Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—Two men driving in Park Forest now face felony charges due to prior violations of the Illinois Vehicle Code, according to reports. A Chicago man must contend with one count of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, a felony. A man from Park Forest is up against two felony charges. Police said both men had prior violations of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. This section refers explicitly to “Driving while under the influence of alcohol, other drug or drugs, intoxicating compound or compounds or any combination thereof.”
A third man must now contend with a DUI charge with a BAC greater than .08, according to police.
These three incidents follow.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through June 3, 2024
Felony Aggravated DUI
Police arrested Chapale C. Mason, 44, of the 11800 block of S. Peoria St., Chicago, on June 2 and charged him with one count of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, a felony, with the aggravated factor being 3+ priors, according to the report. Police also charged Mr. Mason with aggravated driving while his license was revoked, driving under the influence of alcohol, and disobeying a stop sign.
An officer saw a pickup truck traveling southbound on Orchard Drive from Indianwood Boulevard, where the pickup truck allegedly disobeyed the stop sign at the intersection, according to police. It was 2:53 AM. The car then turned left onto Indianwood Boulevard from Orchard Drive.
According to police, the truck was driving at a high rate of speed.
Traffic Stop
The officer caught up with the truck as it turned right or south, activating his vehicle’s emergency lighting. The officer initiated a traffic stop on Western Avenue at Court H-2. He approached the truck on the passenger side and spoke with the driver, later identified as Chapale C. Mason.
Mr. Mason was alone in the car. He told the officer he did not have a driver’s license but provided an Illinois identification card. After speaking with Mr. Mason, the officer saw that he had bloodshot, glassy eyes, and his speech had a slur, according to police. The officer also detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the truck.
Prior Violations: Illinois Section 11-501
The officer asked Mr. Mason to exit the vehicle, and he complied. Conducting a LEADS inquiry through SouthCom, the officer learned that Mr. Mason had a revoked driver’s license on a violation of Illinois section 11-501, “Driving while under the influence of alcohol, other drug or drugs, intoxicating compound or compounds or any combination thereof.”
Mr. Mason told the officer that he fell asleep at a friend’s house and was on his way home. He allegedly told the officer he did consume alcoholic beverages. Specifically, he had wine at about 10 PM, according to police.
Standardized Field Sobriety Tests
The officer asked Mr. Mason to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, and he agreed. After the testing, the officer arrested Mr. Mason on suspicion of DUI. According to police, Mr. Mason refused to submit to the breathalyzer test at the Park Forest Police Department.
Two Felony Counts of Aggravated Driving While License Revoked
Police arrested Laurence A. Vanhoose, 45, of the 100 block of Willow St., Park Forest, on June 2 and charged him with two felony counts of aggravated driving while his license was revoked, disobeying a stop sign, no insurance, and operating a vehicle with suspended registration (no insurance).
An officer was heading west on Illinois Street, approaching Orchard Drive, an intersection controlled by a stop sign. He saw a vehicle traveling South on Orchard Drive approaching the intersection. The officer stopped at the stop sign. It was 11:34 PM.
Police: Officer Narrowly Avoids Collision
According to police, the vehicle failed to stop and drove into the intersection as the officer was proceeding through the same intersection. The vehicle then abruptly stopped, with the entire length of the car allegedly passing the stop line and crosswalk.
The officer had to stop to avoid colliding with the gray 2008 GMC Yukon. He initiated a traffic stop on Orchard Drive, just south of Illinois Street.
According to police, the GMC had suspended registration. Laurence A. Vanhoose was the driver and the only person in the car.
According to police, Mr. Vanhoose allegedly acknowledged disobeying the stop sign. He provided an Illinois identification card and reportedly told the officer he was not supposed to be driving that car as he had a restricted driving permit. He told the officer that the GMC did not have an ignition interlock device. Mr. Vanhoose was unable to provide proof of insurance. He said it was only available online, and he couldn’t access it.
Prior Violations: Illinois Section 11-501
According to police, the officer conducted a LEADS inquiry and confirmed that Mr. Vanhoose had a restricted driving permit requiring the vehicle to have an ignition interlock device. He also learned that Mr. Vanhoose’s driver’s license had four Stops in Effect. These included a revocation and a statutory summary suspension for violations of Illinois statute 11.501.
The officer processed Mr. Vanhoose on the charges listed above. As they were non-detainable felonies, the officer issued Mr. Vanhoose a citation and notice form with a mandatory first appearance court date of June 4, 2024, at the Markham Courthouse. The officer then released Mr. Vanhoose from custody.
For an explanation of Stops in Effect, see the Illinois Secretary of State’s How To Read Your Illinois Driving Record.
DUI BAC Greater than .08
Police arrested Juan J. Chirinos, 21, of the 100 block of Miami St., Park Forest, on June 3 and charged him with driving under the influence of alcohol, DUI BAC greater than .08, driving with no lights when required, illegal transportation of open alcohol, and no valid drivers license.
An officer patrolling at 2:17 AM saw a silver vehicle stopped at the intersection of Indianwood Boulevard and Marquette Street. Its hazard lights were on. The officer noticed a man on his cell phone while driving next to the car. The man then conducted a U-turn at the intersection.
According to police, as the vehicle drove away, the officer saw that its lights were off.
According to police, the car drove southbound on Indianwood Boulevard and turned left on Miami Street. The officer initiated a traffic stop at Miami Street and Indianwood Boulevard.
Officer Smells Alcohol
According to police, Juan J Chirinos was the driver and sole occupant of the car. Upon making contact with Mr. Chirinos, the officer detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle. He also saw an open New Amsterdam Vodka bottle in the cup holder.
Mr. Chirinos had bloodshot eyes, according to the report. He told the officer that he was at a party in Chicago Heights.
As Mr. Chirinos spoke, the officer noticed his speech was slow and slurred, according to police. He allegedly told the officer that he had consumed “three beers.” When the officer asked him about the vodka bottle in the cup holder, he said that his friends left it behind, according to police.
The officer asked Mr. Chirinos to exit the car, and he complied. He agreed to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. After administering the tests, the officer informed Mr. Chirinos that he was arresting him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Later, at the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Chirinos submitted a breath sample, which yielded a BAC of .202, according to police.
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, all the incidents in this report were captured on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras by officers 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.
