Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Despite becoming legal in the state of Illinois, police still nab some who allegedly drive with cannabis or allegedly smoke cannabis inside vehicles. This can be a costly mistake. Vehicles might still be seized and impounded even if people only receive citations or “tickets” without being officially arrested and transported to the police station. There were two such instances during the last full week of July.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through August 1, 2022
Possession of Cannabis
Eric L. Pettit-Anderson, 33, 3815 S. Langley Ave. #202, Chicago, and Jason C. Termidor, 19, 20 Stone St., Elmont, NY, were issued citations on July 27 charging possession of cannabis when an officer at Blackhawk Drive and Sauk Trail saw a vehicle with expired registration at approximately 7:43 PM. Mr. Pettit-Anderson was also issued a citation charging expired registration.
When police stopped and searched the vehicle, they found nine pouches containing suspect cannabis on the rear passenger seat, according to police. Mr. Pettit-Anderson allegedly told police, “That’s good, it’s legal,” according to the report. The officer informed the man that the cannabis was not in an odor-proof or childproof container and did not appear to be but legally from a dispensary, according to police.
Police later determined that the total weight of the cannabis was 111.5 g, according to the report.
The vehicle was towed from the scene and impounded.
Driving While License Was Revoked
Gerald T. Jones, 59, 314 Osage St., Park Forest, was arrested on July 27 and issued traffic citations charging no red tail lights when required, driving while his license was revoked, and one count of obstructing identification.
An officer traveling southbound on Western Avenue near Sauk Trail at 9:13 PM when he saw a Jeep also traveling southbound that had no illuminated red taillights, according to police. The vehicle made a right turn onto Sauk Trail and the officer caught up to the vehicle as it turned southbound onto Osage Street, according to police. The officer activated the emergency lighting on his patrol vehicle and the Jeep allegedly continued southbound on Osage Street without yielding or pulling over, according to police. The officer activated the emergency siren on his patrol vehicle and the Jeep subsequently turned into a driveway in the 300 block of Osage Street, according to police.
The driver, Gerald T. Jones, allegedly gave the officer a false name and age when asked, according to police. When the officer asked Mr. Jones if he was lying about his name, Mr. Jones allegedly confirmed that he was, then stated his real name and birthdate, and further said that his driver’s license had been revoked for a prior DUI, according to police.
When the officer checked Mr. Jones’s Illinois driver’s license, he found that Mr. Jones had six revocations and two suspensions and that he was currently on Mandatory Supervised Release (MSR) parole, according to the report.
DUI
Allen M. Clark, 36, 4451 Poplar Ave., Richton Park, was arrested on July 28 and charged with misdemeanor DUI (alcohol). Mr. Clark also received traffic citations charging operating a motor vehicle when registration was suspended because of no insurance, driving with a revoked license, and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, according to police.
Details of this incident are here: Richton Park Man Gets DUI Charge On Top of Previous Driving Convictions
Criminal Trespass and Violation of Bail Bond
Derek L. Williams, 36, 13 Hemlock St., Park Forest, was arrested on July 29 and charged with one count of criminal trespass to real property and one count of violation of bail bond when police responded to an address on Sauk Trail to investigate a report of an unwanted subject, according to police.
Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of Cannabis
Francisco Perez Jr., 25, 527 Winchester Rd., Chicago Heights, was issued municipal citations on July 30 charging unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of cannabis in a vehicle when police were dispatched to the 500 block of Illinois Street in reference to a report of a suspicious vehicle at 3:54 PM.
When an officer arrived on the scene he was unable to identify the interior of the vehicle because of the tinted windows, according to police. He determined there was a man and woman inside, according to police. When the driver opened his door, the officer smelled a strong odor of burnt cannabis coming from inside, according to police.
The officer asked if there was any cannabis inside and the driver, Mr. Perez, said there were about 5 grams. When asked if he had any illegal items or weapons inside, Mr. Perez said he had a Taser said he had purchased from a gas station, according to police. Mr. Perez did not have a FOID card, according to police. The officer conducted a search of the vehicle and located a flashlight with Taser/stun gun capability, according to police. In this instance, the vehicle was not towed and impounded.
Owning a Firearm Without a Valid FOID
Brian S. Gross, 61, 6 Dunham Rd., Park Forest, was arrested on July 31 and charged with owning a firearm without a valid FOID when police responded to an address on Dunham Road to investigate a report of shots fired.
When police arrived, they spoke with Brian Gross who told them that his nephew and four other friends showed up and he pleaded for five minutes for them not to break into his home, according to the report. He said the men were “messing with his front door” so he grabbed his gun from the top drawer of a side table, stood in the front window, and allegedly fired one time from his firearm through the front window, according to police. He told police he believed they fled the scene but one man might have been shot, according to the report.
Officers asked Mr. Gross where the gun was located and they found a 9 mm Taras semi-automatic GC2, according to the report. The firearm had one live round in the chamber and three rounds in the magazine, according to police.
Police searched the area around the window to locate casings and found one showcasing, according to the report. Police also found three defects on the window curtain consistent with the bullet hole, according to the report. Mr. Gross allegedly told police that he purchased the firearm from a random person at 47th Street and Prairie Street in Chicago about a month prior, according to police.
Police did not locate anything outside the residence that was struck by a fired project out nor did they observe blood outside the residence, according to police. They contacted St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields and found that no gunshot victims arrived at the hospital between 3:30 AM and 5:30 AM, according to police.
Police took Mr. Gross into custody at 6:15 AM and he was released on an I-Bond with the court date of September 27, 2022, at the Markham Courthouse, according to the report.
Police note that Mr. Gross has made several previously unfounded reports of people trying to break into his home.
Resisting and Outstanding Warrant
Tyrese D. Williams, 20, 217 Fir St., Park Forest, was arrested on July 31 and charged with resisting arrest and processed on an outstanding warrant out of Lake County, Indiana, on a charge of kidnapping when police responded to an address on Fir Street to investigate a report of an unwanted subject, according to police.
About Police Reports
Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use “allegedly.” We are not asserting in any way that those police arrested and charged committed any offenses. We report on what is in the reports that the police furnish to us. As those accused are innocent until proven guilty, the burden is on prosecutors and police to prove all alleged crimes.
eNews Park Forest has continuously published the addresses of those arrested and will continue to do so. 5 ILCS 140/2.15 states that the governmental body (for these reports, the Police Department), shall release information on those charged, including their name, age, and address. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identity of those arrested.
Presumption of Innocence
An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. The law presumes all those whom police arrest are innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest not to remove items from the public record from publication. Suppose you find your name in the police reports. Our policy is that 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.
We do not strike, “unpublish,” or delete news.
According to police, officers captured all the incidents in this report on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras at the respective scenes. All Park Forest police officers wear body-worn cameras. Officials typically abbreviate these devices as BWC in the reports.
We encourage persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters, including narcotics or gang activity, to call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.