WB_121318

6 | December 13, 2018 | The wilmette beacon news
wilmettebeacon.com
Police Reports
Wilmette vacuum thieves nabbed after trying to return stolen goods
Lamar Wimberly, 51,
and Amy Marie Santiago,
42, both of Chicago, were
arrested following a retail
theft Dec. 4 at Bed Bath &
Beyond, 3232 Lake Ave.,
Wilmette.
A store employee notified
police that between
11:19-11:25 a.m. two unknown
subjects left the
store with two vacuums
they hadn’t paid for. The
employee sent surveillance
stills to surrounding
stores.
At approximately 2
p.m. Wimberly and Santiago
were identified at the
Skokie Bed Bath & Beyond
for allegedly trying
to return the stolen vacuums.
They were taken into
custody by the Skokie Police
Department and turned
over to Wilmette Police
officers. Santiago was released
without charges and
Wimberly was charged
with misdemeanor theft.
Wimberly also had an outstanding
warrant from the
Palatine Police Department
and was transferred
to their custody at approximately
6:20 p.m.
Wilmette
Dec. 7
• A resident in the 60 block
of Indian Hill Road reported
that between 8:30 p.m.
Dec. 3 and 9 p.m. Dec. 4
an unknown offender(s)
stole two rings from her
home.
• A resident in the 2200
block of Greenwood Avenue
told police that during
the overnight hours of Dec.
6 an unknown offender(s)
stole a package that had
been delivered to the home.
Dec. 6
• A resident in the 3100
block of Nina Avenue
reported that between
Dec. 2-6 an unknown
offender(s) entered his
residence using brute force
but did not appear to have
taken anything.
• A resident in the 1200
block of Elmwood Avenue
told police that between
8-10:45 a.m. an unknown
offender(s) removed a
window well cover and
pushed a window open. It
did not appear entry was
gained to the residence.
Dec. 5
• A resident in the 2800
block of Birchwood Avenue
reported that at sometime
overnight Dec. 4 an
unknown offender(s) entered
his unlocked vehicle
and removed change, ear
buds and an insurance card.
Dec. 4
• A resident in the 700
block of Forest Avenue
told police that on Dec. 3
an unknown offender(s)
entered his home through
one of several unlocked
doors and took miscellaneous
items.
Dec. 3
• A resident in the 200
block of Westmoreland
Drive reported that during
the overnight hours of Dec.
2 an unknown offender(s)
entered his unlocked vehicle
parked in his driveway
and stole $30 and a black
briefcase.
Dec. 2
• Mariela Avila-Vilchez,
26, of Chicago, was arrested
and charged with
driving under the influence
at 4:49 a.m. Dec. 2 at the
intersection of Lake Avenue
and Skokie Boulevard.
Wilmette Police allegedly
found Avila-Vilchez seated
in her vehicle with the
hazards. She failed field
sobriety tests and was arrested
for DUI and having
a revoked driver’s license.
She was transported to the
Wilmette Police Department
where she was processed
for felony DUI.
Dec. 1
• A resident in the 900
block of 16th Street reported
that on Nov. 30 an
unknown offender(s) stole
a recently delivered package
from her front porch.
Kenilworth
• There were no Police Reports
for the week of Nov.
30-Dec. 7.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Wilmette
Beacon Police Reports
are compiled from official
reports found on file at the
Wilmette and Kenilworth police
headquarters. They are
ordered by the date the incident
was reported. Individuals
named in these reports
are considered innocent of all
charges until proven guilty in
a court of law.
Ex-Loyola Academy teacher pleads not guilty to 64 child porn, sexual assault charges
Jason Addy
Contributing Editor
A former
teacher
at schools
around the
North Shore
pleaded not
guilty Monday,
Dec. 3, Laird
to more than
five dozen felony counts
of child pornography and
sexual assault charges.
Mathew Laird, 33, of
the 3900 block of Triumvera
Drive in Glenview,
was arraigned on 64 felony
charges during a short
hearing Monday at the
Cook County Second District
Courthouse in Skokie.
After the charges were
read, Ralph Meczyk,
Laird’s attorney, told
Judge Lauren Edidin his
client “pleads not guilty to
all charges.”
Laird was arrested Oct.
23 at his home and charged
with five felonies, including
criminal sexual assault
and possession and distribution
of child pornography.
Laird was charged with
sexual assault after a
young woman reported to
authorities that Laird assaulted
her in late 2012
or early 2013 following a
night of studying for college
exams.
Prosecutors said the
woman told police she fell
asleep and awoke to Laird
groping and raping her. He
continued to assault her
after she woke up and told
him to stop, prosecutors
said.
During a search of his
home in September, police
discovered he videotaped
a portion of the alleged assault
and uploaded it to an
adult-pornography website
without the woman’s consent.
Police also found “several
hundred” pornographic
images and videos
of former high school
students. Police also discovered
pornographic
materials depicting adults
engaging in sexual activity
with children as young
as 3 years old, prosecutors
have said.
At the end of October,
Assistant State’s Attorney
Andreana Turano told the
court Laird was facing additional
charges after more
victims came forward to
authorities to report they
were shown in the materials
found during the September
search of Laird’s
home.
New case, new charges
Since that Oct. 30 hearing,
prosecutors have filed
almost 60 new charges
against Laird, according to
court documents.
Prosecutors have
charged the former Loyola
Academy and North Shore
Special Education District
educator with one count
of aggravated criminal
assault, a Class X felony;
one count of criminal
sexual assault - nonconsensual,
a Class 1 felony;
two counts of aggravated
criminal sexual abuse, a
Class 2 felony; two counts
of criminal sexual abuse
- nonconsensual and one
count of nonconsensual
dissemination of private
sexual images, both Class
4 felonies.
Laird’s charges also include
55 counts related to
child pornography:
Dissemination of child
pornography: victim under
13 - Class X felony - four
counts
Dissemination of child
pornography - Class 1 felony
- 10 counts
Possession of child pornography
- Class 2 felony
- 10 counts
Possession of child pornography:
victim under 13
- Class 2 felony - 19 counts
Possession of child pornography
(videos) - Class
3 felony - 12 counts
Laird also pleaded not
guilty Monday to two
Class 1 felony counts of
criminal sexual assault -
victim between 13 and 17.
No bail
After Laird’s arrest in
October, prosecutors filed
five felony charges against
Laird in two separate cases
— one for the sexual assault
charges and another
for the child pornography
charges.
A Cook County judge
initially denied bail for
Laird before reducing
his bail to $500,000 for
the three child pornography
charges he faced and
$250,000 for the two sexual
assault charges against
him.
A grand jury, however,
indicted Laird on 64
charges split across three
cases in November. On
Monday, Judge Edidin denied
bail for Laird on the
third case, meaning Laird
will not be able to leave
the Cook County Jail even
Please see LOYOLA, 8