Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)— The beginning of September is the unofficial end of summer. On Labor Day, we celebrate the end of summer. During the week following Labor Day, police charged three individuals with end-of-summer DUIs. Perhaps it was only luck that none of these individuals were involved in tragic accidents.
One of those charged hails from Marietta, Georgia. His travel plans might now include more trips to Illinois. Whether attending court in person or, if permitted, via Zoom, Illinois shares DUI conviction information with other states. An Illinois judge may suspend someone’s out-of-state license. Other states generally, but not always, honor these suspensions. This information is according to The Davis Law Group.
These end-of-summer DUIs and other incident reports follow.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Beginning September 3, 2025
DUI
Police arrested Riley Vercher III, 53, of the 2100 block of Sandell Trl. SW., Marietta, GA, on September 3, and charged him with driving without lights when required and driving under the influence of alcohol.
An officer was in his squad vehicle in the north parking lot of Hallelujah Temple, located on Western Avenue just north of Fir Street. He saw a black Nissan Sentra traveling southbound on Western Avenue with no rear taillights activated, according to police. It was 2:33 AM.
The officer exited the parking lot and caught up with the Nissan. Conducting a LEADS inquiry on the vehicle’s registration, the Nissan returned clear. The officer initiated a traffic stop near Western Avenue and Court H-2. Exiting the vehicle, the officer approached the Nissan and saw that it was occupied by a man in the driver’s seat and a female passenger.
Officer Begins to Suspect DUI
Approaching the front passenger side window, which was partially open, the officer detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle. He advised the driver of the reason for the stop and requested his driver’s license and insurance information. At this time, the officer observed that the vehicle’s headlights were not activated. The driver, Mr. Vercher, provided a Georgia driver’s license, which also returned clear and valid. Likewise, Mr. Vercher provided the officer with valid insurance.
Approaching the driver’s side of the vehicle, the officer again smelled the odor of alcohol emanating from inside the car. Mr. Vercher had bloodshot and watery eyes, according to police. Informing Mr. Vercher that he smelled alcohol, the officer asked how much he had to drink. Mr. Vercher responded, “Not much,” according to the report. He followed up, telling the officer, “I was drinking earlier,” adding that he drank around 11 PM, a few hours prior, on September 2.
SFST
The officer asked Mr. Vercher to exit the car. He told Mr. Vercher he wanted to conduct a series of tests to confirm whether he could drive safely, according to police. Mr. Vercher exited the car, and the officer administered the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFST). After the tests, the officer arrested Mr. Vercher on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Later, at the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Vercher refused to provide a breath analysis sample.
Leaving the Scene of an Accident
Police arrested Maurizio Nicosia, 54, of the 400 block of Navajo St., Park Forest, on September 6 and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident (property damage), lane violation, and no proof of insurance. Mr. Nicosia had an initial court date of October 20, 2025, at the Will County Courthouse. According to police, Mr. Nicosia crashed his car into a boulder in the first block of Blackhawk Drive and left the scene of the accident with the engine compartment of his vehicle smoking.
Police responded to the scene at 12:26 AM, finding tire tracks and broken vehicle parts at the scene. They followed an oil trail to a home in the 400 block of Navajo Street. Knocking on the door of the house where they found the vehicle, Nicosia opened the front door. Police placed him in handcuffs. Mr. Nicosia allegedly told police that he was involved in a vehicle accident while driving his car and left the scene. He allegedly said he drove to his residence because he was scared since he had had a little bit to drink, according to police.
DUI and BAC Over .08
Police arrested Immanuel T. Reese, 28, of the 400 block of Tamarack St., Park Forest, on September 6 and charged him with driving under the influence of alcohol and BAC over 0.08. Police also issued him citations charging operating an uninsured motor vehicle, expired registration sticker, improper lane usage, and speeding.
An officer was patrolling at 3:09 AM when he saw a great 2021 Kia sedan heading south on Western Avenue approaching Main Street. The car was traveling 44 mph in a posted 35 mph zone, according to police. The officer, traveling northbound, conducted a U-turn and attempted to catch up to the Kia. He had to reach speeds of up to 67 mph in order to catch up to the Kia. That vehicle was weaving in and out of its lane as it continued to travel south on Western Avenue, according to police.
The Kia turned right or west onto Monee Road. Shortly after the turn, the officer noted that the driver’s side wheels were over the yellow median lines that divide the street lanes, according to police. Activating his emergency lights, the officer stopped the vehicle on Monee Road.
Driver Produces U.S. Passport Instead of License
Speaking to the driver from the passenger side of the car, the officer detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle. He moved to the driver’s side and smelled a stronger odor of alcohol coming from inside the car.
When asked for his driver’s license, the driver produced a United States of America Passport identifying him as Immanuel T. Reese. Mr. Reese told the officer that he just dropped off a family member at his residence in the home would. According to police, Mr. Reese had glassy eyes and slurred speech.
Asking Mr. Reese to exit the vehicle, the officer conducted Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. After the tests, the officer arrested Mr. Reese on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol. At 4:06 AM, Mr. Reese consented to a breath analysis test, which yielded a result of 0.179, according to police.
Criminal Trespass
Police arrested Kameron W. Shaw, 27, of the 17,500 block of Cypress Avenue, Country Club Hills, on September 7 and charged him with criminal trespass to a vehicle when police responded to the 100 block of N. Orchard Dr. to investigate a report of criminal trespass to a vehicle.
DUI with BAC .08 or More
Police arrested Willie J. Lewis Jr., 48, of the 2900 block of Western Ave., Park Forest, on September 9 and charged him with driving under the influence of alcohol, DUI driving with BAC .08 or more, no headlights/taillights when required, and illegal transportation of alcohol by a driver.
An officer driving southbound on Western Avenue from Illinois Street at 1:28 AM saw a dark colored sedan driving southbound on Western Avenue without headlights and taillights, according to police. The officer conducted a traffic stop at 26th Street and Western Avenue. The officer found a man, Willie J. Lewis Jr., in the driver’s seat. There was a woman in the passenger seat.
According to police, Mr. Lewis had slow responses and slurred speech while speaking with the officer. Asked to present his driver’s license and insurance, Mr. Lewis allegedly struggled to find his license, according to police. As he spoke, the officer observed glossy eyes, and the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanated from his breath, according to police.
Standardized Field Sobriety Tests
The officer asked him to get out of the vehicle and perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. He allegedly told the officer that he got off work at 10:15 PM and began drinking at 10:30 PM. After the tests, the officer arrested Mr. Lewis on suspicion of DUI.
Inside the car, police allegedly found an open pint of José Cuervo located under the passenger seat and a miniature open bottle of José Cuervo between the driver’s seat and the center console. At the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Lewis submitted a breath sample at 2:16 AM, which showed a BAC of 0.14, according to police.
Domestic Battery
Police arrested Charles P. Diorio, 29, address unknown, on September 9 and charged him with one misdemeanor count of domestic battery when police responded to a home on Neola Street to investigate a report of an unwanted subject. Mr. Diorio allegedly struck another man in the head with his hand, according to police.
Battery
Police arrested Jarrell M. Nash, 27, of the 200 block of Allegheny St., Park Forest, on September 10 and charged him with battery and criminal damage to property.
Police responded to an address in the 200 block of Allegheny Street at 1:14 AM to investigate a report of a disturbance. Mr. Nash allegedly threw a flowerpot at a woman who was inside her vehicle, causing dirt from the pot to strike the woman. Dirt from the flowerpot also damaged the front passenger door of her car, 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.
