Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- In the week spanning the end of 2023 and the start of 2024, police charged a man with DUI who reportedly thought he was driving on 159th Street. He was just under nine miles off, police said. The DUI charge came as the man was not on 159th Street. He was instead on Sauk Trail.
After reading about this DUI charge, we confirmed that Sauk Trail is south of 159th Street.
DUI on 159th or Sauk Trail: Location is Irrelevant
While a man charged with DUI thinking he was on 159th Street might appear humorous, we remind readers why we take DUI charges seriously. A DUI charge on 159th Street or Sauk Trail is a DUI charge nonetheless. We remember Justin Young, who died in March 2021, killed by a drunk driver as he drove home after dropping his cousin Taj off at his house. Justin was sober and alert. The other car’s driver struck him head-on at high speed on Governors Highway in unincorporated Rich Township. She died as well.
Report: All-Night Beating
In another incident, a woman reported an all-night beating. She reportedly waited for her alleged attacker to leave her home and go to the store. She called 911 the moment he left.
Officers were busy at the end of one year and the beginning of the following year.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through January 4, 2024
Unlawful Solicitation Without a Permit
Police issued Deangelo Mills, 26, 401 401 N. Ridgeway Ave., Chicago, a municipal citation charging unlawful solicitation without a permit.
An officer responded to Court 11 on Ash Street to investigate a solicitor’s report. Upon arrival, the responding officer saw two people the caller allegedly identified: DeAngelo Mills and another man.
Mr. Mills allegedly identified himself as the manager of his company and said his company “is supported by the government,” according to police. He stated he was attempting to sign up residents for free tablets and cell phones.
According to the report, Mr. Mills did not have a village permit or any business information on his person. The officer gave Mr. Mills the municipal ticket charging unlawful solicitation without a permit.
Previous Citation
We previously reported that Mr. Mills received a similar Park Forest municipal citation on December 7. On that date, police responded to Allegheny Street in the afternoon to investigate a report of a solicitor who allegedly did not have a village permit or any business information. That citation also charged unlawful solicitation without a permit, according to police.
PFPD: DUI for a man who thought he was on 159th St.
Police arrested Michael D. Harris, 45, 12105 S. Vincennes Ave., Blue Island, on December 31 and charged him with DUI, improper Lane usage, improper right turn, and failing to signal a lane change. The DUI charge came after Mr. Harris allegedly told police he thought he was on 159th Street.
An officer was working an Illinois Department of Transportation/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration DUI detail in a marked police vehicle. At approximately 12:17 AM, the officer was traveling eastbound behind a group of cars on Sauk Trail from the area of Westwood Drive.
According to police, the officer saw a car, which turned out to be a Buick Verano, in the left-hand lane, driving with both driver’s side tires allegedly across the solid lane dividing line on the left. The Buick also braked at abnormal times.
Police: Additional Lane Violations
According to police, the officer activated his squad car video system and attempted to capture the alleged lane violations. According to the report, the Buick made additional lane violations to its left side.
As the Buick approached Western Avenue, it moved to the left, where the tires allegedly struck the raised rumble strip at the beginning of the left turn lane for Western Avenue, according to police. The Buick allegedly moved slowly into the left turn lane without signaling. It slowed, according to police.
Before stopping, the Buick reportedly signaled to the right and made a right turn from the lane designated for left turns, according to police.
Police: In Park Forest Searching for Country Club Hills
The officer activated his squad’s emergency lights and curbed the vehicle on Western Avenue just south of Sauk Trail. Michael D. Harris was the driver and lone occupant of the Buick. Mr. Harris told the officer he was lost and was trying to go home to Blue Island. He said he had come from his brother’s house in Country Club Hills.
He allegedly told the officer he had vodka at his brother’s house. When asked, Mr. Harris said he had one drink, according to the report.
According to police, he told the officer that he had left his brother’s house about an hour earlier and had been trying to get home for about 20 minutes.
Suspecting DUI: Driver Thinks He’s on 159th Street.
The driver stated that he grew up “out here,” according to the report. When the officer asked him if he grew up in Park Forest, he said no, Country Club Hills, according to police. The officer asked Mr. Harris where he thought he was at that moment. Mr. Harris allegedly responded, “159th,” according to police.
The officer notes in the report that 159th St. is approximately 8.75 miles north of Sauk Trail at Western Avenue.
Officer Suspects DUI After 159th St. Claim.
Detecting an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Harris when he spoke, the officer returned to his squad car and asked for a second unit to respond. Another officer showed up to assist. Telling Mr. Harris that he had some tests he would like him to complete to make sure he was okay to drive, Mr. Harris said that he did not feel he was intoxicated, according to police.
Mr. Harris complied with the request to take the tests and exited his vehicle, according to police.
The officer describes how Mr. Harris allegedly completed the test. He then placed Mr. Harris under arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. At 1:34 AM at the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Harris refused to provide a breath sample, according to police.
We repeat: a DUI on 159th Street, Sauk Trail, or any street is one DUI too many.
Aggravated Domestic Battery
Police arrested Cordella T. Walker, 39l, 234 Allegheny St., Park Forest, on December 31 and charged him with aggravated domestic battery. Police responded to a home on Allegheny Street at 8:20 AM to investigate a report of domestic battery. Officers saw clothing scattered about the front yard when they arrived and heard yelling inside the home.
Police entered the front door and saw a man standing in the living room. According to the report, they recognized him from prior encounters as Cordella T. Walker. Mr. Walker consented to a patdown. Police found no knives, box cutters, or weapons on his person.
Complainant Alleges Being Choked
Police learned that Mr. Walker had been in a relationship with the complainant for approximately seven years, according to police. Throughout the evening, the complainant and Mr. Walker were drinking alcohol and arguing about relationship issues, according to the report.
About two hours before police arrived, during an argument in the living room of the house, Mr. Walker allegedly began to choke the complainant “by placing both hands on her neck and squeezing,” according to the report.
The complainant told police it felt as though she was going to lose consciousness. She believed Mr. Walker only stopped when he noticed she was becoming unconscious, according to police.
Domestic Battery and Interfering
Complainant Reports All-Night Beating
Police arrested Shaquille M. Smith, 30, 326 Merrimac St., Park Forest, with domestic battery and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence. Police responded to a home in the 300 block of Merrimac Street at 2:30 PM to investigate a domestic battery report. SouthCom Dispatch told police the complainant allegedly reported getting physically beaten “all of last night,” according to the report.
When police arrived, the complainant said to them that Shaquille M. Smith reportedly struck her in the face and body with a closed fist several times throughout the night, according to police. She said she was afraid to contact 911 and planned to wait for Mr. Smith to go to the store so she could call the emergency number.
Her eyes were bloodshot, according to police. Her left eye was swollen. She had a bruise on her right shoulder, and several bruises in her chest area, according to police.
Police Await a Lyft
She told police that she knew the location of the Lyft Mr. Smith had taken and that he was close by, according to police. Police waited for the Lyft to arrive. Once it did, the vehicle slowed down but did not stop, according to police. It drove away.
According to police, officers got into their squad vehicles and followed the Lyft to conduct an investigative stop. They curbed the vehicle at Manitowac Street. Mr. Smith was in the rear passenger seat, according to police. He allegedly refused to speak with officers.
They put him in handcuffs and placed him in the rear of a squad vehicle. An officer advised Mr. Smith he was under arrest on suspicion of domestic battery.
New Year’s Day: Domestic Battery
Police arrested Michael A. Williams, 57, 100 Ash St., Park Forest, on January 1, 2024, and charged him with domestic battery.
Officers responded to a residence in Court A-4 at 2:20 AM to investigate a report of a domestic dispute. The alleged victim allegedly told police that Michael A. Williams has an alcohol abuse problem and needs rehabilitation, according to the report.
Complainant Sustains Injuries
On New Year’s Eve, Mr. Williams allegedly drank and became intoxicated, according to police. During an argument in their living room, the complainant said she began walking towards the stairway when Mr. Williams reportedly pushed her in the back, according to police. She fell and hit her head on the wall, causing an indentation in the drywall, according to police.
The complainant sustained a cut to the top of her nose and a scrape on her left knee, according to police.
According to the report, the complainant did not wish to sign criminal complaints against Mr. Williams.
According to Mr. Williams, the complainant and he argued over a Wii Gaming system. During the argument, Mr. Williams allegedly said he fell accidentally as he was going past her. As he fell, he pushed her into the wall, according to police.
Police arrested Mr. Williams on suspicion of domestic battery.
Trespassing
Police issued Christopher M. Williams, 30, 15321 Vine St., Harvey, a municipal citation charging trespassing when police responded to a business in the first block of Main Street to investigate a report of trespassing.
The store manager told police that a man wearing a black jacket, gray hooded sweatshirt, and gray sweat pants allegedly trespassed and caused a disturbance at the store, according to police. The manager told police she wished to pursue criminal charges on this incident, according to the report.
The responding officer found the man sitting on a bench at a nearby business. This officer “trespassed” Mr. Williams at the first store on a previous call for service in 2023 (23PF17815), according to police.
Obstructing. Warrant.
Police arrested Alonzo L. Rudolphk, 225 Arrowhead St., Park Forest, on January 3, and charged him with obstructing and no seatbelt. Police also processed him on two warrants, one out of Will County on a charge of failure to appear and the other from Cook County on a charge of weapons offenses, according to police.
An officer driving at 10:01 AM saw a silver Infinity that allegedly had an expired registration. According to police, the front passenger in the car reportedly wore no seatbelt.
The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle at Algonquin Street and Western Avenue. The officer told the driver the reason for the stop. After speaking with the driver, the officer talked to the passenger, who allegedly refused to identify himself, according to police.
Police Learn of Warrants
Another officer arrived on the scene to assist.
The man, who reportedly was not wearing a seatbelt, continued to refuse to identify himself, according to police. Police told him he was arrested on suspicion of obstructing, according to police.
An officer transported him to the Park Forest Police Department. While at the police station, the man “was able to remember his name, Alonzo L Rudolph,” according to the report. He allegedly told police he did not want to give his name because he knew he had an active warrant out for his arrest, according to police.
Disorderly Conduct
Police arrested Azhya S. Dye, 23, 23439 S. Western Ave., Park Forest, on January 3 and charged her with disorderly conduct.
Police responded to the Westbridge Apartments Management Office on South Western Avenue to investigate a report of a resident “shouting and yelling threats to the property manager,” according to the report.
According to police, when they arrived, they saw a woman standing on the porch of an apartment in the 23400 block of South Western Avenue. The woman allegedly identified herself as the resident management called police on. Police later identified her as Azhya S. Dye. Ms. Dye told an officer she was upset because the property manager had her vehicle towed, according to police.
The officer spoke with the complainant, who said that management previously advised Ms. Dye on several previous occasions not to park in the two reserved parking spaces at the front of the building, according to police. According to the report, both spaces are reserved for future residents and visibly marked.
Report of “Yelling Threats”
On that date, Ms. Dye realized her vehicle was no longer in one of the reserved parking spaces where she allegedly left it, according to police. She reportedly went to the office door and began shouting and “yelling threats,” at the property manager, according to police. While she did this, Ms. Dye allegedly also banged on the office door inside the building and the patio glass sliding door outside the building, according to police.
Video
The property manager showed the officer a recording on her phone, which allegedly captured Ms. Dye shouting and yelling, according to police. From the recording, the officer reportedly heard Ms. Dye shouting and yelling, “I’m finna beat the f**k out of you,” and “Bitch, every time I see you, I’m beating your a$$,” according to the report.
The property manager provided police with two additional recordings that allegedly displayed similar language and behavior, according to police.
Fearing for her safety and in fear, the property manager told police she wished to pursue criminal charges against Ms. Dye and also “have her trespassed from the management office,” according to the report. Police arrested Ms. Dye and charged her with disorderly conduct.
The arresting officer informed her that she was “trespassed from the office and would be arrested if she returned,” according to police.
According to the report, Ms. Dye’s initial court date was January 24 at the Will County Courthouse.
What is “Trespassing a Person?”
“Trespassing” a person means that the officer issued a trespass warning to that individual, prohibiting them from entering or remaining on the property of the business.
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.
Police captured all the incidents in this report on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras by officers at the respective scenes, according to police. 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.
