Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—A Park Forest teen is facing a charge of domestic battery after an incident in May, police said. A Richton Park man is facing a charge of felony domestic battery in connection with a separate incident.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through May 20, 2024
Domestic Battery
Police arrested Richard Suddoth, 19, of the 3300 block of Western Ave., Park Forest, on May 18 and charged him with domestic battery and obstructing a peace officer.
Police responded to Western Avenue Court G-3 at 12:45 AM to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance. According to the caller, Richard Suddoth was outside allegedly fighting with a family member.
When police responded, Mr. Suddoth allegedly refused to speak with officers, according to police. The family member alleged that Mr. Suddoth pushed her, according to police. A witness confirmed that Mr. Suddoth allegedly pushed the family member.
Suspicion of Domestic Battery
Police took Mr. Suddoth into custody on suspicion of domestic battery and placed him in handcuffs. While escorting him to the rear of a patrol vehicle, the teen threw himself to the ground and said he did not want to go back to jail, according to police.
Police took Mr. Suddoth to the Park Forest Police Department. While in the lockup area, he allegedly refused to cooperate with officers and would not remove his shoes, hooded sweatshirt, or socks, according to police. As they placed him in a cell, Mr. Suddoth allegedly disobeyed verbal commands from police to stay in the cell. He “continually rushed toward officers in an attempt to exit the cell,” according to the report.
Felony Domestic Battery
Police arrested Tevonte S. Smith, 27, of the first block of Thomas Court, Richton Park, on May 19 and charged him with one count of felony domestic battery.
Police responded to an apartment on Sycamore Drive at 4:15 AM to investigate a report of domestic battery. According to police, on May 18, Mr. Smith’s girlfriend said she went through Tevonte Smith’s phone and discovered evidence of alleged infidelity, according to police. She told police this upset her. According to the report, she decided to transfer approximately $290 from Mr. Smith’s cash app to her own “in an attempt to enrage” Mr. Smith.
Arriving Home
At around 2 AM on May 19, she arrived home to her apartment on Sycamore Drive. When she opened the door, she found Mr. Smith standing inside the apartment in the doorway, according to police. He allegedly grabbed her by her shirt and dragged her on the floor into the living room, according to police. She alleged breaking free of Mr. Smith’s grasp and running into the bedroom. Mr. Smith allegedly followed her and struck her on the left side of her face with a closed fist, according to police.
She told police she tried to de-escalate the situation by returning to the living room and sitting on the couch. Mr. Smith followed her into the living room and allegedly smashed her phone with a hammer, according to police. He then left the apartment.
Alleged Suspect Returns
According to the complainant, he returned a short time later and told her to send him his money, according to police. He then allegedly slapped her twice on her face with an open hand, according to police.
Police say that the complainant’s face was swollen on the left side, and there was a slight scratch on her face, according to police. An officer also found a scratch on her left arm.
Police Pursue Charges. Will County ASA Approves Felony Domestic Battery Charge.
The alleged victim told officers she was not interested in pursuing charges of domestic battery or criminal damage to property against Mr. Smith, according to the report.
Police said the Will County Assistant State’s Attorney approved one count of felony domestic battery.
Suspect Reports No Physical Altercation Occurred
While responding to the scene, an officer found the vehicle Mr. Smith was said to be driving and conducted an investigatory stop of the car. According to police, Mr. Smith denied to the officer that there was a physical altercation between him and the complainant. The officer in the apartment reported his findings to the second officer, who stopped Mr. Smith and advised him to take Mr. Smith into custody.
Police pursued charges of domestic battery against Mr. Smith on behalf of the complainant, according to the report.
DUI
Police arrested Peter J. Condich, 45, of the 200 block of Rich Street, Park Forest, on May 20 and charged him with driving under the influence of alcohol and disobeying a stop sign. Mr. Condich had an initial court date of June 17 at Markham Courthouse.
An officer patrolling at 12:50 AM saw a silver car heading northbound on Orchard Drive from Victory Drive. The vehicle, later identified as a Nissan, departed from Bixby’s Bar and Grill parking lot, according to the report. Police said the bar had already closed, and the officer knew this.
The car turned left onto Lakewood Boulevard from Orchard Drive. The officer followed. The silver Nissan allegedly drove at a high rate of speed as it turned, according to police.
Alleged Disregard of Stop Sign
According to police, the car turned left onto W. Rocket Circle toward Green Street, where there was a stop sign. According to the report, the driver allegedly disregarded that stop sign.
The officer initiated a traffic stop on the car at Green Street and Rich Street.
The officer spoke with the driver and the only person in the car, Peter Condich. According to police, when the driver asked Mr. Condich for his driver’s license, he allegedly had difficulty finding it.
The officer begins to suspect DUI.
While speaking with Mr. Condich, the officer observed that he allegedly spoke slowly and slurred his speech. According to police, Mr. Condich’s breath also smelled of an alcoholic beverage, and his eyes were glassy.
According to police, the officer asked Mr. Condich to perform field sobriety tests, and he agreed to do so. After the tests, the officer arrested Mr. Condich on suspicion of DUI and transported him to the Park Forest Police Department. At the station, Mr. Condich refused to submit to a breathalyzer test.
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.
