A 55-year-old Chicago man was arrested and charged with two felonies, the night of Aug. 14, for allegedly driving drunk with several occupants who reportedly paid him for a ride.

According to police, an officer first spotted Wayne Harris’ car swerving in and out of lanes on the 7500 block of Roosevelt, so he pulled Harris over at Hannah Avenue and Roosevelt Road. 

Because Harris smelled of alcohol, he was ordered out of the vehicle and asked to perform field sobriety tests, all of which he failed.

The officer then interviewed five occupants in the car, one of which was a juvenile. They claimed they called a taxi cab company in Chicago and Harris showed up, at which point they paid him $20 for a ride home. Harris confirmed this, and returned the $20 in front of the officer.

The police report did not indicate whether Harris was an actual cab driver, nor did the department return a call to clarify.

Harris was charged with two felonies: for DUI and driving with a revoked license (DWLR). He was also charged with operating an uninsured motor vehicle, failure to signal, improper lane usage and driving with a suspended license.

He knew it was a bad idea

A Forest Park man was arrested on the night of Aug. 14 after police found him drinking at a local park while his children played.

Thirty-one-year-old Brian Erwin was reportedly drinking a mix of Monster Energy Drink and Bacardi rum when police found him watching his two kids at the park near Thomas Street and Hannah Avenue. Officers were responding to reports that Erwin appeared drunk.

When police got to the park and spoke with Erwin, who was the only one supervising the kids, he admitted he was drinking. Police reported that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and he had slurred speech.

While speaking with officers, Erwin started crying and then yelled at his kids, “I told you! I told you this was a bad idea, and we should have stayed home!”

The children’s mother was then called by police and responded to take custody of the children.

Erwin was arrested and charged with endangering the children.

After ‘wrestling’ friend, man shoves officer

Police arrested Frank Schoiber, 25, of Chicago, early Aug. 14 after he became involved in a physical confrontation with his friend that resulted in Schoiber allegedly shoving an officer in the chest.

The incident occurred on Randolph and Belvidere streets. When an officer intervened in “wrestling” with his friend, Schoiber would not cooperate with the officer’s attempts to interview him.

Eventually, he pushed the officer in the chest, at which point he was immediately arrested for battery. Schoiber’s friend did not press charges, but Shoiber was also slapped with resisting arrest.

Stream of unconsciousness

Stanley Douglas, 55, of Harvey faces charges of theft and criminal defacement after he allegedly stole a woman’s bike and sunglasses, and then urinated on the floor of a holding cell at the police department.

Douglas reportedly took the bike and the sunglasses, which were in an attached basket, from the front of the Forest Park Public Library on the afternoon of Aug. 9. 

He was spotted near the scene of the crime shortly after the report was filed; he was sitting next to the bike and had the sunglasses on top of his head.

Police arrested him, and at the station Douglas told police, “[The bicycle] was there, so I took it.”

While he was being detained in a holding cell, Douglas began urinating, so the added charge of criminal defacement was tacked on. 

These items were obtained from records filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Aug. 8-14, and represent only a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anyone named in the report has only been charged with a crime.

-Compiled by Nick Moroni