Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- There was a moderate amount of police activity during the week of June 21 through June 27, including a charge of criminal damage to property, a domestic battery report, and one person who turned himself in on an active traffic warrant.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through June 27, 2022
Criminal Damage to Property
Bill Prokop, 61, 330 Wildwood Dr., Park Forest, was arrested on June 26 and charged with one count of criminal damage to property when police responded to Wildwood Drive to investigate a delayed report of criminal damage to property. A resident said she met a neighbor named “Bill” who told her he was a handyman and if she needed work done around the house to contact him, according to police.
She said she contacted Bill, and the two agreed that she would pay him $45 to repair a sump pump hose connection in the rear of her house, according to police. According to the report, Bill finished the work on June 15, 2022, and the homeowner sent Bill a text message explaining that the work was not what she expected, according to police. On the date of this report, he said she went outside to walk her dog at approximately 8 AM and observed that the external sump pump hose had been cut or broken off, according to police. The woman suspected that Bill had allegedly damaged the hose, according to the report.
An officer conducted a database search and found a Mr. Bill Prokop on Wildwood Drive. Mr. Prokop returned to her house and said he wanted to finish the job. She asked him to leave and contacted 911, saying that she suspected Mr. Prokop had been inside her house when she was away because she found the toilet seat up and urine in the upstairs guestroom bathroom when she returned home, according to police. She told the responding officer that the bathroom is been out of service for approximately one year, and she doesn’t use it, according to police.
When an officer interviewed Mr. Prokop, he said he wanted to surprise the resident by fixing the hose without her knowing, according to police. The officer informed him that he was under arrest on suspicion of criminal damage to property, according to police. Mr. Prokop allegedly told the officer that he didn’t cut the hose but just broke it off because of its brittle condition, according to police.
Aggravated Driving While License Revoked
Marcus L. Thomas, 29, 133 N. Arbor Trail #509, Park Forest, was arrested on June 26 and charged with aggravated driving while license revoked (Class 4), expired registration, suspended registration and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. An officer was on patrol traveling northbound on Western Avenue from Sauk Trail when he observed a vehicle traveling northbound on Western Avenue. The officer conducted a LEADS inquiry and learned that the registration was currently expired and suspended on a mandatory insurance violation, according to police.
Further inquiry showed that the vehicle belonged to Marcus L. Thomas of Park Forest, according to police. Mr. Thomas was driving the vehicle, according to police. Mr. Thomas had three prior convictions of driving while his license was suspended/revoked after his license was suspended under a statutory summary suspension on a DUI, according to the report. Mr. Thomas’s driver’s license was later revoked because of the convictions he received for DUI, according to police.
Two Tickets, No Arrests
Lukas C. Denman, 19, 153 Westwood Dr., Park Forest, was issued a municipal ticket charging possession of cannabis in a vehicle when an officer patrolling in the area of South Orchard Drive and Main Street observed a suspicious vehicle parked alongside the loading dock on the west side of Jet Food Grocery Store, according to police.
Ryan P. Stuursma, 18, 14220 S. 87th Ave., Orland Park, was charged with illegal possession of fireworks in connection with the same stop by the officer. Both were cited and released from the scene without arrest, according to the report.
Domestic Battery
Marcus F. McKinley, 39, 118 Hemlock Dr., Park Forest, was arrested on June 26 and charged with two counts of domestic battery when police were dispatched to Hemlock Street to investigate a domestic disturbance. Mr. McKinley allegedly pushed a woman into a table where the left side of her head, around the year, struck the corner of the table, according to police.
Turns Self In on Active Warrant
Kevin P. Collier, 32, 35 Willow Rd., Matteson, was arrested on June 27 and processed on an active warrant out of Cook County when Mr. Collier showed up at the Park Forest Police Department to turn himself in on that warrant, according to police. The warrant was on a charge pertaining to an alleged traffic offense from the Illinois State Police, according to the report. Mr. Collier was taken into custody in order to be processed. The warrant was in the amount of 10% of a $5000 de-Bond with a $75 service fee, according to police. Mr. Collier was released after providing the required $575 and given a court date of July 29, 2022 at Markham Courthouse, 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.
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.