Three Forest Park teenagers were taken into custody on June 21 at 5:17 p.m. after reportedly being observed forcing their way through the turnstile on the CTA platform at 701 Circle Ave.
When the teens saw officers arrive at the CTA station they began to run towards the exit. The police officer advised that they stop running, and all three complied. A name check at the station revealed that one of the three had an outstanding warrant from DuPage County.
A CTA security officer told the police that she would sign complaints against all three of the offenders, and they were all processed for theft of services.
Stop ‘n’ go light or go, then stop?
It might have been cleaner to just blow the red light. Instead, Forest Park police allege, Ryan Watson went through the light at Jackson Blvd. and Harlem Ave. at 3:35 a.m. June 22. Then he stopped in the middle of the intersection nearly causing an accident with the car traveling southbound on Harlem. So, of course, he backed out of the intersection.
But when the light turned green, allowing him to go forward, he was still in reverse and began driving in reverse down Jackson. After a few feet Watson reportedly realized he was going in reverse and the shifted the car into drive. The driver then turned right onto Harlem. Watson drove approximately 100 feet before the officer put him out of his misery and pulled him over.
The officer observed that Watson, 23, had bloodshot eyes and slow speech. Watson had difficulties removing his license from his wallet. The cop asked him to leave the vehicle, when he dropped several business cards to the ground. The offender, reported the officer, fell as he tried to reach down and pick up the cards and then struggled for 30 seconds to get back to his feet.
Watson then swayed back and forth as he walked from his car to the sidewalk. After failing field sobriety tests Watson was taken to the Forest Park police station. While being transported, he acknowledged having drunk more than he was supposed to.
A breath alcohol concentration test revealed that Watson had a blood alcohol concentration of .147.
Men battle over purse
At 3:08 a.m. on June 21, a Forest Park officer observed a fight in front of Pioneer Tap, 7445 Randolph St.
A witness to the confrontation informed police that two men were arguing over possession of a purse. One man claimed the purse belonged to his girl friend, and questioned the other, Derek Morse, 29, as to how he got it. Morse claimed that the purse belonged to his friend of 20 years and that he had no intentions of handing it over.
The confrontation then reportedly became violent as Morse allegedly “sucker-punched” the other man in the back of the head and in the cheek several times. The two men fell to the ground at which point the offender allegedly grabbed the other man’s hair and threw several more punches.
The police then separated the two men, and spoke to each of them. The victim stated that he wished to sign a complaint for battery. Both the victim, who had a swollen abrasion on his forehead, and Morse refused treatment. The purse was left at the bar.
Kidnapper tripped up by speed limit
While conducting radar traffic enforcement at 8311 Roosevelt Rd at 1:47 p.m. on June 18 an officer noticed a car traveling 21 mph above the posted speed limit.
A check of the car’s license plate revealed that it was registered to Miguel Soto-Nieves, who had an outstanding warrant for kidnapping. All of Soto-Nieves’ information matched that on the warrant.
The warrant was issued in Puerto Rico on May 29, 2007. While being transported to the police station Soto-Nieves admitted that he was indeed the subject of the warrant.
Pot makes man nervous
Patrolling near 949 Harlem Ave. at 3:38 on June 17, a Forest Park police officer allegedly noticed a car quickly exit a gas station at that location without using his signals.
The officer immediately pulled over the car and identified the driver as Jonathon Recinos, 27. Recinos was reportedly acting nervously at the officer’s presence. The officer asked the driver if he had anything illegal in the car. Recinos admitted to having a small bag of marijuana.
The officer recovered the marijuana, which was located on the passenger seat of the car.
Anyone with information regarding the cases mentioned in this report, or on another matter, is encouraged to contact the department’s hotline at (708) 615-6239. Information may be left anonymously.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between June 25 and June 25, 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 Jacob Boyer
