Law and Order, Local Police Reports, Park Forest

Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through October 4, 2018


Park Forest Police Department, shield, police beat, false insurance card
New illumination in the lobby of the Park Forest Police Department. (Photo: Gary Kopycinski)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Editor’s Note: This police beat coverage represents reports through October 4, 2018. Charges for those arrested in this time period include the display of a false insurance card, domestic battery, driving while license was suspended, and a ticket in relation to a dog bite.

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 entail 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.

Dog Bite

Jeremy D. Kelly-Jones, 23, 312 Douglas St., Park Forest, was issued a municipal citation on October 2 charging not having proper animal tags/license after police responded to the 200 block of Lakewood Boulevard, the Park Forest Police Department, to investigate a report of an animal bite.

The complainant said that she was at Mr. Kelly-Jones’ residence to conduct business when a dog inside the residence began to growl at the complainant. The dog came closer to the complainant and bit her in the left leg.

The complainant was treated at Advocate Medical Urgent Care in Olympia Fields where she received antibiotics and a tetanus shot.

Mr. Kelly-Jones was given an optional court date of October 18 at the Park Forest Police Department. The officer who took the report explained to Mr. Kelly-Jones the procedure required for the Cook County Animal & Rabies Control Animal Bite Report and the half of the report that Mr. Kelly-Jones had to fill out.

Driving While License Suspended

Charles A. Green II, 20, 26506 Ridgeland Ave., Monee, wake up was arrested on October 3 and issued a state citation charging driving while license was suspended when an officer patrolling at 2:20 AM south on Western Avenue from 26th Street behind a black 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo conducted a law enforcement database inquiry on the registration number of the Monte Carlo and learned that the driving privileges of the registered owner, Charles Green, were currently suspended.

The officer positioned his squad vehicle behind the Monte Carlo and initiated a traffic stop. Mr. Green was the only occupant of the vehicle. He provided a valid insurance card and an Illinois driver’s license which confirmed his identity.

Another officer responded to the scene and asked Mr. Green to exit the vehicle. As Mr. Green exited the vehicle, the officer observed Mr. Green allegedly grab a clear plastic bag that contained a green leafy substance, suspect cannabis, from the center console of the vehicle, according to police. The police report says that it appeared that Mr. Green was attempting to hide or dispose of the suspect cannabis, according to police.

The officer requested that Mr. Green leave the bag on the seat of the vehicle and Mr. Green complied.

Police informed Mr. Green that he was under arrest on suspicion of driving while license was suspended. He was transported to the Park Forest Police Department. His vehicle was towed from the scene and impounded per local ordinance, according to police. The suspect cannabis weighed 3.2 grams, according to police.

Mr. Green was given a court date of November 14 at Markham Courthouse on the state citation. Police also issued Mr. Green a municipal citation charging possession of cannabis with a local optional court date of October 18, according to the report.

He was released on an I-Bond to await his hearing date.

Domestic Battery

Myles E. Johnson, 22, 263 Dogwood St., Park Forest, was arrested on October 3 and charged with domestic battery after police were dispatched to the 200 block of Dogwood Street to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance.

Police met with the complainant who said that she got into a verbal argument with Mr. Johnson about who was going to stay up to take care of a baby. The complainant said she started walking up the stairs and Mr. Johnson allegedly pulled her down the stairs causing her to fall and slide down the stairs, according to police. Mr. Johnson then allegedly began pushing the complainant, telling her she had to leave, according to police.

The complainant exited the residence and called the police.

Display of a False Insurance Card

Lawrence R. Evans, 22, 1816 225th Place, Sauk Village, was arrested on October 3 and charged with the display of a false insurance card (a class A misdemeanor), speeding, failure to signal when required, and operation of an uninsured motor vehicle.

An officer traveling west on Sauk Trail at 11:33 PM was approaching Minocqua Street when the officer saw three vehicles approaching in the eastbound lane of Sauk Trail. The vehicles were passing Minocqua Street.

One of the vehicles, a white Chevrolet Monte Carlo, allegedly made an abrupt lane change from the right lane to the left lane without the use of a turn signal, according to police. Upon making the lane change, the Chevrolet drove very close to another vehicle already traveling eastbound in the left lane of Sauk Trail.

After making the lane change, the officer observed his dash-mounted radar and saw that the Chevrolet had accelerated to 51 miles per hour in a posted 35 miles per hour zone, according to police. The other two vehicles were traveling at the same speed, according to police.

The officer conducted a U-turn and caught up with the vehicles as they traveled eastbound. The Chevrolet allegedly made another lane change near Westwood Drive without the use of a turn signal, according to police.

The officer later paced his squad behind the Chevrolet and noted that it was traveling between 46 and 52 miles per hour in the posted 35 miles per hour area from Orchard Drive to Oakwood Street. Upon approaching Osaga Street, the officer initiated a traffic stop.

The officer asked the driver, Mr. Evans, for his driver’s license and proof of insurance. Mr. Evans provided and Illinois state identification card, telling the officer that he did not have his license on him because he was in the midst of paying citations, according to police. Additionally, Mr. Evans provided a laminated insurance card from the Affirmative Insurance Company. There was no policy information on the front or rear of the card, according to the report. The officer noted in the report that he investigated a previous matter in which a similar insurance card displaying the same telephone number and a similar format was determined to be fictitious. The report cites the other case report.

The officer questioned Mr. Evans about the validity of the card and Mr. Evans said that he received the card from an agent of the Affirmative Insurance Company. The officer called a toll-free number on the card and found himself speaking with an employee of State Farm Insurance Company.

The employee checked the policy number on the card and said that State Farm does not utilize any such policy numbers on their accounts. Additionally, the employee said a State Farm Insurance card would not state “Affirmative Insurance Company,” according to the report.

After more questioning, Mr. Evans allegedly told the officer that he met with a man at a gas station where he paid $50 for the insurance card. He did not fill out any paperwork and only paid the man once in June 2018. Mr. Evans allegedly said he had no additional insurance.

The officer placed Mr. Evans under arrest and his vehicle was towed and an administrative seizure was placed on the vehicle per local ordinance, according to the report.

Domestic Battery

Sabrina L. Moore, 31, 315 Shabbona Dr., Park Forest, was arrested on October 4 and charged with one count of domestic battery when an officer was dispatched to Rich East High School, 300 Sauk Trail, at 7 PM in reference to a report of the battery of a juvenile.

The responding officer spoke with a REHS police liaison officer who said that he exited the building to do a perimeter check and observed a young girl near the circle drive entrance at Westwood Drive who was crying and appeared to be bleeding from her mouth. The officer asked what happened and the girl said she had been allegedly battered by Ms. Moore.


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