Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Police charged one man with DUI after they found his vehicle facing the wrong way on South Western Avenue. His car also had a broken rim. The report speaks of the driver allegedly admitting to cocaine consumption earlier in the night.
This week saw three DUIs and a report of shots fired. We already reported on one of the DUIs. The second follows. The account of shots fired will follow that.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through August 21, 2023, Part II
Unlawful Display of Registration
Police arrested Antony E. Galvan, 28, 14518 Chicago Rd., Dolton, on August 18 and charged him with unlawful display of registration and no front registration plate.
An officer on patrol at 11:13 AM saw a white 2017 Chrysler 300 traveling South on Western Avenue toward 26th Street that allegedly did not have a front registration plate.
The officer conducted a traffic stop on Allegheny Street near Arcadia Street. The driver, Mr. Galvan, told the officer that his car had been stolen. When it was recovered, he found the plates were missing, according to police. Mr. Galvan allegedly said he purchased a vanity plate from Amazon and had his actual registration number printed on it, according to police.
DUI Greater than 0.08
Police arrested Omar R. Scarpetta, 24, 1036 Ashridge Ln., University Park, on August 19 and charged him with the following Illinois statutes:
- 625 ILCS 5/11-501-A-1: DUI, BAC greater than 0.08;
- 625 ILCS 5/11-501-A-2: DUI;
- 625 ILCS 5/11-501-A-4: under the influence of any other drug or combination of drugs to a degree that renders the person incapable of safely driving;
- 625 ILCS 5/11-501-A-5: under the combined influence of alcohol, other drug or drugs, or intoxicating compound or compounds to a degree that renders the person incapable of safely driving;
- 625 ILCS 5/3-707-A: driving without insurance;
- 625 ILCS 5/11-601-A): driving “at a speed which is greater than is reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions and the use of the highway.”
Possible Accident
Two officers responded to the 23,400 block of Western Avenue on August 19 at 1:31 AM to investigate a report of a possible accident. The person who called SouthCom allegedly said they heard a car hit a tree but didn’t see anything, according to the report. A second caller also reported hearing an accident but couldn’t see anything, according to police.
When police arrived, they saw a gray 2016 Dodge Dart in the northbound lanes of Western Avenue facing southwest. The car was at a complete stop, according to police.
An officer conducted a computer inquiry on the car. SouthCom advised that the vehicle was registered to Omar Scarpetta, according to the report. Police also saw a man, later identified as Mr. Scarpetta, with a spare tire in hand standing by the driver’s side.
Broken Rim
When police contacted Mr. Scarpetta, they saw that the front left rim was broken and had a flat tire, rendering the vehicle inoperable. The officer saw marks on the road leading to the car. The officer followed where it showed that the vehicle allegedly departed from the left-hand lane, southbound on Western. The car then crossed onto the slightly raised median that separates the north and southbound lanes, according to police.
The marks continued into oncoming traffic, according to police. The vehicle appeared to have traveled across both lanes of northbound traffic and collided with the curb, according to police.
The Driver’s Story
Mr. Scarpetta allegedly told officers that he was returning from work in the city and wasn’t sure what happened, according to the report. He stated that his car was not in the best condition. One officer saw body damage to the vehicle that appeared to be older and not from this incident, according to police.
Mr. Scarpetta allegedly had bloodshot eyes, spoke rapidly with hand movements, exhibited hyperactivity, and spoke with some stammering, according to police.
One officer initially did not detect a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Scarpetta. The officer also did not see that Mr. Scarpetta had difficulties standing upright without assistance, according to police.
Upon inspecting the car for damages, an officer found a small green package, commonly used to store cannabis, resting on the front passenger seat of the vehicle. The officer asked Mr. Scarpetta what the box was. Mr. Scarpetta allegedly got into the car, retrieved the package, and handed it to an officer, according to the report.
Mr. Scarpetta allegedly volunteered that he didn’t smoke anything, according to the report. The officer saw that the package indicated that it came from an Illinois dispensary. But Mr. Scarpetta allegedly said that it was off the street, according to police.
Police Suspicious as Driver Begins to Giggle
One of the officers then began to observe what they called “abnormal behaviors” from Mr. Scarpetta. He started giggling and smiling, according to the report. The officer did not detect an odor of burnt cannabis coming from inside the car. There is no mention up to this point in the report that officers suspected the driver allegedly had cocaine.
Police requested a tow as the vehicle was inoperable.
An officer asked Mr. Scarpetta for the insurance on his car. Instead, he allegedly gave the officer his driver’s license, according to police. The officer again requested insurance information. Mr. Scarpetta reportedly said that he wasn’t sure if he got his ID back, according to police. He appeared confused, according to police.
The officer again asked for Mr. Scarpetta’s insurance. He went into the vehicle, telling the officer that it was on his phone, according to police. While in the front seat, the officer saw Mr. Scarpetta shake his head. “No.” He then grinned and chuckled as he told the officer his phone was dead, according to police.
Again, there is no mention up to this point that officers suspected the driver allegedly took cocaine.
Police: “Something appeared off”
The report said that both officers “believed something appeared off,” according to the report.
After more discussion, police asked Mr. Scarpetta if he would take Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. He allegedly replied, “Absolutely,” according to police.
The officer administering the tests asked Mr. Scarpetta if he was familiar with the tests. Mr. Scarpetta allegedly said he was “while smiling and giggling,” according to the report.
After police administered the tests, they arrested Mr. Scarpetta on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the report.
BAC 0.153
At the police station, Mr. Scarpetta took a breathalyzer test. The results were .153, according to police. That was at 2:59 AM. At approximately 3:10 AM, Mr. Scarpetta consented to a blood and urine test, according to police.
An officer took Mr. Scarpetta to Franciscan Health in Olympia Fields. There, the officer saw that Mr. Scarpetta produced urine into a cup. He also saw hospital staff draw his blood. The officer then took Mr. Scarpetta back to the Park Forest Police Department.
There is still no mention in the report that the driver allegedly had cocaine.
Driver Allegedly Admits to Cocaine Consumption
At 4:10 AM, the officer spoke with Mr. Scarpetta about the accident. Mr. Scarpetta allegedly volunteered that he had ingested cocaine while he was in the city. He said he had been driving for about 45 minutes, according to police. He denied that he had been drinking, 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.
