Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Police processed a week of warrants during one week in late March. As readers following these reports through the years will note, this is not typical. These persons were arrested in other jurisdictions and brought to the Park Forest Police Department.
There were no DUIs reported this week.
These reports close the first quarter of 2023. To this point, we have reported every instance police send us that shows possession of cannabis, even when there was no arrest. Now that cannabis is legal in Illinois, police no longer seize and impound vehicles. They no longer arrest drivers or passengers in connection with these instances.
However, studies differ on the effects of THC on drivers. Regardless of studies or opinions, Illinois law is clear:
It is illegal to transport, carry, possess or have any alcoholic beverages or cannabis in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. Alcohol must be in the original container with the seal unbroken. Cannabis must be in a tamper evident container and kept in an area that is not accessible. If the offender is under age 21, there is a mandatory suspension of driving privileges for one year for a first offense and a mandatory revocation of driving privileges for a second offense.
Illinois Secretary of State (PDF)
Further, refusing a chemical test in Illinois invites a driver’s license suspension. So, we will continue to report these tickets.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through March 27, 2023
Week of Warrants I
An officer responded to the Monee Police Department on March 21 at 7:07 PM to transport Dontrell Harris, 19, 20301 Achilles Ave, Olympia Fields, to the Park Forest Police Department. Mr. Harris had a valid warrant out of Will County on a 2022 case from Park Forest. Mr. Harris’s arrest in Monee was on charges of obstruction, speeding, no insurance, and driving with a suspended/revoked license, according to police. The officer processed Mr. Harris on the warrant. He paid a bond of $575 cash, according to police. Police released Mr. Harris after they provided him with a mandatory Will County court date, according to police.
Felony Unlawful Possession of Cannabis
Kenneth K. Jones, 44, 1610 Constance Ave., Sauk Village, was arrested on March 21 and charged with felony unlawful possession of cannabis, unlawful possession with intent to deliver, unlawful possession of cocaine, unlawful possession of methamphetamines, and unlawful possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. He was also issued traffic citations charging driving while his license was suspended and disobeying a stop sign.
An officer was in his squad vehicle in the 400 block of Illinois Street facing eastbound just before 8 PM. The officer watched drivers at the four-way stop sign at Illinois Street and Orchard Drive. While doing so, the officer saw a gray Chevy Malibu traveling southbound, allegedly disregarding the stop sign at Illinois and Orchard.
While attempting to catch up to the vehicle, the Malibu continued southbound on Orchard. The officer activated the emergency lights on the patrol vehicle, and the car immediately pulled into a driveway in the 300 block of North Orchard Drive. A man, later identified as Kenneth Jones, got out of the car after turning off the ignition and walked back towards the officer’s patrol vehicle, according to police.
Driver Exits the Vehicle
The officer immediately told Mr. Jones to stay where he was and to provide his driver’s license, according to police. The officer explained to Mr. Jones that he should always remain in his vehicle when pulled over by the police.
Mr. Jones told the officer that he was delivering food to the listed address, so he pulled into the driveway, according to police.
In the report, the officer writes that Mr. Jones appeared to be very nervous, seeming trying to stay away from his vehicle, according to police.
The officer asked Mr. Jones if he had a valid driver’s license. Mr. Jones told the officer he did not, according to police. The officer checked the status of Mr. Jones’s driver’s license and confirmed that it was suspended, according to the police.
Second Unit Arrives
The officer requested a second unit, and another officer arrived. Police checked the vehicle to ensure there were no other occupants. The officer saw two large bags of green plant material, suspect cannabis, on the floorboard “in plain sight,” according to police. The suspect cannabis had no dispensary label and was not in a childproof nor odor-proof container, according to police.
The officer placed Mr. Jones under arrest.
Police searched Mr. Jones and found additional suspect marijuana baggies in his right jacket pocket, according to police. Police found a book bag inside the car. The book bag contained baggies, marijuana packaging, several oval-shaped pills, and colorful circular pills, according to police. There was no additional alleged contraband located inside the vehicle, according to police.
At the Police Station in the Socks
When police arrived at the Park Forest Police Department, they further searched Mr. Jones’s person. They found a white marijuana baggie in his left sock. That baggie contained three small individual baggies of suspect cocaine, according to police. In the right sock, they found five additional small baggies of individual packaged colorful pills, according to police. An officer also found $210 cash in several denominations on Mr. Jones’s person, according to police.
Police found additional colorful pills inside the book bag, according to police. They also found inside the book bag a yellow notebook containing a letter written to an unknown person advising that Mr. Jones was unemployed and seeking employment, according to police.
Weights of Alleged Contraband
Police examined the alleged contraband and found that the white powdery substance field-tested positive for the presumptive presence of cocaine. The blue oval-shaped pills were Pfizer 100 mg Viagra, according to police. In total, police say in the report they found 1.6 g of cocaine, 145 g of cannabis, 17 colorful pills (methamphetamines/ecstasy), four Viagra pills, and 23.1 grams of THC wax and glass packaging.
Possession of Cannabis: No Arrest
An officer gave Kareem A. Bishop Jr., 26, 22616 Lakeshore Dr., Richton Park, a verbal warning on speeding and a municipal citation charging possession of cannabis on March 22.
The officer was on patrol near Sauk Trail and Orchard Drive. She saw a white Kia traveling 56 mph in a 35 mph zone. The officer spoke to the driver, later identified as Kareem Bishop. The officer smelled the odor of burnt cannabis coming from inside the car, according to police. She saw remnants of a green leafy substance on the center console, suspected cannabis.
According to police, the officer also saw a colorful, small bag commonly used to package cannabis. The officer conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle. The officer found containing a green leafy substance, suspected cannabis, inside the center console, according to police. The bag was not childproof, odorless, and did not contain an original dispensary label, according to police.
Mr. Bishop was not arrested but simply issued a warning and municipal ticket.
Unlawful Use of a Weapon
Tramone M. Woods, 21, 2310 W. 73rd Ave., Merriville, IN, was arrested on March 22, charged with unlawful use of a weapon, and issued a municipal ordinance citation charging unlawful possession of cannabis. Police released Mr. Woods on an individual bond after assigning him a court date.
An officer responded to the 100 block of Sauk Trail at 4:47 AM to investigate a traffic accident. The officer saw a gray Chrysler that had crashed into a tree on the south side of Sauk Trail, according to police.
On arrival, officers spoke to the driver, later identified as Tramone Woods. Mr. Woods told an officer he was traveling to his home in Merrillville from work in Monee. According to the report, he allegedly said he lost control of his vehicle and crashed. Mr. Woods said he was unaware that he crashed into a tree and denied using drugs or alcohol before driving, according to police.
The officer requested a tow truck respond since Mr. Woods’s vehicle was inoperable from the crash.
Report: Police Find a Loaded Glock
Conducting an inventory of the car, the officer found a loaded Glock 26 9 mm firearm on the front passenger seat. The gun was not in a case and immediately accessible to the driver, according to police. The weapon showed no record when the officer checked it in the system.
Mr. Woods allegedly confirmed to an officer that the firearm belonged to him, according to police.
While conducting a name check, the arresting officer discovered that Mr. Woods only had a valid firearm license in Indiana, according to police. According to the report, as Mr. Woods was driving with the firearm accessible to him in Illinois, they took him into custody.
An officer drove him to the Park Forest Police Department for processing.
While searching Mr. Woods’s person, an officer found in his pocket a bag filled with a green leafy substance, suspected cannabis, according to police. The bag did not contain a dispensary label, was not odor-proof, and was not childproof, according to police.
Week of Warrants II
On March 22, around 3:26 PM, the Merrionette Park Police Department notified Park Forest police that they had Quinton L. Crossland-Causey, 31, 22111 Milard Ave., Richton Park, in custody. Mr. Crossland-Causey had an FTA (failure to appear) warrant out of Park Forest, according to police. Two detectives drove to the MPPD to pick up Mr. Crossland-Causey. Mr. Crossland-Causey’s initial arrest by the MPPD was on a charge of expired registration, failure to secure a child, no insurance, and a suspended/revoked driver’s license, according to police.
Week of Warrants III
On March 24 at 5:49 PM, an officer from the Homewood Police Department arrived at the Park Forest Police Department with Jade A. Feemster, 25, 271 Forest Blvd., Park Forest. Ms. Feemster had a valid Will County arrest warrant in Park Forest, according to police. Police processed her on the warrant. She posted a $575 cash bond, received a mandatory court date in Will County, and was released. According to the report, her initial arrest in Homewood was on charges of speeding, having no insurance, and having a driver’s license suspended/revoked.
Battery
Warren A. Blazina, 53, 175 Indianwood Blvd., Park Forest, was arrested on March 25 and issued a municipal citation charging battery when police responded to a home on Indianwood Boulevard to investigate a battery report. Upon arrival, the responding officer heard a fire alarm activating inside the residence. The officer asked Warren Blazina white fire alarm was sounding. Mr. Blazina allegedly said, “He pulled it, or the fire extinguisher,” according to police.
He told the officer that there was someone in the home who was evicted two days prior and was not allowed on the premises, according to police. Mr. Blazina said he walked upstairs, opened the door, and saw that person crouching down beside the bed, according to police. He said he thought the person would attack him, so he discharged a fire extinguisher he already had in his possession, according to police.
Different Account from the Man Covered in Fire Extinguisher Spray
The officer spoke with the person who was at the top of the stairs, entirely covered in fire extinguisher spray, according to police. That person told police he had been advised to stay in the garage and wait for his sister, but his cell phone battery ran out. He walked upstairs to a bedroom, which he admitted did not belong to him, and charged his phone. A short time later, he said Mr. Blazina “kick the door in” and “immediately sprayed him with a fire extinguisher,” according to police.
Revoked License
Markanthony L. Skillom, 26, 2411 W. Division #508, Melrose Park, was arrested on March 25 and charged with driving while his license was revoked. He allegedly had no registration plate lamp and drove an uninsured motor vehicle, according to police. He was also issued a municipal ordinance citation charging unlawful possession of cannabis and released on an individual bond, according to police.
On Patrol Near Sauk and Shabbona
An officer was on patrol in a squad car near Sauk Trail and Shabbona Drive. The officer saw a black Mazda that had no registration lamp, according to police. It was 11:56 PM. The officer conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver, later identified as Markanthony Skillom. Upon a name check, the officer learned that Mr. Skillom’s driver’s license was revoked. The officer took Mr. Skillom into custody without incident. While examining the vehicle, the officer found a bag filled with a green leafy substance, suspected cannabis. The bag was not childproof, not odorless, and did not contain a dispensary label, according to police.
Aggravated Assault
Maryland G. Horne, 45, 263 Allegheny St., Park Forest, was arrested on March 26 and charged with aggravated assault when police responded to Allegheny Street to investigate a domestic incident. When police arrived, one officer spoke with a man, later identified as Maryland Horne.
Mr. Horne said he was in his bedroom and very upset with a family member, according to police. The report notes that Mr. Horne was allegedly uncooperative and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
Report: Cutting a Couch with a Knife
Mr. Horne allegedly kept saying that he used a knife to cut the couch where the family member sat and began to cut their bed because he was upset, according to police. He said the family member was not sitting on the couch when he cut it and denied making threats, according to police. He also said he never attempted to cut or stab that person with the knife, according to police.
Family Member Reports Differently
The family member said Mr. Horne came home and appeared intoxicated. During an argument, he allegedly grabbed a kitchen knife and threatened to kill everyone in the home and burn the house down, according to the report.
Mr. Horne allegedly stabbed the living room couch and a bed in a bedroom, stating, “This will be you,” according to police. The family member said Mr. Horne stood several feet away and did not come within arms reach, according to police.
