Law and Order, Local Police Reports, Park Forest

Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through April 21, 2020


Deputy Police Chief Paul Winfrey
Deputy Police Chief Paul Winfrey. (Photo: Gary Kopycinski)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- These reports from the Park Forest Police Department include an incident where a Florida man was charged with domestic battery and a Park Forest woman was charged with criminal damage to property.

Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use the word “allegedly.” We are not asserting in any way that those arrested and/or charged have committed any offenses. We report on what is in the media reports furnished by police. As those charged are innocent until proven guilty, the burden is on prosecutors and police to prove all alleged crimes.

Providing more details than readers will find in any other police beat reports, we invite readers to subscribe to get the whole story, every day.

eNews Park Forest has always published 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 who have been charged, including their name, age, and address. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identity of those arrested.

An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. All those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest to not remove items in the public record from publication. If your name is listed in the police reports, 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.

Persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters including narcotics or gang activity are encouraged to call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.

eNews Park Forest reports this information because the public in the United States has the right to know.  When that information is withheld or under-reported, it leaves questions.  We also want to show the work that the police force does every day that is not reported.  Police in Park Forest respond to thousands of calls per year, the vast majority of which do not end up with arrests.  Whether it’s conducting a routine investigation, pulling over a drunk driver, or responding to a possible theft at a store, the work of the police officer deserves acknowledgment by the public.

Domestic Battery

Gaspar A. Veranes-Diago, 31, Sabel Palm Circle #Q, Altamonte Springs, FL, was arrested on April 15 and charged with domestic battery after police were dispatched at 2:48 AM to the 200 block of Krotiak Street to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance.

Upon arrival, an officer was flagged down by a woman in a vehicle. She told the officer that she was on a conference call with a coworker from 11 PM to 2 AM and that her boyfriend, Gasper A. Veranes-Diago, was playing his music loud. She asked him to turn the music down and he allegedly became upset, according to police.

After her conference call was completed, Mr. Veranes-Diago allegedly began yelling at her, according to police. She related that later that evening she talked with Mr. Veranes-Diago and they began to argue, according to the report. She said that Mr. Veranes-Diago wanted to leave in her vehicle and she did not want him to take her vehicle so she hid her keys, according to police.

Mr. Veranes-Diago then became upset and allegedly grabbed her by the right wrist and pulled her on the floor of the kitchen, according to police.

The woman told police that she took her son and put him in her vehicle, grabbed her car keys and attempted to go to her vehicle when Mr. Veranes-Diago allegedly took her cell phone and would not give it back until she gave him her car keys, according to police. She said that Mr. Veranes-Diago got into the driver’s seat and she reluctantly got into the passenger seat and Mr. Veranes-Diago then returned her phone to her, according to police.

The two drove around for a while and then she stated she wanted to return to the house to go to the bathroom, according to police.

When they returned to the residence, Mr. Veranes-Diago allegedly pushed the woman onto the ground. She then contacted the Park Forest Police, according to the report. Mr. Veranes-Diago asked her who she called. She did not answer him, so Mr. Veranes-Diago allegedly slapped the right side of her face with an open hand and allegedly pushed her into a wall, causing damage to the wall, according to police. Mr. Veranes-Diago then got back into the vehicle and she reentered the vehicle because she did not want Mr. Veranes-Diago driving away with her son, according to police.

One of the responding officers spoke Spanish and conversed with Mr. Veranes-Diago who allegedly told the officer that he got into a verbal argument with the woman and only grabbed her wrist while in the vehicle, according to police.

The officer observed redness and bruises on the woman’s left arm, left wrist, right arm, right wrist, and left knee, according to the report.

Criminal Damage to Property

Yolanda Thompson, 53, 105 Blackhawk Dr., Park Forest, was arrested on April 20 and charged with disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property after police were dispatched to the 100 block of Ash Street in reference to a report of criminal damage to property.

SouthCom Dispatch advised officers that a “Yolanda Thompson” was allegedly trying to hit the caller with her vehicle and was also allegedly damaging his patio set, according to police. A second caller informed SouthCom Dispatch that a woman at the listed location was allegedly damaging property, according to police.

The woman was reported last seen leaving the area and a silver Nissan toward 26th Street, according to police.

One of the responding officers spoke with neighbors of the complainant who said they received a call from their neighbor requesting that they call the police if a woman, later identified as Yolanda Thompson, came over to his residence, according to police. The man was concerned that Ms. Thompson was going to damage his belongings, according to police.

A short time later, the neighbors saw a woman arrive at the address in question, exit her vehicle, allegedly place a road construction sign on top of the complainant’s vehicle, and then go to the complainant’s residence and allegedly began knocking over patio furniture near the court side of the entrance, according to police. The woman also allegedly took the cover off of a nearby grill, according to police.

One of the neighbors had a video of the alleged incident captured on her cell phone, according to police.

The complainant then arrived and told police that he had ended a five-year relationship with Ms. Thompson the previous day, according to police.

The complainant discovered that the hood of his car was scratched in four separate locations from the legs of the road construction sign, according to police. There was no damage to the patio chairs as they had only been knocked over, according to police.

Police responded to the 100 block of Blackhawk Drive to speak with Ms. Thompson and they placed her under arrest, according to police.


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