Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A 56-year-old Steger woman was charged with attempted murder following an incident where Park Forest Police were called to an apartment complex on Juniper Street, according to a statement police issued Friday.
Police said officers and Park Forest Fire Department personnel responded to an apartment complex at 350 Juniper Street on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, in response to a report of a person who had been struck in the head multiple times with a knife.
The alleged victim was a 66-year-old man who was a resident in that apartment complex, according to police. This man was rushed to Franciscan Health Olympia Fields for emergency treatment, according to police.
A guest of the alleged victim, Vera D. Dennis, 56, of Steger, was also at the scene, according to police. The man who had been rushed to the hospital identified Ms. Dennis as the person who allegedly attacked him, police said.
Police took Ms. Dennis into custody without incident, according to the statement.
Police said that due to the nature of the alleged offense and the seriousness of the injuries, the Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigation Unit was asked to assist in the recovery of evidence.
After an investigation by the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division where police said they presented “all available facts and evidence” to the Cook County States Attorney’s Office, the States Attorney approved a felony charge of attempted murder was approved against Ms. Dennis, according to the statement.
Police later transported Ms. Dennis to the Cook County Courthouse in Markham, IL, for a bond hearing, police said. Bond was set at $100,000, police said.
“The victim is recovering at the hospital and we wish him the best in his recovery,” the statement concluded.
About Police Reports
Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use “allegedly.” We are not asserting in any way that those police arrested and charged committed any offenses. We report on what is in the reports that the police furnish to us. As those accused are innocent until proven guilty, the burden is on prosecutors and police to prove all alleged crimes.
eNews Park Forest has continuously published the addresses of those arrested and will continue to do so. 5 ILCS 140/2.15 states that the governmental body (for these reports, the Police Department), shall release information on those charged, including their name, age, and address. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identity of those arrested.
Presumption of Innocence
An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. The law presumes all those whom police arrest are innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest not to remove items from the public record from publication. Suppose you find your name in the police reports. Our policy is that we will only add information relevant to the final disposition of the case at hand, e.g., “Mr. Smith was subsequently acquitted,” “Mr. Smith entered a guilty plea,” or “All charges against Mr. Smith were subsequently dropped.” We will do so upon receiving and verifying proof of such disposition.
We do not strike, “unpublish,” or delete news.
Police captured all the incidents in this report on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras by officers at the respective scenes, according to police. All Park Forest police officers wear body-worn cameras. Officials typically abbreviate these devices as BWC in the reports.
We encourage persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters, including narcotics or gang activity, to call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.
