Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)— These reports include felony DUI, felony aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, and other charges. They begin on February 21.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Beginning February 21, 2025
Possession of a Controlled Substance
Police arrested Melvin R. Bryant III on February 22 and issued him citations charging no front registration plate and no registration lights. Police also charged Mr. Bryant with one count of possession. According to police, Mr. Bryant allegedly possessed a small clear plastic bag containing .5 g of cocaine. Police also processed Mr. Bryant on a nationwide warrant out of Indiana in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash. All of this followed when an officer, parked in Court H-10 of Hemlock Street, saw a black Dodge allegedly traveling eastbound on Hemlock at 1 AM, which had no front registration plate, according to police.
Aggravated DUI Alcohol
Police arrested Eunice S. Ortiz, 34, of the 300 block of Warren St., Calumet City, on February 23, and charged her with one felony count of aggravated DUI alcohol, and issued her citations charging speeding, improper lane usage, failure to signal, and DUI BAC over 0.08. An officer traveling westbound on Sauk Trail near Westwood Drive saw a vehicle traveling eastbound toward him at what appeared to be a high rate of speed, according to police. According to the report, the vehicle allegedly traveled at 55 miles per hour in the posted 35 mph zone. At the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Ortiz submitted to a breathalyzer test, which showed a result of .164 BrAC, at 4:46 AM, according to police.
Unlawful Possession of Cannabis
Police arrested Quincy C. Owens, 24, of the 100 block of Nauvoo Street, Park Forest, on February 25 and charged him with unlawful possession of cannabis and expired registration. Mr. Owens had a mandatory court date at the Markham Courthouse on March 21, 2025. Police charged Mr. Owens and released him at the scene, according to police.
Domestic Battery
Police arrested Samuel Carrell, 34, of the 500 block of Lakewood Boulevard, Park Forest, on February 27 and charged him with domestic battery and interfering with the reporting of domestic battery when police responded to an address on Lakewood Boulevard at 11:16 PM regarding a 911 hang-up.
DUI
Police arrested Charles L. Bingham, 49, address unknown, on February 28, and charged him with DUI, illegal transportation of alcohol, and no rear registration light. This occurred after an officer traveling westbound on Lakewood Boulevard from Westwood Drive saw a black Cadillac heading eastbound from the same intersection. The officer did not observe a visible registration plate on the rear of the Cadillac, according to police.
Felony Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon
Police arrested Tamishia S. Jackson, 40, of the 1900 block of Carey Ave., Davenport, IA, on March 1, and charged her with one felony count of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
Police responded to an address in the first block of North Arbor Trail at 1:12 AM to assist the complainant, later identified as Ms. Jackson, who needed to collect her belongings from someone’s apartment. While collecting her belongings, someone at the apartment advised police that Ms. Jackson had a gun in her bag. Ms. Jackson admitted to police that she had a gun in her belongings and allegedly claimed ownership of the gun. She advised police that she had a concealed carry license.
An officer discovered a Ruger 9 mm semi-automatic handgun that was unloaded but had a loaded magazine immediately next to the gun. Conducting a LEADS inquiry on Ms. Jackson, police learned that she possessed neither a valid FOID nor a CCL, according to police. They also learned that she did not possess any type of gun license out of Iowa, the state from which her driver’s license was issued, according to police. A check of the Ruger came back clear/no record.
Domestic Battery
Police arrested Kyle E. Curtis, 21, of the 100 block of Westwood Drive, Park Forest, on March 1 and charged him with domestic battery after police responded to a home on Westwood Drive to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance.
Felony Aggravated DUI
Police arrested Asia R. Scott, 32, of the 17900 block of Ashland Ave., Homewood, on March 2, and charged her with one felony count of aggravated DUI (no valid license – a criminal complaint), DUI 0.08 or more (traffic ticket), and other traffic tickets charging DUI alcohol, no driver’s license, and improper lane usage. These charges followed an officer traveling eastbound on Monee Road towards Western Avenue at 1:28 AM, who saw a gray 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee turn from Monee Road to travel southbound on Western Avenue. The officer caught up to the vehicle and began to follow it.
According to the report, the Jeep failed to maintain proper lane position as it drifted into the left-hand lane, according to police. The vehicle then slowed down to approximately 12 miles per hour, well below the posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour, according to police. The vehicle failed to maintain a proper lane position while another vehicle approached from behind in the left-hand lane, according to police.
The officer activated the emergency lights on the patrol vehicle and requested that an additional unit assist. The Jeep allegedly came to an abrupt stop, then started to drive off again, driving in both the left-hand and right-hand lanes, according to police. It continued at a slow roll, starting and stopping in traffic, before coming to rest between the left and right-hand lanes, according to police.
Minnesota Warrant
Police arrested Jason T. Siegert, 55, of the 100 block of E. Arc Willow Dr., Chicago Heights, on March 3 and charged him with expired registration and no insurance, and processed him on an extraditable warrant out of Minnesota. This followed an officer traveling northbound on Indianwood Boulevard who saw a 2016 Jeep with an expired registration sticker, according to police.
Suspended Registration
Police arrested Malika T. Brantley, 27, of the 1400 block of Fox Hound Trail, Beecher, on March 3 and issued him citations charging suspended registration, disregarding a traffic signal, and reckless driving. This followed an officer traveling westbound on 26th St. towards Western Avenue who saw a black 2017 Nissan Allegedly Dr. through the intersection at Western Avenue and 26th St. at a high rate of speed, according to police.
DUI
Police arrested Lashonda Swanigan, of the 800 block of E. 64th Pl., Chicago, on March 4 and charged her with expired registration, improper Lane usage, DUI, and DUI BAC over 0.08. This occurred after an officer patrolling at 1:19 AM, traveling eastbound on Sauk Trail from Westwood Drive, saw a silver vehicle in front of his squad.
According to the report, the vehicle swerved to the left, with the left tires crossing the solid yellow lane line. The officer checked the vehicle’s registration, which was found to be expired. As the vehicle, a gray Chevy, passed the intersection of Sauk Trail with Indianwood Boulevard, it allegedly swerved abruptly to the right, with the right tires crossing the lane dividing stripes and the vehicle entering the right lane, directly in front of the officer’s squad car. The Chevy’s right tires then allegedly continued to straddle the lane dividing stripes for approximately one block before it swerved back to the left lane, according to police.
The report continues to detail how the Chevy allegedly drove. The car finally stopped approximately 30 seconds after the officer initiated a traffic stop by activating his squad’s red and blue lights as well as sounding an audible siren, according to police. At the Park Forest Police Department, Ms. Swanigan submitted to a breathalyzer test, which showed a result of .110 BrAC, at 2:49 AM, according to police.
About Police Reports
Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use “allegedly.” We are not asserting that the police officers arrested and charged committed any offenses. We report on the information contained 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 consistently published the names and 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 identification of those arrested.
Presumption of Innocence
An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. The law presumes that all those arrested by police 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.
According to police, officers captured all the incidents in this report on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras at the respective scenes. All Park Forest police officers wear body-worn cameras. Officials typically abbreviate these devices as BWC in the reports.
We encourage individuals wishing to leave anonymous information regarding any criminal matters, including narcotics or gang activity, to call the Park Forest Police Department’s Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.
