Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Police charged a CVS pharmacy tech with felony possession of a controlled substance. She allegedly admitted to stealing 2,500 tramadol pills over a year. The last report period for August 29 through September 4 saw only two arrests.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through September 4, 2023
Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance
Police arrested Maria D. Villarreal, 42, 14853 Hamlin Ave., Midlothian, on August 29 and charged her with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor theft.
Police responded to a call at CVS Pharmacy at 1:15 PM to investigate a report of retail theft. SouthCom Dispatch advised officers to report to the main office of the CVS store. Management was there with an employee accused of stealing prescription drugs, according to the report.
Upon entering, store personnel directed the officer to the CVS Pharmacy main office in front of the store. The store manager and a pharmacist were there with Maria D. Villarreal, a pharmacy technician, according to the police. A CVS Pharmacy loss prevention manager was on speakerphone as well, according to police.
Company Investigator Alleges Tech Stole Tramadol
The loss prevention manager told the officer that he was calling from his office in Irving, Texas, according to police. The report said he conducted an internal investigation for the last month involving shortages of tramadol prescription medication from the CVS Pharmacy in Park Forest. He told the officer that there was video footage of Ms. Villarreal allegedly taking tramadol from the pharmacy during her work shifts, according to police.
This same man said he conducted a phone interview with Ms. Villarreal that same day. He alleged that Ms. Villarreal admitted to taking approximately 2500 tramadol pills over one year, according to the report. Also on that date, store personnel allegedly found three tramadol pills Ms. Villarreal had in her pants pocket, according to police.
Ms. Villareal turned those pills over to the pharmacist, according to police.
Company: Value of Stolen Tramadol Pills Exceeded $2000
According to the report, the loss prevention manager said that the described number of stolen tablets valued $2075. He noted that CVS Pharmacy wished to pursue criminal charges against Ms. Villarreal on suspicion of theft, according to police.
The officer took Ms. Villarreal into custody and transported her to the Park Forest Police Department. At the police station, Ms. Villareal allegedly told police that one year prior, she began suffering from dental pain. At that time, she purchased tramadol from a “friend of a friend,” according to the report. She told the officer that she became addicted to tramadol and allegedly began stealing the drug from CVS Pharmacy, according to police.
Driving While License Suspended
Police arrested Juan Vasquez, 60, 13210 S. Carliss Ave. Apt.1, Riverdale, on August 31 and charged him with driving while his license was suspended and criminal trespass to a vehicle.
PFPD: Officer Patrolling the Area Sees Car Reported Solen
An officer patrolling at 5:10 PM received a notification that a camera on Lincoln Highway captured a stolen vehicle, a blue Saturn, passing Dettmering Street in Matteson. He saw a blue Saturn SUV pass Orchard Drive on Lincoln Highway about three minutes after receiving the notification.
The officer drove behind the Saturn and verified that the rear license plate was allegedly the plate for the stolen vehicle, according to police. The officer activated his squad’s lights and intermittent sirens. The report said he stopped the car at Lincoln Highway and Western Avenue.
Officer Confirms Plate of Car Reported Stolen
The officer confirmed that the registered owner of the Saturn was a woman in Chicago, according to police.
He approached the driver’s side of the SUV and asked the driver, Juan Vasquez, to get out of the car. He complied.
Mr. Vazquez was not the registered owner of the vehicle, according to police.
The officer escorted Mr. Vazquez to the sidewalk and put him in handcuffs, according to police. The officer discovered that Mr. Vazquez had a suspended Indiana driver’s license, according to police.
PFPD: Driver Says a Relative Traded Cars with Him
Mr. Vazquez allegedly provided a statement “via excited utterance” that the blue Saturn was registered to one of his relatives, according to police. He alleged that he traded the Saturn for another vehicle. However, the relative never gave him the title, according to police.
The officer arrested Mr. Vazquez on suspicion of driving while his license was suspended.
Registered Owner Has Different Account
At the Park Forest Police Department, the officer contacted the registered owner of the Saturn. According to police, she said she allowed Mr. Vazquez to drive her blue Saturn in January 2023. She said someone stole his car. After several months, she contacted Mr. Vazquez several times, telling him to return her vehicle. She said he refused, according to police.
She contacted Chicago Police. They told her since the vehicle was registered in her name, she could get the SUV on her own, according to police. She said she retrieved the vehicle and had it for several months.
The owner Reported Her Car Stolen on August 30
On August 30, 2023, she walked outside her home and saw that the SUV was gone from where she parked it, according to the report. She found her personal belongings scattered on the ground, according to police.
The woman reported the SUV stolen to Chicago Police the same day, according to the report.
Mr. Vazquez allegedly admitted to police taking the Saturn from his relative’s home on August 30, 2023, according to the report. According to the report, he reportedly said he was unaware that she reported the vehicle stolen.
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.
