Law and Order, Local Police Reports, Park Forest

Park Forest Police Reports Through August 22, 2021


Yolanda Martinez and lazaro Diaz of the Park Forest Police Department.
In addition to officers, the PFPD highlighted civilian members of the department for Hispanic Heritage Month. These smiling faces belong to Records Clerk Yolanda Martinez and Maintenance Worker Lázaro Díaz. (Photo: PFPD)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- These reports are through August 22, 2021, and include arrests on charges of unlawful use of a weapon, DUI, and domestic battery. As a critical person at the Park Forest Police Department was out for personal reasons, we just received these and other reports this week. These reports and others readers will see over the next few days will bring us up to date with

Park Forest Police Reports Through August 22, 2021

Unlawful Use of a Weapon

Denise K. Daniel, 34, 23020 Farm Trace Dr., Richton Park, was arrested on August 18 and charged with one count of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of possession of adult cannabis in a motor vehicle, and one count of speeding when an officer on patrol observed a vehicle allegedly traveling 49 mph in a 35 mph zone on Western Avenue, according to police.

Ms. Daniel, the driver of the vehicle, allegedly admitted to the arresting officer that she had a rolled cannabis cigarette in the vehicle, according to police. The vehicle still smelled strongly of burnt cannabis, according to the report.

The officer also found a 9 mm Taurus G2c equipped with a partially loaded magazine holding 11 live ammunition rounds, according to police. The firearm was in the unlocked glove compartment of the car, according to police.

DUI with BAC More Than Twice the Legal Limit

Michael J. Blakely, 38, 23019 Bruce Dr., Richton Park, was arrested on August 18 and charged with felony unlawful possession of cannabis, felony unlawful possession with intent to manufacture and deliver cannabis, driving under the influence of alcohol with a BAC over .08, driving while license was suspended, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and prohibited stopping on a roadway.

An officer was patrolling in the area of Sauk Trail and Western Avenue at 11:20 PM when he was flagged down by a motorist who told the officer that the driver of a car stopped in the left turn lane on Sauk Trail was asleep and not waking up, according to the report.

The stopped vehicle was a black Audi, according to the report.

The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, Michael Blakely, was sleeping, according to the report. The engine was running and the vehicle was in Drive with Mr. Blakely’s foot on the brake, according to police. The driver’s side front window was down, according to police.

The officer shouted for Mr. Blakely to wake up but he remained asleep, according to the report. The officer then reached through the open window and nudged Mr. Blakely while continuing to shout at him to wake up, according to the police. After about two minutes, Mr. Blakely woke up and his vehicle began to move forward, according to the report.

The officer told Mr. Blakely to stop the vehicle and turn the car off and Mr. Blakely complied, according to police.

The officer asked Mr. Blakely what was going on and Blakely allegedly replied, “I was at South Beach,” according to police. The officer asked Blakely if he knew where he was and Blakely replied, “Sauk Trail,” according to police. Several times, the officer asked Mr. Blakely where he was going, only for Mr. Blakely to repeat, “On Sauk Trail,” according to the report. Once, when asked where he was going, Mr. Blakely said he was going to his girlfriend’s, “Right here in the co-ops, in Forest Park,” according to the report.

Another officer arrived on the scene to assist.

Mr. Blakely told the officer that he was coming from his business in South Chicago Heights where he allegedly stated that he had one beer to drink, according to police. He told the officer that he did not know he was asleep, according to police. The officer checked Mr. Blakely’s name be of his portable radio and was notified that Mr. Blakely’s driver’s license was suspended, according to police. Mr. Blakely allegedly mumbled and had slurred speech, according to the officer. The arresting officer decided to administer Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, according to the report.

Police found inside Mr. Blakely’s car 23 individually packaged bags of cannabis weighing 262.3 grams, according to the report.

Later, at the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Blakely submitted a breath sample indicating a BAC of .169, more than twice the legal limit, according to police.

Domestic Battery

James D. Jenkins, 34, 3306 W. Columbus Ave., Chicago, was arrested on August 22 and charged with domestic battery after police responded to the 300 block of Nokomis Street to investigate a report of domestic battery.

Mr. Jenkins allegedly punched a female family member in the miles with a closed fist, according to the report. Mr. Jenkins allegedly told police that the only reason he punched her was that she allegedly bit his thumb, according to police.

An officer observed multiple scratches on Mr. Jenkins’ neck and chest along with fresh bite marks and broken skin on your Jenkins’ right Tom, according to police. Police also discovered that Mr. Jenkins had a valid warrant out of the City of Chicago, according to the report.

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.


ARCHIVES