Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—A Sauk Village man faces a charge of possession of a controlled substance after an officer found Acetaminophen and Hydrocodone pills in his car, police said. Besides the incident involving the controlled substance police allegedly found, we record other incidents from the end of October and the start of November 2024.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Beginning October 27, 2024
Domestic Battery
Police arrested area Anna J. Cuellar-Serrato, 20, of the 300 block of Jackson St., Park Forest, on October 27 and charged her with two counts of domestic battery.
Police responded to a home on Jackson Street at 6:27 AM regarding a report of a domestic disturbance. The complainant alleged that Ms. Cuellar-Serrato was intoxicated and yelling, police said. The complainant told her to stop. Ms. Cuellar-Serrato then began “coming at” the complainant, according to police. She then allegedly became violent, police said, “swinging at” the complainant. Ms. Cuellar-Serrato then reportedly threw the complainant to the ground, and the two began to fight, police said.
Domestic Battery
Police arrested Aaliyah A. Williams, 26, of the 300 block of Osage St., Park Forest, on October 28 and charged her with domestic battery.
Police responded to an address on Osage Street at 3:11 PM to investigate a domestic dispute report. SouthCom Dispatch told officers that two women had been fighting. According to the complainant, during an argument, Ms. Williams struck the complainant with a closed hand on the back of her neck, police said.
Possession of a Controlled Substance
Police arrested Eric L. Knox, 51, of the 2600 block of Marigold Dr., Sauk Village, on October 29 and charged him with possession of a controlled substance, improper display of registration, and driving with a suspended driver’s license.
An officer was in his squad vehicle on Allegheny Street at 26th St. facing south. It was 9:49 AM. He saw a silver Ford heading westbound on 26 Street approaching Allegheny Street. The police said the Ford did not have a front-mounted registration plate.
The officer turned onto 26th St. and followed the Ford to the other entrance of Allegheny Street, where the Ford turned north onto Allegheny. Activating his emergency lights, the officer affected a traffic stop, curbing the Ford on Allegheny St. near Arcadia Street. The driver and occupant of the car was Eric L. Knox.
After the officer asked, Mr. Knox told the officer that the front plate used to be on the dashboard but was recently removed when the vehicle was cleaned. The officer asked for Mr. Knox’s driver’s license. Mr. Knox allegedly said that his driving privileges were currently suspended, police said. He provided an Illinois identification card. The officer told Mr. Knox he was arresting him.
Behind the Charge: The Controlled Substance
While conducting an inventory of the vehicle, the officer located a prescription pill container in the center console with a large number of white oval pills imprinted with M366. The container had no name, other prescription, or identifying information. However, it did have a label that read “Caution: opioid, risk of overdose and addiction,” according to the report.
Conducting an Internet search, the officer learned that the pills were a combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone. The report notes that hydrocodone is a controlled substance.
Suspended Driver’s License
Police arrested Joslyn J. Hicks, 29, of the 300 block of Niagara St., Park Forest, on October 29 and charged her with driving while license was suspended, uninsured motor vehicle, and registration suspended for mandatory insurance.
An officer patrolling at 4:27 PM was heading southbound on Western Avenue at Sauk Trail when she saw a blue Hyundai four-door driving in front of her. Checking the registration, the officer found that the vehicle registration had expired and was suspended for mandatory insurance.
Activating her squad’s emergency lights, the officer conducted a traffic stop on Marquette Street at S. Orchard Dr. The driver, Joslyn J. Hicks, told the officer she was not aware of the suspended registration, according to police. The officer asked Ms. Hicks for her driver’s license and insurance. Ms. Hicks told the officer that she did not have proof of insurance but was able to provide an image of her driver’s license on her phone.
The officer asked SouthCom Dispatch to conduct a LEADS check on Ms. Hicks. SouthCom advised the officer that Ms. Hicks had a suspended driver’s license and an active warrant out of Will County.
Domestic Battery
Police arrested Lateia C. Jimerson, 42, of the 200 block of Berry St., Park Forest, on October 30 and charged her with domestic battery.
Officers responded to a call on Berry Street at 1:11 AM. SouthCom Dispatch related that the complainant said a woman had a knife but was no longer in possession of it. Ms. Jimerson allegedly scratched the complainant on the back of the neck and caused an abrasion under the complainant’s right I, according to police.
DUI Alcohol BrAC Over 0.08
Police arrested Eric J. Maxwell, of the 1400 block of E. 76th St., Chicago, on November 3 and charged him with improper lane use, DUI alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and DUI alcohol over .08.
Police responded to the Sauk Trail and Western Avenue area at 1:11 AM regarding a report of an accident with injuries. While on their way, SouthCom advised officers that a vehicle crashed after driving through several yards, police said.
Upon arrival, police found a black Volkswagen in the middle of the road on Sauk Trail near the intersection with Osage Street. The airbags of the Volkswagen were deployed on both the driver’s and passenger’s sides of the car.
An officer opened the passenger door and found a silver handgun on the passenger floorboard. The driver and sole occupant of the car was Eric Maxwell. The officer noted the overwhelming odor of an alcoholic beverage inside the vehicle.
Officer Suspects DUI
Asking if Mr. Maxwell was okay, Mr. Maxwell responded with “an incoherent and mumbled answer,” the report said. The officer advised Mr. Maxwell that he was taking possession of the handgun on the floorboard. When asked what happened, Mr. Maxwell responded that he was “driving home,” according to the report. When the officer asked what Mr. Maxwell struck, Mr. Maxwell said he did not know, according to police.
Mr. Maxwell advised that “home” was the city of Chicago, according to police.
Park Forest paramedics arrived on the scene to evaluate Mr. Maxwell. While speaking with fire personnel in the ambulance, the officer asked Mr. Maxwell for his license. He removed his wallet from his pants and presented the officer with a red bank card, police said. According to police, Mr. Maxwell’s movements were slow and lethargic, his eyes were red and glassy, his speech was extremely slurred, and he mumbled softly at times, police said. Furthermore, the police said Mr. Maxwell wore no shoes and allegedly had difficulty with manual dexterity in manipulating his wallet.
Police: Driver Had Trouble Walking
Mr. Maxwell refused medical attention, exiting the ambulance and returning to his vehicle. According to police, he had difficulty walking, his movements were slow, and he was unsteady on his feet. When he sat back in the driver’s seat of the Volkswagen, the officer asked him to put his shoes back on. According to police, it took several minutes of attempting to manipulate his shoes and put them back on his feet, police said. The officer noted that Mr. Maxwell was trying to put the right shoe on his left foot, police said.
When asked, Mr. Maxwell allegedly told the officer that he had “too much” to drink, the report said.
The officer began testing Mr. Maxwell with the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, HGN. This is part of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests officers administer. The officer then administered other portions of those tests. After the testing, the officer advised Mr. Maxwell he was arresting him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Police learned that Mr. Maxwell had a valid/clear Illinois FOID card and a valid/clear Illinois concealed carry card. There were no weapons charges.
At the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Maxwell submitted a breath sample which showed a result of .213 BrAC, police said.
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.
