Crime & Safety
Duo Steals 99-Cent Drink, Leads Police On Chase
Two men led police on a chase through Evanston and Skokie after allegedly stealing a 99-cent bottle of Lipton Iced Tea on Wednesday. The pair would later tell police they took the drink because the clerk didn't have change.
An Evanston man who allegedly stole a 99-cent Lipton Iced Tea, caused a "brisk" police chase through Evanston and Skokie on Wednesday around 1 a.m.
Bahroze Hussain, 20, of Lincolnwood, entered the BP gas station at 3301 Dempster St., with a friend, Ricardo Matthews, 31, of Evanston, to purchase a drink. But when the clerk told the pair he didn't have change for a $20 bill, the duo decided to leave without paying. A Skokie squad car happened to be outside the gas station as the two exited the store.
According to police, the clerk ran out and began yelling to police that Hussain and Matthews had stolen something from inside. The two men got in their car and headed east on Dempster Street toward Evanston. According to the report, the vehicle exited the parking lot "at a high rate of speed," driven by Matthews.
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During the chase, Matthews allegedly disobeyed a stop sign at Fowler and Greenleaf avenues and exited the vehicle near Pitner and Greenleaf. While police sent out a radio dispatch to neighboring Evanston and gave chase on foot, Matthews would ultimately elude officers, the report said.
Police were able to detain Hussain, who was sitting in the passenger side of the vehicle, and two women who were in the backseat. The women told police that they were unaware of what happened inside the store. They also added that they had repeatedly asked Matthews to stop the vehicle, but that their friend wouldn't listen, the report said.
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Upon searching the vehicle, officers located an unopened bottle of Lipton Iced Tea in the backseat, the report said. Hussain was identified by the BP clerk as the culprit who took the drink and was charged with theft.
Criminal trespass leads to arrest
About two hours later, Evanston police received a criminal trespass to property complaint in the 1100 block of Hartey Avenue. The suspect turned out to be Matthews and Evanston police turned him over to Skokie law enforcement, the report said.
Matthews, 31, of Evanston, was charged with several citations, including failure to obey a traffic sign and fleeing to elude an officer. His court date is July 27.
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