Local Police Reports

Park Forest Police Blotter Reports for September 28, 2015


Park Forest Police Station
The Park Forest Police Station. (Photo: Gary Kopycinski)

Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)–Editor’s Note: We continue our reporting on news from police reports. Besides covering the many stories from around Park Forest that otherwise might go unnoticed, we want to bring more complete coverage of police reports than is reported by other local media.

An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. All those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest to not remove items in the public record from publication. If your name is listed in the police reports, we will only add information relevant to the final disposition of the case at hand, e.g. “Mr. Smith was subsequently acquitted,” “Mr. Smith entered a guilty plea,” or “All charges against Mr. Smith were subsequently dropped.” We will do so upon receiving and verifying proof of such disposition.

Persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters including narcotics or gang activity are encouraged to call 708-748-1309l.

A resident told police on September 10 that she sent three separate MoneyGram transactions totaling $1415 to unknown addresses in Texas and Jamaica after receiving a call from someone who identified himself as being from Publishers Clearing House. She was then asked to send additional funds, and sent $310 via MoneyGram. She was advised that they were still processing her payments and would be responding to her address with a $500,000 check soon. The resident agreed to send $200 more and then to payments of $100 each after that. She was advised by police that she was the victim of a scam.

A resident told police on September 11 that someone had deposited fraudulent checks into his bank account, causing his account to be overdrawn by several hundred dollars. Police are investigating.

Police were dispatched to the first block of East Rocket Circle in reference to a report of theft of labor/services. A taxi driver told police that he had picked up a passenger at the main entrance of Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. The passenger’s destination was the first block of East Rocket Circle in Park Forest. The cab arrived at the residence approximately an hour later and the amount of the taxi trip was $93. The taxi driver said that his customer told him that he needed to get the money and/or credit card from his mother who lived next door. The customer exited the taxi, walked into the backyard of a residence in that block, and never returned. The suspect is described as a white male with Brown hair approximately 35 to 40 years of age, 5’6" to 5’8" in height, weighing between 150 pounds and 170 pounds. The suspect was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.

Diondrae G. Vaughn, 27, 17761 Winston Dr., Country Club Hills, was arrested on September 13  and charged with obstructing ID and resisting a peace officer when an officer driving eastbound on Sauk Trail approaching Indianwood Boulevard observed a vehicle traveling in front of him in the same direction. The officer conducted a LEADS inquiry of the vehicle’s registration status and learned that the registered owner was expired since January 2014. Vaughn was also issued a local ordinance ticket charging possession of cannabis.

Mark W. Harvey, 29, 22516 Jackson Ct., Apt. 5D, Richton Park, was arrested on September 14 and charged with one count of theft when police were dispatched to the area of Lakewood Boulevard and Waverly Street in reference to a report of a robbery that had just occurred.

Five bottles of prescription medications were reported stolen from a vehicle parked in the first block of Apache Street on September 14.

Police were dispatched to a residence in the first block of Apache Street to investigate a report of a theft of utility services. According to police, on June 4, 2015, the Park Forest Water Department shut off the water to a residence in that block due to non-payment. Employees responded to that residence again to find that the touchpad, the water usage reader, had been tampered with and was now unreadable. Police are investigating.

A red snow blower was reported stolen from the front of a residence in the 300 block of Indiana Street on September 15.

Two 30-inch brass colored metal visors valued at $150 were reported stolen from a porch in the first block of Forest Boulevard on September 15.

A resident in the 300 block of Waverly Street arrived home on September 15 to discover that she was unable to open her front door with her house key. After entering the residence through a window, the resident saw that the door was still locked, but, after opening it, observed several gouges in the paint near the door knob and damaged wood inside the door frame. According to police, the keyhole for the door knob was damaged and it appeared that an offender had tried to possibly force it open with a knife or flat metal instrument. Nothing was reported missing from the residence.

A resident told police on September 16 that he discovered that an unauthorized purchase in the amount of $756.29 at a store in Streamwood, Illinois, had been made using his debit card. His bank advised him to file a police report.

Russell A. Taylor, 45, 294 Bensley Ave., Calumet City, was arrested on September 16 and charged with retail theft when police were dispatched to a business in the first block of Main Street to investigate a report of retail theft.

Berwyn K. Causey Jr., 19, 5231 Riverside Dr., University Park, was arrested on September 16 and charged with driving with a suspended license, no valid insurance, improper lighting – one headlamp, and issued a municipal citation charging possession of cannabis when an officer parked in the Rich East tennis courts parking lot facing Indianwood Boulevard observed that the vehicle Causey was driving had only one working headlight, according to police.

Demetri L. Tyler, 22, 153 Treehouse Rd., Matteson, was arrested on September 18 and charged with obstruction of justice when police responded to the 400 block of Suwanee Street to investigate a report of an unknown disturbance.

James E. Burks Jr., 23, 23433 Western Ave., Park Forest, was arrested on September 18 and charged with one count of criminal trespass to land when police were dispatched to a business in the 100 block of South Orchard Drive to investigate a report of a criminal trespass complaint.

A diamond watch valued at $1350, a 14 karat yellow gold solid rope valued at $4000, a 14 karat white gold diamond cross valued at $3500, a 14 karat diamond earrings valued at $1470, a 65-inch LG television valued at $1798, and two PlayStation 4 games systems valued at $900 are among items reported stolen during a residential burglary in the 400 block of Saugatuck Street on September 18.

The rear windshield of a vehicle parked in the 400 block of Illinois Street was reported shattered on September 21.

A silver and black Asus laptop with a name engraved on the top and a pair of black and red Beats headphones were reported stolen from a residence in the 200 block of Berry Street on September 21.

Donzell F. Howard, 23, 187 Westwood Dr., Park Forest, was arrested on September 22 and issued a local ordinance tickets charging no front plate and possession of cannabis when an officer parked facing westbound at 30 North Street, conducting traffic enforcement, observed that the vehicle Howard was driving had no front registration plate, according to police.

The front passenger side window of a vehicle parked in the 500 block of Homan Avenue, the Metra lot, was reported shattered on September 22.
A red Briggs and Stratton 5 horse power push mulching mower valued at $100 was reported stolen from a residence in the 400 block of Niagara Street on September 23.

Police responded to a residence in the 400 block of Victoria Circle to investigate a report of criminal trespass to a vehicle. A resident told police that she was sleeping inside her residence when she was awakened by her son who told her that someone was outside of her vehicle. By the time she woke up and came outside to investigate, she observed that the passenger side door of her vehicle was slightly ajar. Nothing was reported stolen from the vehicle and no damage was observed to the vehicle. Police are investigating.

Lornell J. Grayson, 19, 136 Algonquin St., Park Forest, was arrested on September 23 and issued municipal citations charging use of a cell phone while driving and possession of cannabis when an officer observed that Grayson was driving westbound on Sauk Trail approaching Central Park Avenue while talking on his cell phone, according to police.

The front driver side window of a vehicle parked in the 300 block of Indianwood Boulevard was reported shattered on September 25.

The rear windshield of a vehicle parked in the 100 block of Westwood Drive was reported shattered on September 25.

A Sony PlayStation 4, a Microsoft X-Box 1, PlayStation 4 video games, X-Box 1 video games, and approximately $100 worth of quarters were reported stolen during a residential burglary in the 200 block of Mohawk Street on September 25.

Graffiti was discovered on a back wall of a business in the 300 block of Illinois Street on September 25.

Zackrick L. Gildon, 22, 225 Central Ave., Matteson, was arrested on September 25 and issued a local ordinance tickets charging no rear registration plate light and possession of cannabis when an officer patrolling eastbound on Sauk Trail observed that the vehicle Gildon was driving had no functioning rear registration light, according to police.

The driver’s side window of a vehicle parked in the 300 block of Niagara Street was reported shattered on September 26.

The registration sticker of a vehicle parked in the 300 block of Minocqua Street was reported stolen on September 26.


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