NEWS RELEASE

RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT

31 Riverside Road
Riverside, Illinois 60546

June 3, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Chief Tom Weitzel

708 447 2127 tweitzel@riverside.il.us

Riverside Police Make Felony Traffic Arrest during Retail Theft Surveillance
Habitual Offender Arrested after Meeting with Parole Officer
On Friday, May 29, 2015 at 3:45 p.m., Riverside Police in conjunction with the WEDGE Gang and Drug Task
force arrested Andrew Weger, 29 of Westchester for aggravated felony driving while license revoked. Weger
was the driver of a 2008 black Ford stopped by Riverside Police and the WEDGE Gang and Drug Task force
who were looking for his girlfriend for a series of retail thefts. His girlfriend, a 26 year old resident of Lyons,
was also taken into custody by Forest Park PD and WEDGE Units for related felony retail theft crimes. The
arrest location was the 10600 block of Preston Street in Westchester.
During the investigation, Mr. Weger gave a full statement stating that he was driving and prior to being stopped
by Riverside Police, travelled back to Westchester via 83 rd Street and then I-55 in an attempt to get back to his
home in Westchester. He told the investigators that he knew he should not be driving but that he had just met
with his parole agent and needed to drive or faced being sent back to prison. Mr. Wagner is on parole for a
residential burglary conviction.
Riverside Police arrested Andrew F. Weger, 29 of the 10600 block of Preston Street in Westchester and
charged him with one count of aggravated felony driving while license revoked. Mr. Weger's driving
history included several prior DUI arrests and six arrests for driving while license suspended or revoked. Mr.
Weger's has a criminal history of 31 prior arrests including numerous drug offenses, burglary, theft, obstructing
police and assault.
Mr. Weger's bond was set at $50,000.00 and is currently being held in custody at the Cook County Department
of Corrections. Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel stated, This is just another example where individuals
who have serious habitual driving records and continue to drive on a daily basis. Mr. Wagner told investigators
that he had just met with his parole agent and was on his way home from his meeting back to his residence in
Westchester. That statement alone sums up what most habitual offenders think of their license being
suspended or revoked. The fact that your license is suspended or revoked, in many times based on serious
DUI convictions, has absolutely no effect on whether individuals drive or not.