Man Arrested 3 Times Within 15 Hours

Jozef Komosa, 66, of the 7700 block of Dempster in Morton Grove, was charged with crimes in three separate incidents from about 11:30 p.m. May 4 to about 3:30 p.m. May 5. 

In the first incident, Komosa was charged with 10 counts of criminal damage to property at about 11:30 p.m. May 4. Niles police answered a call to find two men holding Komosa on the ground in the 8800 block of Washington Street. An employee of a liquor establishment in the 8800 block of Milwaukee Avenue told police he had seen Komosa kneeling on the ground in his business' parking lot either slashing tires or letting the air out of them, according to the report. When the employee approached, Komosa fled east towards Washington Street, and the employee, along with another employee, pursued and tackled him. One of the employees said he saw Komosa throw a knife on the ground, according to the report, and police checked the area but did not find it. 

Police checked the parking lot and determined Komosa had either slashed tires or let the air out of them on 10 vehicles, they said. Police took him to the Niles police department for booking and processing and released him on an D-bond, with a May 21 court date in the Skokie branch of the Cook County courts. 

The second incident occurred about 3:20 a.m. A retail store in th 8700 block of Dempster reported he had taken cigarettes without paying for them, and police located Komosa half a block east, walking eastward and smoking a cigarette. Police took him back to the store, and the employee identified him as the suspect who had taken the cigarettes, according to the report. Police found six loose cigarettes in Komosa's pockets. They charged him with retail theft; his court date for this incident is May 29.

The next 11 hours or so passed without incident, but just after 3 p.m., a police officer was conducting a traffic stop in the 7300 block of Waukegan Road when Komosa walked past, continued about 30 feet north, then turned and walked back toward the police officer, according to the report.

The officer told Komosa to leave the area, but instead of complying, he walked up to the driver's side door of the vehicle the officer was checking out. The officer again warned Komosa to leave the area, as he was interfering with police business, but, according to the report, Komosa said, "It's a free country" and leaned down by the driver's side door.

The officer began to walk toward him, Komosa began to walk away, and the officer told him he was under arrest for obstructing a peace officer. Komosa did not stop walking, the report said; when the officer grabbed his arm, he again said "It's a free country," and resisted arrest. The officer got control of him and charged him with obstructing a peace officer and resisting a peace officer. 

Niles police booked and processed Komosa and placed him into a holding cell. He began to complain he didn't feel well and asked for his doctor to come check on him. Niles police explained at length that his doctor was not going to come to treat him in a jail cell, according to the report, and Komosa finally agreed to be transported to the hospital. They released him on an I-bond, and Niles Fire Department personnel took him to the hospital for treatment. His court date is May 21. 

Information is taken from Niles Police Department reports.

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