinley mourns death of former
trustee
Known for his dedication to public
safety, Matthew J. Heffernan
served nine years on the Tinley Park
Village Board beginning in 1998,
serving as a chairperson on numerous
committees during his tenure.
Heffernan, who also served in
the United States Marine Corps
during the Vietnam War, died Aug.
18. He was 70 years old.
In 1998, when Trustee Thomas
DiBernardo vacated his seat, Heffernan
was appointed to the Tinley
Park Village Board. Heffernan
went on to be elected to the position
in 2001.
“He was the common man; he
was able to relate to most everyone,”
former Tinley Park Mayor
Ed Zabrocki said.
“Matt was a dedicated public
servant and a good person,” Mayor
Dave Seaman added.
In addition to chairing the Village’s
Budget and Administration
Committee, Heffernan was
the chairman of the Public Safety
Committee. Heffernan helped initiate
the Tinley Park Seat Belt Ordinance
and introduced legislation
for fire departments to lend mutual
aid when emergencies arise.
In addition to his passion for
public safety, Heffernan was a
proud veteran. He served as cochairman
of the Tinley Park Veterans
Commission and helped initiate
the Marine Corps Detachment
1217 in Tinley Park.
Heffernan also was instrumental
in setting up Tinley’s Sister City
Program with Mallow, Ireland, and
was vice chairman of the Tinley
Park Oktoberfest, chairman of the
Oktoberfest Parade and an active
member of St. Stephen Deacon and
Martyr Church.
Reporting by Tim Carroll, Assistant
Editor. For more, visit TinleyJunction.
com.
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
Foundation’s ninth annual outing to
continue honoring NL native
After eight straight years of successful
outings, the morning of
the ninth annual Martin J. Larson
II Memorial Golf Outing Aug. 20
looked as if the event was going to
be in jeopardy.
Torrential downpours hit New
Lenox, showering The Sanctuary
Golf Course – the host site of the
outing. And Sharon Larson received
calls regarding of the status
of the event in the hours leading up
to registration.
Faced with the decision to send
people home and come back for the
dinner portion of the event, she and
the event board members decided
to let the show go on.
The downpour subsided, and all
the golfers at the sold-out event
teed off on time, after hours of uncertainty.
“It all worked out,” Larson said.
“It turned out to be a great outing,
actually.”
Sharon’s goal when she, her husband,
Dale, family and friends created
the Martin J. Larson II Foundation
was to donate $100,000
after 10 years in service.
It has exceeded that amount —
after the foundation raised more
than $29,000 at this year’s outing
— and is closing on nearly tripling
that goal as it heads into its 10th
year.
The event — which honors Sharon
and Dale’s son, Martin, who
died following a battle with lymphoma
in 2006 — sold out all nine
times, with roughly 40 foursomes
every year.
“These kind of things end after
a few years, maybe because people
get tired of it,” Dale said of golf
outings. “But everyone enjoys it.
For me, it’s like being at a party.
It’s a celebration of his life.”
Reporting by James Sanchez, Editor.
For more, visit NewLenoxPatriot.com.