The victim stated that on June 12, his rear license plate was stolen from his vehicle while he was parked in front of the Roos Recreation Center on Harrison Street, between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. The victim said he was working out there, and when he returned, he discovered his license plate was missing. After officers took down the information, the missing plate was detected by a License Plate Reader at approximately 3:45 a.m., traveling westbound on I-290. With the added information that the license plate was found in the morning, officers thought it was clear the license plate was not taken during the time it was believed, but more likely when the vehicle was parked at his own residence.
In-state warrant
While on patrol June 13, an officer conducted a random registration check on a vehicle which revealed the registration to be expired in July 2025. The officer then conducted a search of the name listed under registration and obtained their Illinois driver’s license, which revealed the driver to have an active warrant out of Cook County. The officer activated their emergency equipment and curbed the vehicle at the listed location. Once they made contact with the driver and passengers of the vehicle, the officer explained the reason for the stop and asked for identification from the driver and front seat passenger. The front seat passenger, with the same name as the car was registered to, was reluctant to provide his ID, but ultimately provided his State ID Card, which confirmed them as the registered owner of the vehicle and subject of an active warrant. Additional officers arrived on the scene and asked the passenger to get out of the vehicle. He complied. The passenger was taken into custody at 6:35 p.m. and was transported to the police department. The driver was issued two citations for expired registration and no insurance.
Aggravated fleeing/Attempting to elude peace officer
While conducting stationary radar in the parking lot of 8601 Roosevelt Road on June 14, an officer observed a vehicle traveling westbound on Roosevelt approaching them. The officer used their handheld LiDAR and clocked the listed vehicle at a top speed of 57 mph in a posted 35 mph zone. The officer observed the vehicle pass their fully marked patrol vehicle in the right lane and immediately pulled out in front of the fully marked patrol vehicle. The listed vehicle came to a stop at the red light at Roosevelt Road and 1st Avenue. When the traffic light turned green, the officer activated their emergency equipment and pulled over the vehicle at Roosevelt and 2nd Avenue. As the officer exited their patrol vehicle and began to approach the vehicle ahead, it quickly accelerated and fled the traffic stop. The officer then re-entered their patrol vehicle and attempted to catch up to the listed vehicle. With their emergency equipment activated, the officer observed the listed vehicle travel northbound and disregard the stop sign at Fillmore Street and at Harvard Street. The vehicle then traveled east on Harvard Street. The officer briefly lost sight of the vehicle, but as they pulled onto 1st Avenue, the officer observed the vehicle approaching Interstate 290.
The officer was able to catch up to the vehicle on I290. But when the officer pulled directly behind the listed vehicle with their emergency lights and sirens activated, the vehicle was on the right shoulder and was passing heavy traffic when they entered the lanes and began weaving in and out of traffic. As the vehicle passed Harlem Avenue, the officer extinguished the emergency equipment after being terminated by the sergeant.
The vehicle entered the left shoulder and passed an Illinois State Trooper who was in traffic. The officer continued to follow the vehicle with their emergency equipment off, along with the Illinois State Police (ISP). With the emergency equipment off, the vehicle continued to drive recklessly, and due to the heavy traffic, the officer had slowed down and let state police pass to continue following the vehicle. A short time later, the vehicle was located by the state police and Chicago units at the rear of the registered address.
However, the vehicle was fenced in and unable to be towed at the time. The vehicle was entered into LEADS as a Felony Vehicle/Agg Flee & Elude and is wanted by the Forest Park Police Department.
Emma Bradford is an intern for NEWSWELL CHICAGO through Report for America’s Local News Internship Program.
These items were obtained from Forest Park Police Department reports dated June 12 through June 14 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.