Unauthorized use of weapons: Police reports until April 25, 2024

Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—A Park Forest man who allegedly drove a car with a suspended license had a gun under the driver’s seat, police said. He faces charges of unlawful use of a weapon and vehicle-related fines.

In another incident, a Chicago woman reportedly admitted to police that she damaged a rental car believed to belong to her ex-boyfriend. Police found the car covered in eggs and cupcake frosting and with a broken side mirror.

Park Forest Police Reports through April 25, 2024

Damage to property

Police arrested Cayla M. Harris, 26, of Chicago on April 20 and charged her with criminal damage.

Police responded to Park Street at 10:33 p.m. for a report of property damage. When they arrived, they saw a silver 2018 Nissan Rouge parked at the intersection of Park Street and Forest Boulevard, obstructing traffic. They identified the driver, front passenger, and the back seat passenger, the latter of whom police say is Cayla M. Harris.

Officers told the occupants that there was a report of someone hitting a vehicle with a bat. While speaking with the occupants of the car, an officer clearly saw a baseball bat lying on the floor of the back seat, according to police.

An officer asked who struck the vehicle further down the road. Police say Ms. Harris told officers it was her. She reportedly told police she had just broken up with her boyfriend and wasn’t sure if the vehicle she had damaged belonged to him or his new girlfriend.

Car covered with eggs, cupcakes and frosting

An officer noticed the odor of alcohol on the driver’s breath as she spoke. The officer asked her to take a breathalyzer test, which police later said showed she was not impaired.

Police discovered a black 2022 Toyota Corolla on Park Street that was littered with chicken eggs and cupcakes with frosting in various colors. The driver’s side mirror was badly damaged.

Police learned that the car was a rental car. The man who rented the vehicle stated that he was responsible for all damages. The officer told him that Ms. Harris allegedly admitted to causing the damage to the car. According to police, he asked to sign a criminal complaint against her.

Coles County Arrest Warrant

Police arrested Corey J. Dean, 29, of Park Forest, on April 21 and took him into custody on a Coles County warrant. The warrant came with a $4,000 bond. Officers arrived in the Logan Park area near North Street at 3:40 p.m. to investigate a report of shots fired. According to police, they quickly determined that no shots had been fired, but rather fireworks were being set off.

When they arrived, they saw Mr. Dean. According to police, they discovered the warrant when they checked the law enforcement database.

Cook County Arrest Warrant

Police arrested Montarico L. Bennett, 44, of Park Forest, on April 21 and processed him on a Cook County warrant.

Police responded to McCarthy Road at 4:56 p.m. to investigate a report of a suspicious vehicle. They spotted a silver 2018 Ford Fusion parked on the road.

They spoke with the driver and a man in the passenger seat, later identified as Montarico Bennett. An officer saw fresh cannabis in the dashboard and a suspected cannabis cigar in the center console, according to police.

Police: Driver responds, passenger “verbally belligerent”

The officer questioned the driver about the cannabis. She admitted that they had smoked it and driven around, police said. Mr. Bennett, who was in the passenger seat, became “verbally aggressive and refused to identify himself,” according to the report.

Officers asked him to get out of the car so they could identify him. On him, police said, they found an Illinois identification card that identified him by name and date of birth. When police conducted a police interview, they discovered that Mr. Bennett had an outstanding arrest warrant with bail set at $25,000.

Unauthorized use of a weapon

Police arrested Jeremiah M. Berry, 21, of Park Forest on April 22 and charged him with unlawful use of a weapon, suspended registration, driving without insurance and possession of cannabis while driving.

An officer was driving north on Western Avenue at 9:14 p.m., approaching Main Street, when he saw a black Kia sedan also traveling north in the roadway. The officer checked the car’s registration and found it had a liability status with a notice of insurance requirement, police said. Police said Jeremiah M. Berry was the registered owner.

The officer activated his hazard lights and positioned his squad behind the Kia to make a traffic stop. The officer stopped the vehicle at the corner of Western Avenue and Dogwood Street.

As the officer approached the car from the passenger side, he noticed a smell of burnt cannabis coming from inside the car.

Two additional officers arrived on scene to assist.

The officer who stopped the vehicle saw smoke coming from a paper cup in the center console area. He also saw a black plastic gun holster clearly visible on the passenger seat near the center armrest, police said.

Report: Driver tells police about gun under seat

Mr. Berry was the only person in the car. He told the officer there was a firearm in the vehicle under the driver’s seat, police said. He gave the officer his Illinois driver’s license and an Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Card, police said. The officer found the license and FOID card to be valid. However, Mr. Berry did not have a license to carry a concealed weapon, police said. He told Mr. Berry that consuming cannabis in a vehicle was illegal.

He ordered Mr. Berry out of the car and frisked him. According to police, Mr. Berry had no weapons or contraband on him. The officer told him he had stopped him because the car’s registration was suspended.

Police find a Glock

Inside the vehicle, an officer found a Glock Gen 5 Model 23 .40 caliber rifle with no case, a live round in the barrel and an empty magazine well. The officer also found a loaded Glock .40 caliber magazine with the weapon under the driver’s seat, according to police. The weapon was “defused.” SouthCom confirmed that Mr. Berry did not have a CCL permit, police said.

Police also found a small tied plastic bag containing a green, leaf-like substance, presumably cannabis. They found two .40 caliber Glock magazines in the center armrest. According to police, police seized a total of 35 live .40 caliber cartridges from the three 13-round magazines and the one firearm.

Police took Mr. Berry to the Park Forest Police Department, where he agreed to take a standardized field sobriety test. The test returned a negative result due to obvious signs of impairment, according to police. As reported above, they charged him with unlawful use of a weapon, suspended registration, uninsured vehicle, and possession of cannabis while driving.

Domestic violence

Police arrested 24-year-old Khristopher L. Turner of Park Forest on April 25 and charged him with domestic violence.

Police responded to the 200 block of Indianwood Boulevard at 12:56 p.m. to investigate a report of domestic violence. They spoke to Christopher Turner, who said he had been in a verbal argument with a family member. He reportedly told police he pushed the family member away and then grabbed him. Both fell to the ground, according to police.

He allegedly jumped on top of her and held her down by grabbing her from behind, police said. He claimed she tried to hit and scratch him, police said.

The other side

The woman told police she and Mr. Turner had a verbal argument because she needed a ride to work. She claimed she was walking away from him when she felt a blow to her shoulder and fell to the ground, police said.

The woman told police that Mr. Turner allegedly climbed on top of her and grabbed her from behind, police said. She said Mr. Turner allegedly tried to turn her over while saying, “Watch out,” police said.

Because Mr. Turner allegedly admitted to hitting the woman first, he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.

About police reports

Please note that in these reports we repeatedly say “according to police” and often use “allegedly.” We are not in any way alleging that the people arrested and charged by police have committed crimes. We are reporting what is written in the reports provided to us by the police. Since the accused are innocent until proven guilty, the burden of proof for all alleged crimes lies with prosecutors and police.

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 government agency (in these reports, the police department) must publish information about the accused, including name, age and address. This information is required to ensure the identity of the arrested.

Presumption of innocence

An arrest does not mean a person is guilty. The law presumes that all persons arrested by police are innocent until proven guilty. It is eNews Park Forest’s policy not to remove any public record entries from publication. Suppose you find your name in the police reports. Our policy is that we only add information that is relevant to the final disposition of the case at hand, such as “Mr. Smith was later acquitted,” “Mr. Smith made a confession,” or “All charges against Mr. Smith were later dropped.” We will do so after we receive and review evidence of such a decision.

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According to police, all incidents in this report were recorded by officers at the scene using body-worn and dashboard-mounted cameras. All Park Forest Police officers wear body-worn cameras. Officers typically abbreviate these devices as BWC in reports.

Individuals wishing to leave anonymous information regarding crimes, including drug or gang-related crimes, are asked to call the Park Forest Police Department’s Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.