Three people were arrested in Forest Park this past week and charged with driving under the influence.
Travis A. Long, 27, of Oak Park was pulled over in his 2004 Envoy SUV at about 2:30 a.m. on March 23 on Madison Street at the Elgin Avenue intersection. After officers asked for his driver’s license and insurance, Long dropped his wallet in his lap three times before finally producing the license, according to police. He also could not show the officers proof of insurance.
According to the report, in attempting to exit the vehicle, Long could not keep his balance and had to use the driver’s door as an aid to stand. He could not recite the alphabet in its entirety, and he failed at two attempts to complete another field sobriety test.
Once at the station, Long submitted to a breathalyzer test, which indicated he had a blood alcohol content of .22.
The legal BAC limit in Illinois is .08.
Then, at 12:30 a.m. on March 28, police stopped 22-year-old Nicholas Davis of Chicago in the 7300 block of Madison Street for running a stop sign in his 1991 Chevy Suburban. After approaching the vehicle, the officers could reportedly smell alcohol on Davis’ breath and he appeared to have bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. Davis could not produce a driver’s license because he was driving “on a ticket” and said he did not have insurance.
The report stated that Davis admitted to having consumed two drinks, and that he failed three sobriety tests. At the station, Davis blew a .10 on a breath test.
On March 31 Thomas George, 20, of LaGrange was stopped around 1:30 a.m. by police in his 1998 Jeep Cherokee at the Harrison and Elgin intersection. The officer allegedly saw George traveling “at a high rate of speed” and claimed that he witnessed George run four stop signs. George denied have had any alcoholic beverages, according to police.
He was asked to exit his vehicle and walk 10 steps in a straight line, during which he lost his balance twice. He also could not, after three attempts, recite the alphabet correctly, police said. At the station, George allegedly refused to take a breath test.
Domestic dispute erupts in parking lot
Police responded to a call around 1:30 a.m. on April 1 at Thornton’s gas station on N. Harlem Avenue for an alleged domestic disturbance. Sonia Diaz, 23, of Romeoville called the police after an argument between her and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Carlos Soto, escalated and became physical. Diaz told police Soto “forced” her to pull off of the highway at Harlem and pull into Thornton’s. At the gas station, Soto called his cousin in Cicero to pick him up. While he waited for his cousin, the argument between the couple continued, and Soto allegedly resorted to punching the passenger window of Diaz’s 2005 Nissan Altima. When she rolled down the window, Soto then began punching the windshield, shattering the glass. Diaz told police she slapped Soto in the face after the windshield shattered. Soto left the scene with his cousin soon thereafter. Diaz was not hurt, the report stated.
Three arrested for marijuana, suspended licenses
Fredy Sanchez, 23, of Forest Park was stopped on March 23 for a traffic violation while driving his 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass. After running his driver’s license, police found Sanchez was driving with a suspended license and took him into custody. During a routine search, officers reportedly found a small plastic bag of marijuana (approx. 2 grams) in his jacket pocket. Sanchez was issued citations for his traffic violations and possession of marijuana.
Maywood resident Ronnie Portis, 33, was stopped by police on March 25 on Roosevelt Road for speeding in his 1997 Mercury sedan, according to police. Officers checked Portis’ driver’s license and found it was suspended, at which point they took Portis into custody. After a brief search, police found about 10 grams in Portis’ pocket.
On March 28, police stopped Darvin Williams, 44, of Midlothian for an obstructed front window in his 2004 Pontiac Grand Am. Williams was able to show police proof of insurance but no driver’s license, and police found through a computer check that his license had been suspended since 1997. Williams was taken into custody, and after conducting a search of the vehicle, officers allegedly found two small plastic bags containing marijuana and a rolled-up paper towel containing a “brown cigar wrap” that contained marijuana as well. In total, authorities confiscated about two grams of the substance, according to police reports.
All three men were charged with possession of cannabis and driving with a suspended license.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between March 24 and April 1, 2007 and represent only a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in this report has only been charged with a crime. The cases have not been adjudicated.
Compiled by Thea McLain
