Blotter: Hijacking a Hydrant; Big Box Employee Arrested

Employee arrested for theft

Ashley Conde, 20, of 905 Indiana Ave. in St. Charles was arrested on July 20 for theft of less than $300, according to police reports. Police were called to Wal-Mart, 150 Smith Rd. and spoke with a loss prevention employee who said that an employee, Conde, had been under surveillance. She was allegedly seen setting money aside from customers instead of putting it in the cash register. She is accused of taking $158 in all.

A hose by illegal means

Jeffrey A. Fessler, 53, of 175 Renaux Blvd. in St. Charles was cited on July 20 for tampering with city waterworks, according to police reports. Fessler allegedly hooked up a hose directly to the fire hydrant. He reportedly told police that he took an estimated 200 gallons of water after first claiming he had used a hose from his house to fill a tank in the bed of his pickup truck. Officers informed Fessler that there is a legal way, using a meter from the city, to use the hydrant. He was issued a notice to appear for the ordinance violation.

Patch reports on law enforcement activity in our town, using information provided by official agencies. Persons charged with a crime, or issued a citation for violation of a local ordinance, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If you or a family member is charged with a crime or cited for a violation, and the charge or citation are subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify Nick Swedberg at St. Charles Patch and we will do follow-up reporting on the case. For questions, email nicks@patch.com.