Crime & Safety

Man Drags Woman By Hair, Breaks Her Hand, Police Say

Also, a man was charged with driving without a license. An arrest is merely an accusation, not evidence of a conviction.

Information is taken from Niles Police Department reports. 

Corey M. Steele, 35, of Skokie, was charged with a Class 4 felony count of criminal damage to state property and one count of domestic battery Nov. 11 at a home in the 7700 block of Nordica.

When police arrived, a 40-year-old man who identified himself as the female victim's brother told police Steele broke his sister's hand, and that they would find Steele in the kitchen, according to the report. 

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Police found two men in the kitchen, one of whom matched the description of the offender, Steele, and took him into custody. He was irate and yelling, they said.

The 28-year-old female victim told police Steele became angry with her when she asked why he wanted to use her roommate's credit card. According to the report, she said he dragged her up the stairs by her hair. She broke free, ran to her room and locked the door, but he broke it down off the hinges and knocked her down onto a mattress, the report indicated. He kicked her in the right foot and then tried to kick her in the leg, but she tried to block the kick with her left hand. 

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The victim screamed for help, and her brother, who was in the home, came into the room, grabbed Steele and told him to get out, the report said. Steele then took the victim's children's Xbox 360 game and threw it on the cement, breaking it. Two male witnesses saw him do that, police said, but neither saw Steele kicking the victim. 

Niles Fire Department paramedics took the victim to a hospital, while police took Steele to the police station. While he was in a cell, police said they heard banging on the door and discovered Steele had gotten his handcuffed hands in front of him and they found damage on the cell wall.  Police said Steele talked over them as they read his Miranda rights, and he refused to answer questions. His court date was Nov. 20. 

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After crash, police charge man with not having a driver's license

Ricardo Reyes-Godinez, 43, of Niles was charged with driving without a valid license on Nov. 8 just after 4:40 p.m. He had been involved in a crash in the 8100 block of Ballard Road, and as police investigated, they learned he did not have a valid driver' license, according to the report. His court date is Dec. 6 in the Skokie branch of the Cook County courts.

Man charged with felony theft after 'returning' coffeemaker taken off shelf

Andrew Pilolla, 26, of Glenview was charged with a Class 4 felony count of retail theft Nov. 7 after a security guard at a Golf Mill Shopping Center store saw him, on surveillance video, take a Cuisinart Auto Grind N' Brew 10-cup coffeemaker off the shelf, carry it to the cash register and return it without a receipt for a store credit card in the amount of $122. He left the store, followed by a security agent, who ran after him on a chase through parking lot and the surrounding area. Pillola finally stopped running, and police arrived to find him standing with the security guard and a Niles police special service officer. His court date was Nov. 20.


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