Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- In the first full week of January 2023, a total of four men were charged with DUIs. We wrote of one already. Our report today includes two of those arrested and charged, as well as a Park Forest man who was charged with domestic battery.
There are many resources available for alcoholism including physicians and the free program Alcoholics Anonymous. We encourage anyone reading who believes they might have an issue with alcohol to seek help. The number of people killed by drunk drivers increases every day, including a fine young man, a Marian Catholic “Scholar with a Soul,” who died in March 2021 after he was hit by a drunk driver. Justin Young, 18, was sober. The driver who hit him was not.
Domestic Battery
Deangelo M. Sanders, 23, 317 Miami St., Park Forest, was arrested on January 3 and charged with one count of domestic battery after he allegedly scratched a woman’s finger while snatching a marijuana cigarette out of her hand because he said she had rolled it incorrectly, according to police. The woman further alleged that Mr. Sanders also grabbed her by the neck using his right forearm and choked her, according to the report.
DUI
David A. Gonzalez, 50, 390 W. 16th St., Chicago Heights, was arrested on January 4 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, suspended registration, operation of a motor vehicle with no insurance, and expired registration.
A woman said she was driving eastbound on North Street from Holly Street when she saw a gold Nissan that was allegedly driving erratically, according to police. The woman said the gold Nissan was speeding and changing lanes multiple times eastbound behind her vehicle, according to the report.
The Nissan then allegedly sped up, changed lanes, and got in front of her vehicle, according to police. The driver of the Nissan, later identified as David A. Gonzalez, then allegedly began to reduce his speed a number of times which caused the woman to rear-end the Nissan, according to police.
The responding officer spoke with Mr. Gonzalez who said that he was rear-ended by the other car, according to police. The officer detected the smell of alcohol coming from Mr. Gonzales his breath, according to police. Mr. Gonzalez allegedly slurred his speech often, took a while to answer questions, and repeated himself while talking to the officer, according to police.
The officer asked Mr. Gonzalez how many alcoholic drinks he had consumed and Mr. Gonzalez allegedly said, “Three Icehouse beers,” according to police. The officer asked Mr. Gonzalez to perform field sobriety tests which he agreed to do, according to the police.
After administering the tests, the officer informed Mr. Gonzalez that he was under arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to police. Mr. Gonzalez refused to take a breath test at the Park Forest Police Department, according to the report.
DUI
Steven D. Dotson, 54, 21212 Main St., Matteson, was arrested on January 4 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while under the influence of alcohol with a concentration greater than 0.08 BAC, unlawful use of a cell phone while driving, and illegal transportation of alcohol.
On January 4, just after 10:30 PM, an officer was driving eastbound on Sauk Trail toward Western Avenue when he saw a black 2007 Chevrolet Impala traveling in the same lane in front of him, according to police. The officer’s report says the Chevrolet allegedly swerved to the left while in the left lane, according to police. The traffic light at Western Avenue turned red and the Chevrolet eventually came to a stop, according to police.
The driver of the Chevrolet, later identified as Stephen D. Dotson, was allegedly holding a cell phone in his right hand up to his face with its screen illuminated, according to police. The officer conducted a computer inquiry into the Chevrolet’s registration, and the officer learned that the registration of the vehicle was expired since June 2022, according to police.
When the traffic light turned green, the officer activated the emergency lights of his squad and curbed the Chevrolet on Sauk Trail east of Western Avenue, according to police. Another officer came to assist.
The officer asked Mr. Dotson why he was driving with his phone in his hand and Mr. Dotson said that he was doing a delivery for Uber Eats, according to the police.
The officer saw an open bottle of Corona Extra beer between Mr. Dotson’s legs, according to the report. The bottle was less than half full with beer, according to police. Mr. Dotson allegedly told the officer that the bottle was wine even after the officer corrected him and said that it was beer, according to police. Mr. Dotson allegedly stated that he only had one beer and that he had just come from his cousin’s house where he watched a game, according to police.
The officer asked Mr. Dotson if he had a few beers that his cousin’s house and Mr. Dotson allegedly said that he did, according to police. The officer notes in the report that Mr. Dotson allegedly slurred his speech, had glossy and watery eyes and had difficulty focusing on what the officer was saying, according to police.
The officer backed his squad car to create more space for the Standardized Field Sobriety Test. The officer told Mr. Dotson that because he had been drinking he wanted to make sure that he was okay to drive and asked him to step out of the car because he wanted to do a few checks, according to police. Mr. Dotson allegedly replied, “Okay, no problem, I’m good,” and stepped out of the car.
After the field sobriety tests, the officer told Mr. Dotson that he was under arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence and placed him in handcuffs, according to police. At the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Dotson completed a breathalyzer test which indicated a BAC of 0.13, 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.
Police captured all the incidents in this report on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras by officers at the respective scenes, according to police. 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.
