Retail Theft, Domestic Battery, Stolen Car Found: Police Reports Through Sept. 6, 2018

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Editor’s Note: This coverage represents reports from through August 30, 2018. Charges include two incidents of retail theft, one of domestic battery, and one incident where a car reported stolen out of Chicago was found in Park Forest.

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eNews Park Forest reports this information because the public in the United States has the right to know.  When that information is withheld or under-reported, it leaves questions.  We also want to show the work that the police force does every day that is not reported.  Police in Park Forest respond to thousands of calls per year, the vast majority of which do not entail arrests.  Whether it’s conducting a routine investigation, pulling over a drunk driver, or responding to a possible theft at a store, the work of the police officer deserves acknowledgment by the public.

eNews Park Forest has always published 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 who have been charged, including their name, age, and address. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identity of those arrested.

An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. All those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest to not remove items in the public record from publication. If your name is listed in the police reports, 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.

Persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters including narcotics or gang activity are encouraged to call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.

Criminal Damage to Property

Antonia A. Carrell, 34, 105 Ash St., Park Forest, was arrested on August 31 and issued a municipal citation charging criminal damage to property when police were dispatched to the first block of Water Street to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance. Ms. Carrell was also served with a “Stalking No Contact Order” issued against her with a hearing date of September 11, 2018, at the DuPage County Courthouse, according to police.

Police were told by dispatch that a woman allegedly had threatened the complainant with a knife and left the scene in a white SUV. The complainant said he was visiting his brother who lives in the first block of Water Street. He said was laying down on the back seat of his vehicle. He saw a white SUV pull-up on Water Street and a woman exited from the driver’s side of the vehicle and stood behind a bush, according to police.

Through the window of the vehicle, the man saw the woman approached the vehicle he was in. She was holding a large knife in her hand, according to police. The woman then allegedly stabbed the driver’s side rear of the vehicle, hitting it above the rear tire. The man inside the vehicle struck the back window with his hand to scare her off and then exited the vehicle, according to police.

The man said he then recognized the woman to be Antonia Carrell.

Ms. Carrell became startled, according to the report, and started to retreat by walking back towards her vehicle while allegedly cursing at the man. She then entered her vehicle and left the scene, according to police. Ms. Carrell did not attack or threaten the man with the knife, according to police.

When police later located Ms. Carrell, she claimed that she arrived at the residence to meet an ex-boyfriend, according to police. As she approached the citation, she said a man allegedly came out of the vehicle and chased her with a bucket, striking the front windshield of her car, causing it to shatter. She said that’s when she left the scene, according to police.

When asked by officers why she didn’t dial 911 to report the incident, Ms. Carrell first stated that the police were not taking her seriously, then later stated that she left the let the situation calm down, according to police. She did not bring her vehicle to the Park Forest Police Department with her to show officers the damaged front windshield, according to police.

Retail Theft

Raven M. Miles, 17 W. 141st St., Dixmoor, IL, was arrested on August 31 and charged with retail theft after police were dispatched to a business in the 400 block of Sauk Trail to investigate a report of retail theft.

The store owner contacted police to report that he believed an employee was under-ringing merchandise. He told police that he was checking the liquor inventory and found that two 200 milliliter bottles of Hennessy Cognac valued at $12.99 each were missing. The discrepancy in numbers caused him to look into recent transactions at the store.

While reviewing the electronic journal, the owner discovered that Raven Miles, a new employee, had created a transaction on August 30, 2018, for a single 200 milliliter bottle of Hennessy Cognac, but she voided out the transaction very shortly afterwards. The store owner told police that this seemed suspicious and that, after reviewing surveillance footage for the store, it was his belief that Ms. Miles allegedly committed retail theft, according to police.

Ms. Miles told police that a new friend of hers came in to purchase two bottles of Hennessy Cognac. Ms. Miles said she rang up the bottle and subsequently realized that her friend’s transaction was denied. She said he told her he would be right back and requested that she hold the bottle for him. She said she put the bag with the bottle off to the side because she believed that the bottle was for her, according to police. Officers asked why she would think the bottle was paid for when she deliberately voided the first transaction. Ms. Miles only stated that she made a mistake by not charging for two bottles, according to police.

Ms. Miles was charged and processed on one count of retail theft. She posted $150 cash bond and was given a court date of October 5, 2018, at the Markham Courthouse.

Retail Theft

Markese J. Rhodes, 18, 707 Wright Rd., University Park, was arrested on September 4 and charged with misdemeanor retail theft when police were dispatched to a business in the first block of Main Street in reference to a report of retail theft.

SouthCom Dispatch advised police that the suspect was wearing a black shirt , blue jeans, and had a backpack. While en route, the responding officer observed a teenager matching that description. An officer responded to the corner of Main Street and Forest Boulevard where the teen, Markese Rhodes, was standing . Mr. Rhodes allegedly said to the officer, “I just took some medicine. Is it okay if I go back and give it back to them?”

The officer handcuffed Mr. Rhodes and placed him in the patrol squad.

Mr. Rhodes had 11 boxes of Aleve R in his backpack, according to police.

Mr. Rhodes was processed on a charge of misdemeanor retail theft and later transported to the Markham Courthouse where he was assigned a court date of October 5, 2018, according to police. He was further advised that he was banned from the store.

Possession of Cannabis: No Arrest

Justice L.J. Foster, 21, 24 Garman Rd., Park Forest, was issued a municipal citation on September 5 charging possession of cannabis when officers driving southbound on Westwood Drive observed a vehicle in the east parking lot of Michelle Obama Middle School at 3:29 AM.

School was not in session at 3:29 AM and there were no other vehicles in the lot, according to police.

Once in the parking lot, police made contact with the driver and lone occupant of the vehicle, Mr. Foster. Once Mr. Foster roll down the window, one of the responding officers could smell a strong odor of burnt cannabis coming from inside the vehicle. Mr. Foster was not arrested but was issued a municipal citation charging possession of cannabis and was released from the scene, according to police.

Stolen Vehicle

Police were advised on September 6 at 12:02 PM that SouthCom Dispatch had just received information from Sirius XM that they were tracking a stolen vehicle in Park Forest at the intersection of Somonauk Street and Shabbona Drive.

The vehicle, a blue 2017 Subaru, was reported traveling westbound on Somonauk Street to Shabbona Drive, southbound on Shabbona Drive, then eastbound on Shabbona Drive passing Talala Street, and, after more negotiating of streets, SouthCom advised that the vehicle was stationary at Niagara and Nanti Streets.

Police descended on that intersection and observed the vehicle parked west on Nanti Street. Police further observed two men, one on the passenger side of the vehicle and the other on the driver’s side of the vehicle.

Both men took off running.

One of the officers said he was able to get a clear view of one of the men, an 18-year-old who he recognized, after reviewing the in-car camera system.

The vehicle was towed to the Park Forest police station and the owner was advised of its recovery. The owner had reported the vehicle stolen that morning to the Chicago Police Department, according to police. The investigation continues.

Domestic Battery

Janaesia C. Noble, 20, 90 Hemlock St., Park Forest, was arrested on September 6 and charged with one count of domestic battery, one count of aggravated assault, and issued citations charging reckless driving and no insurance.

An officer was dispatched to the Park Forest Police Department where he spoke with Janaesia Noble who related that she had previously been in a domestic altercation with a family member and wished to return to the residence and get some personal belongings. She said she wished to get a police escort back to the residence.

The officer advised Ms. Noble that he would call to gain permission for her to respond to the residence and gather the rest of her belongings. The officer made the phone call and was told that Ms. Noble should come over on September 9 to collect her belongings.

The officer went back to the interview room to advise Ms. Noble of this information when he observed that Ms. Noble had left the police station.

The officer advised dispatch that Ms. Noble was possibly on her way to the 100 block of Larue Street and requested that additional units respond to the address for a possible domestic dispute. While on their way, dispatch received a call from a man at the residence in the 100 block of Larue Street who advised that his sister had allegedly attempted to drive her car into the house, according to police.

When officers arrived, they observed a white Ford Fusion parked in front of the residence. Ms. Noble was standing in the front yard in close proximity to a woman. The women were yelling at each other. Ms. Noble said that she was going into the house to get her belongings. An officer attempted to escort her back to her car but she allegedly disobeyed the officer and ran into the house, according to police.

Police interviewed the woman with whom Ms. Noble was arguing. The woman told police that she recognized Ms. Noble’s car drive up in front of her house. She observed Ms. Noble driving and yelled at her to leave. She said that Ms. Noble then allegedly drove her car up onto the front lawn of the residence toward her in an alleged attempt to strike her with the vehicle, according to police.