A bicyclist who claimed he was headed to work at about 8 a.m. July 6 was cited for drinking a can of beer in public.
According to a department report, 40-year-old Ignacio Solis was riding his bike along the 7600 block of Roosevelt when an officer saw him drink something from a paper bag. Solis allegedly spotted the officer watching him and tried to hide the beverage between some nearby buildings. The officer asked him what he was up to, and the man denied drinking anything and told the officer he was on his way to work.
According to the report, the officer retrieved the item from between the buildings and found a half-full, cold can of Budweiser. Hanging from Solis’ bicycle was an identical bag with another can of beer, police said in their report.
A couple for the road
While acting as backup during a 2 a.m. traffic stop along Roosevelt Road, an officer watched as patrons of a nearby tavern left the bar and allegedly began making a lot of noise as they headed on their way. When he crossed the street to keep a closer eye on the group, the officer allegedly saw 28-year-old Johnell Battie, of Chicago, get into the backseat of a Ford Expedition with several beer bottles in his hands. One of those bottles, a “nearly empty” Corona, was tossed onto the parkway.
The officer went over to the SUV to investigate and found five people inside, according to a department report. Battie was “highly intoxicated” and others in the group grumbled over being asked to get out of the car. One of the passengers told police he was enrolled in criminal justice classes, according to the report, and said he “knows what this is about” and mumbled something about “internal affairs” several times.
Battie was cited for littering and carrying an open container. He was also ticketed for obstructing a police officer when he refused to sign the citations.
Wanted in Georgia
Shortly after 1 a.m. on July 12, a police officer watched as a man left a Roosevelt Road bar while yelling to his friends. The officer pulled alongside the man and told him he was in a residential area and would be cited for disorderly conduct.
The suspect, 39-year-old Highjohn Dawkins, of Bellwood, told police his name was “Adrian Smith,” according to a department report. He also said he was 31 or 32 years old, and “became adamant” when the officer questioned the information. Dawkins was taken into custody for obstruction and, once at the station, revealed his identity. According to police, Dawkins said he lied because he has an active warrant out of Georgia. Authorities confirmed the warrant, but could not enforce it in Illinois.
Parolee nabbed for retail theft
A 22-year-old Berwyn man was arrested on felony theft charges for allegedly stealing almost $500 worth of merchandise from Kmart July 12.
According to a department report, police were called to the store shortly after 6:30 p.m. by a security guard who said he had watched Andre Dahmani put several items into bags, then use those bags to cover a flat screen TV that he had placed in a shopping cart. A bag of diapers was allegedly thrown onto the cart as well.
Dahmani allegedly tried to leave the store without paying for the items. The store pegged the value of the merchandise at $484.
Because of the dollar amount, Dahmani was charged with a felony. It was also determined that he is on parole for felony retail theft.
Loud stereo uncovers warrant
The stereo of a Pontiac Grand Am was blaring as it traveled along Madison near the River Forest line, and an officer who intended to write a ticket for violating a local noise ordinance ended up taking two people into custody – one on an outstanding warrant and one for underage drinking.
According to a department report, an officer noticed the car shortly before 1 a.m. July 7. Records revealed a warrant for 32-year-old Stacey Vaughn, of Carol Stream, for allegedly failing to appear in court on a drunken driving charge. The warrant also listed Vaughn as “armed-dangerous,” according to the department report.
Zheri Cureton, 20, of Maywood, appeared intoxicated and police indicated they knew the man was not of legal drinking age. Asked whether he had consumed any alcohol, Cureton allegedly admitted that he had.
The driver of the car was released with a verbal warning.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between July 5 and July 12, 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 Josh Adams
