Police: November 2007 Archives

BY MIKE CETERA

Some people don't like red-light cameras. That's fine. But take your dispute up with local city councils, not with the camera itself.

A Tennesee man was charged with felony vandalism after police said he fired "three rounds from a high-powered rifle," damaging a camera.

BY MIKE CETERA

Christopher Salinas just may have snapped captivity from the jaws of freedom.

Police have arrested the 23-year-old Aurora man twice recently on charges he stole copper pipe. The latest charges -- felony burglary, theft and criminal damage to property -- came Monday after prosecutors said Salinas was seen carrying a bag of copper pipes at 2:30 a.m. Nov. 2 in the 100 block of Indian Avenue in Aurora.

Prior to these incidents, Salinas was best known for beating a double-murder charge.

BY MIKE CETERA

With Aurora still wrangling over installation of cameras at intersections to catch red-light runners, it's interesting to note one area community is suspending its program...because it has been a success.

Six months after Bolingbrook installed cameras at three intersections, the village says it intends to halt enforcement.

"We've changed the behavior of drivers, so now we're going to pull it for a few months," (Bolingbrook Mayor Roger) Claar said. "It's going to be re-evaluated over the next few months to see if people are violating red lights and right turns on reds."

BY MIKE CETERA

Lawmakers have made a new pitch to Gov. Rod Blagojevich to restore funding to an anti-violence program with locations throughout the state -- including Aurora. CeaseFire Aurora shut its doors earlier this fall after Blagojevich vetoed funding for the fledgling program.

The funding bill filed this week can be found here.

State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia said in a press release, "the program has played a vital role in mitigating gang violence in Aurora. If we do not reinstate this money, we risk losing the positive work this program has done for communities across the state and we are putting children’s lives in danger.”

Locally, the success of CeaseFire is anecdotal only. No data has been released to the public to confirm the program's "vital role" in the community. And an unflattering report from the auditor general's office questioned the program's finances and organization.

BY MIKE CETERA

The death over the weekend of 42-year-old Piedad Kinshasa of Aurora after her vehicle was struck by a train marks the second fatal crash in three months in the Fox Valley.

Still, 10-year trends show fatal train accidents involving pedestrians or vehicles are exceptionally rare.