Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A Chicago Heights man was issued a citation charging driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) after an officer found him asleep inside his truck in the parking lot of US Bank at 3:17 AM. The man had backed his truck into a tree and fell asleep with the motor running, according to police.

An officer was on patrol in the early hours of November 9 when he saw a gray Ford F150 in the parking lot of US Bank on Indianwood Boulevard in Park Forest. According to the report, the truck was running and backed into a tree on a landscaping island in the parking lot.

Upon further inspection, the officer saw that the truck’s rear end was immobilized as it was stuck on a large landscaping rock, according to police.

The officer positioned his patrol vehicle behind the truck and conducted a LEADS inquiry, learning that the truck was registered to Julio C. Salazar from Chicago Heights. Another officer responded to assist.

The responding officer approached the vehicle and noted that the sole occupant, later identified as Mr. Salazar, appeared to be asleep in the front passenger seat of the truck, according to police. The officers began knocking on the passenger window of the truck in an attempt to wake Mr. Salazar, according to police. Officers knocked on the window for approximately 30 seconds, but Mr. Salazar showed no movement from within the vehicle, according to police.

Fearing that Mr. Salazar was unconscious or possibly suffering a medical emergency, one officer utilized a window punch and broke the front passenger window of the truck to get to Mr. Salazar.

Immediately after the window broke, Mr. Salazar woke and appeared confused, stating, “What the f*** man,” according to the report.

Police announced their office and asked Mr. Salazar to exit the vehicle, according to police. Mr. Salazar subsequently opened the front door, and immediately a glass Modelo beer bottle fell from inside the truck and onto the ground, according to police.

Mr. Salazar asked the police what was wrong with them, according to the report.

An officer informed Mr. Salazar that he had crashed his truck and again ordered Mr. Salazar from the vehicle, according to police. When Mr. Salazar eventually exited the vehicle, an officer directed his attention to the rear of his vehicle, which had crashed into a tree, according to police. Mr. Salazar immediately became upset and began stating that his wife was driving but did not know what was going on, according to the police.

An officer asked Mr. Salazar how he got where he was, and Mr. Salazar allegedly responded that he did not know where he was, according to police. Mr. Salazar also did not know where his wife was but assumed she was at home, according to police.

The police conducted Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, after which they took Mr. Salazar into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to police. Mr. Salazar refused to submit to a breathalyzer and 4:22 AM, according to police. Mr. Salazar allegedly made unsolicited statements about how he was trying to go to a strip club that night before crashing, according to police.

Julio C. Salazar Jr, 582 Andover St., Chicago Heights, was arrested on November 9 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

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.