Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—Approaching the end of August, police charged two men with felonies in separate incidents. In the first incident, police arrested a Richton Park man, charging him with one felony count of manufacturing and delivering cocaine and another felony count of possession of a controlled substance. In the second incident, officers arrested a Riverdale man, charging him with felony driving while his license was revoked.
In a third incident, a Park Forest man learned that using a cell phone in a car can lead to unexpected legal complications.
These and other reports follow.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Beginning August 25, 2024
Felony Manufacturing and Delivery of Cocaine
Police arrested Kwinton M. Heath, 34, of the 4200 block of Greenbrier Ln., Richton Park, on August 25 and charged him with one felony count of manufacturing and delivering of cocaine (Class 1), one felony count of possession of a controlled substance (Class 4), and a misdemeanor count of obstructing a peace officer. Mr. Heath had a preliminary court date of August 26, 2024, at the Markham Courthouse.
Police responded to the 400 block of Douglas Street at 8:26 AM to investigate a 911 misdial. Upon arrival, the officer saw a Jeep Cherokee parked in the home’s driveway, which was where he was dispatched. A man, later identified as Kwinton M. Heath, was asleep in the driver’s seat, according to police.
While standing outside the vehicle, the officer saw a clear plastic bag inside the Jeep that contained a number of smaller bags. These held a white rock-like substance, suspected cocaine, according to police. The bag was in a compartment underneath the infotainment system, police said.
Three other officers arrived on the scene.
Man drives over tire deflation device.
The first officer who arrived placed a tire deflation device under Mr. Heath’s front passenger tire. As they approached the vehicle, Mr. Heath suddenly woke up. One officer drew his weapon and kept it in a low and ready position, suspecting that with a large amount of narcotics, the man might carry a weapon, according to police.
Police warned Mr. Heath not to move his vehicle, informing him that there was a spike strip underneath, police said. Officers advised Mr. Heath numerous times to open his door. However, the police said he allegedly did not comply.
Leading Up to Felony Cocaine Charges
Instead, Mr. Heath began driving his vehicle. The spikes from the tire deflation device punctured the front passenger-side tire, deflating it.
Another officer parked in front of Mr. Heath’s vehicle, which prohibited his car from driving out of the driveway, according to police. The first officer who arrived on the scene saw Mr. Heath allegedly grab the clear plastic bag, police said.
Mr. Heath finally complied and opened his door. The police took him into custody.
Processing Evidence of Felony Cocaine Charges
An officer weighed and analyzed the suspected narcotics. The white rock-like substance weighed approximately 9.3 grams, and field-tested positive for the presumptive presence of cocaine, police said. The officer also counted 26 individual zip-lock bags inside the sandwich bag.
The green plant material field-tested positive for the presumptive presence of cannabis and weighed approximately 5.8 grams, police said.
According to the report, police sent the suspect cocaine to the Illinois State Police Forensic Laboratory for further analysis.
Mr. Heath had a court date on August 26 on the charges of a felony count of manufacturing and delivering cocaine, one felony count of possession of a controlled substance, and a misdemeanor count of obstructing a peace officer.
Unlawful Use of an Electronic Communication Device
Police arrested Jamon R. Crawford, 43, of the first block of Fir St., Park Forest, on August 26 and charged him with unlawful use of an electronic communication device, unlawful transfer of alcoholic liquor in a motor vehicle, and unlawful possession of cannabis in a motor vehicle.
An officer conducting traffic enforcement at 10:22 AM in the Hemlock Street and Western Avenue area saw a vehicle pass heading southbound. The driver appeared to have a cell phone in his right hand up in front of his person, according to police. The officer followed the car and activated emergency lighting on his patrol car.
The vehicle turned eastbound onto Sauk Trail and immediately curbed.
Driver Allegedly Admits Being on Phone
After explaining the reason for the stop to the driver, Jamon R. Crawford, Mr. Crawford allegedly admitted that he was on the phone, police said. While speaking with Mr. Crawford, the officer saw an open bottle of tequila on the front passenger seat and a partially burnt and rolled cigar in the center console. The officer picked up the bottle and asked Mr. Crawford if there was any alcohol inside. Mr. Crawford allegedly confirmed there was but said he had not been drinking, according to police.
The officer asked Mr. Crawford to exit his car. Inside, the officer located:
- two clear plastic sandwich bags in the center console containing suspected cannabis,
- seven colorful Mylar Ziploc bags inside a book bag also containing suspected cannabis,
- and the previously mentioned bottle of tequila, which the officer poured out on the scene.
Leaving the Scene of an Accident
Police arrested Bria N. Smith, 31, of the 300 block of Merrimac St., Park Forest, on August 27 and charged her with driving with a suspended driver’s license, leaving the scene of an accident, and no insurance.
Police responded to an address on Indianwood Boulevard at 11:55 AM to investigate a report of a suspicious auto. SouthCom Dispatch reported that a silver van was driving on the grass and struck a vehicle. According to the report, a witness saw a woman wearing a blue shirt and black shorts walking away from the car.
When police arrived, they found a black Dodge Challenger with the front end in the driveway of a residence on Indianwood Boulevard and the rear end on the front lawn of another property on the same street.
The police said the Dodge had a heavy rear passenger-side body and wheel damage. They also saw a silver Dodge minivan curbed in front of a home on Iroquois Street. Officers discovered that Bria N. Smith was the registered owner of the minivan, police said.
Alleged Offender is on Foot
An officer spoke with the owner of the Challenger, who was the complainant. He said he last saw the woman walk westbound on Miami Street from Indianwood Boulevard. A blue SUV was attempting to follow her, the man said.
Police began checking the area for the woman and saw her SUV at Miami Street and Minocqua Street. An officer then saw her run behind a home on Minocqua Street.
The officer got out of his patrol squad and checked the rear of that home and adjacent backyards but did not find the woman. Police then found Bria N. Smith on the west side of a home on Miami Street.
Officers requested medical attention for Ms. Smith and Park Forest Paramedics responded.
Witness Accounts
The first officer at the scene returned to where the accident took place and saw tracks on the lawn of the home on Indianwood Boulevard. The tracks led to the driveway of another Indianwood home.
A witness said he was inside his home on Indianwood Boulevard when he heard a crash from the front lawn. He went outside and saw the silver Dodge driving off of the front lawn onto Indianwood Boulevard. The vehicle then drove over the raised median on Indianwood and the curb on Iroquois Street.
This man then saw a woman wearing a blue shirt and black shorts exit the driver’s seat and run northbound from the vehicle, after which he called 911.
Another witness reported seeing the silver Dodge minivan striking the Dodge Challenger parked in a driveway.
Felony Driving While License Was Revoked
Police arrested Sean T. Aristok, 47, of the 300 block of W. 145th St., Riverdale, on August 28 and charged him with felony driving while license was revoked, operation of a motor vehicle without valid insurance, operation of a motor vehicle without valid registration, and driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
An officer patrolled at 2:44 PM. His vehicle was stopped at the stop sign at the eastern intersection of Ash Street and 26th St. He saw a silver vehicle turn onto Ash Street, traveling the wrong way.
Ash Street is one of only two one-way streets in Park Forest. New signs at the eastern exit of Ash Street clearly warn: “DO NOT ENTER.”
The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle on Ash Street and saw that the car, a Chevrolet Aveo, did not have a registration plate, police said.
Driver Admits to No License, Insurance, or Registration
Approaching the driver’s side of the car, the officer identified the driver as Sean T. Aristok. Mr. Aristok advised the officer that he did not have a driver’s license, insurance, or registration. He said he was taking the car to an auto shop to get checked out prior to purchasing it.
The officer learned that Mr. Aristok was felony eligible because he had three prior convictions for driving while his license was suspended or revoked. He ordered Mr. Aristok out of the car and arrested him.
DUI BAC Over 0.08
Police arrested Mario R Gregory, 33, of the first block of W. 19th St., Chicago on August 28 and charged him with DUI, BAC over 0.08, and failure to signal.
Two officers were patrolling in a police vehicle at 8:26 PM when one of them saw a tan sedan heading southbound on Western Avenue from Birch Street. The car continued driving southbound and then allegedly turned into Court E-9 without using a turn signal.
The officer activated the emergency lighting on his patrol vehicle and initiated a traffic stop at Western Avenue at Court E-9.
Police approached the car, one officer on the driver’s side and the other on the passenger side. Mario R. Gregory was the only person in the vehicle, police said.
Advising him of the reason for the stop, one of the officers asked for Mr. Gregory’s driver’s license, which he provided. Police discovered that the license was valid.
Police Suspect DUI
While speaking with Mr. Gregory, one of the officers observed that his speech was slow and slurred, according to the report. Also, police report there was an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Gregory’s breath.
Police asked him to step outside the car and perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.
Mr. Gregory refused.
At that time, an officer noticed that Mr. Gregory allegedly had glassy eyes, according to police. Based on these observations, police advised Mr. Gregory they were arresting him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
According to police, Mr. Gregory provided a breath sample at the Park Forest Police Department that yielded a BAC of .124.
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.
