Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—A month-and-a-half before a man allegedly punched an officer, knocking him to the ground. Now, this Woodland Glen man faces similar charges after he randomly battered two other people, according to police.
Police: Man Randomly Battered First Victim
Police arrested Daniel C. Cantave, 32, of the first block of Woodland Glen, Park Forest, on September 30 and charged him with battery.
Police responded to a business in the first block of S. Orchard Dr. at 2:54 PM regarding a battery report. The complainant said he was at work cleaning up behind the company. As he began walking through the parking lot to his vehicle, a man approached him and, without saying anything, allegedly struck him in the face with a closed fist, police said. Caught off guard, the victim fell to the ground, injuring his knees.
The alleged assailant reportedly attempted to hit him again. Suddenly, the complainant’s coworker came running toward them, yelling and carrying a crowbar, according to police. The suspect then ran away westbound, police said.
After taking a description of the alleged assailant from the man who came to assist the victim, the officer suspected that the case involved Daniel Cantave, according to the report. The officer noted that Mr. Cantave “approaches random citizens and strikes them without provocation,” according to the report.
The officer showed both men a picture of Mr. Cantave, and they positively identified him as the alleged offender, police said.
Second Incident With Victim Randomly Battered: Police
In a second incident, an officer responded to an address on Lakewood Boulevard at 3:29 PM to assist the Park Forest Fire Department with an injury report. While on his way, the officer saw Daniel C. Cantave walking northbound on Wilson Street from Lakewood Boulevard, according to police. The officer notified the Park Forest Police Department due to Mr. Cantave allegedly just fleeing from a battery that occurred earlier, police said.
Another officer responded and took Mr. Cantave into custody.
In this case, the responding officer spoke with the complainant, who said he was sitting on a bench in Central Park enjoying the day. A man approached him. He offered a “hello” to the man walking toward him. After the alleged incident, the man was able to stumble towards Lakewood Boulevard, where he called 911.
The man who approached him allegedly began to batter the complainant, police said.
The victim advised he could identify the subject if he saw him again. He was unable to tell police how many times he was struck. However, he indicated he wanted to sign criminal complaints against his alleged attacker.
According to the report, the complainant had blood around his mouth and a possible dislocated shoulder, according to police.
The Fire Department transported the complainant to Mr. Cantave’s location at Wilson and Wilshire Streets, where police detained him for a showup, police said. The complainant “positively identified Cantave as the subject who attacked him,” according to police.
Paramedics subsequently transported the second victim to St. Francis Hospital for further medical treatment.
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.
