Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Police arrested a Park Forest man and charged him with one count of aggravated DUI, a Class 2 felony, when he allegedly sped on Western Avenue. Police also charged him with two counts of endangering the life or health of a child. He had two of his sons in the car with him, according to police.
The following are the first two incidents from reports filed between August 22 and August 28, 2023.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through Aug. 28, 2023 – Part I
Criminal Trespass to a Residence
Police arrested Christopher M. Moore, 25, 5631 Cornell Way, Matteson, and charged him with criminal trespass to a residence.
Police responded to a home on Blackhawk Drive to investigate a report of a 911 open line. SouthCom told officers the caller was pursuing the alleged offender on foot.
When police arrived, they found two men, one of whom was Christopher M. Moore, according to police.
Mr. Moore said that he previously lived at the home in question and returned to get the property he said he owned, according to police. He allegedly entered the house through a window, according to police.
Aggravated DUI, Endangering the Life or Health of a Child
Police arrested Julien J. Cornelius, 40, 43 Indianwood Blvd., Park Forest, on August 23 and charged him with one count of aggravated DUI, a Class 2 felony. Police also issued Mr. Cornelius traffic citations charging speeding, driving in the wrong lane, suspended registration, uninsured motor vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal transportation of alcoholic liquor, and unlawful possession of cannabis in a motor vehicle.
Police also charged Mr. Cornelius with two counts of endangering the life or health of a child.
Officer Allegedly Sees a Buick Speeding
An officer was in a parking lot in the 2900 block of Western Avenue conducting stationary traffic enforcement at 12:56 p.m. The officer saw a silver Buick sedan going northbound on Western Avenue at an alleged high rate of speed, according to the report. The officer clocked the vehicle traveling at 58 miles per hour, according to police.
As the Buick continued northbound on Western Avenue near Fir Street, the car allegedly used the center two-way turn lane to pass another vehicle in the left traffic lane, according to police.
The officer pulled onto Western Avenue and began traveling northbound to catch up to the Buick.
POLICE: Driver Had No ID
Catching up with the car, the officer activated the emergency lighting on his patrol vehicle. The Buick turned into the Citgo Gas Station at 2035 Western Avenue, Chicago Heights. The driver, later identified as Julian Cornelius, began to exit the driver’s door, according to police. The officer ordered Mr. Cornelius back into the car. He complied, according to police.
When asked, Mr. Cornelius said he knew why the officer stopped him, according to police. Mr. Cornelius said he did not have his identification but provided his name and date of birth.
Children in the Car
There were two children in the car. They were Mr. Cornelius’s sons. This led police to additionally charge him with endangering the life or health of a child.
He said he was taking them to GameStop and allegedly apologized for going around another car, according to police.
According to the report, Mr. Cornelius appeared “abnormally nervous and had bloodshot, glassy eyes.”
The officer confirmed that Mr. Cornelius had a valid Illinois driver’s license. While conducting the inquiry into Mr. Cornelius’s driving status, the officer told Mr. Cornelius that he smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath, according to police. Police asked Mr. Cornelius to perform standardized Field sobriety tests. He agreed to do so.
Suspicion of Driving Under the Influence
After conducting the tests, police took Mr. Cornelius into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence and put him in handcuffs, according to the report. Another officer took both children, Mr. Cornelius’s sons, to the Park Forest Police Department lobby to wait for their mother, according to police.
While still on the scene, Mr. Cornelius asked to speak with one of the officers and allegedly volunteered that he had some “weed” on him along with a BB gun in the vehicle, according to police.
Inside the car, police found an open bottle of Tequila under the driver’s seat of the vehicle, according to the report. The bottle was cold to the touch and was 2/3 empty, according to police.
At the Park Forest Police Station, Mr. Cornelius refused to submit to a breathalyzer test. He also refused to provide urine or blood samples, according to the report.
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.
