Warrants

Name: William J. McKeon

Joliet police nab teen after threat
A freshman at Joliet West High School was arrested Friday on a charge of disorderly conduct for writing a bomb threat on a urinal that spurred two searches at the school, police said.

Police: Local man not a cop
SHOREWOOD -- A 47-year-old man faces three felony counts of false personation of a peace officer.

Man sentenced for New Year's rape
A Joliet man described as a "despicable degenerate" was sentenced to six years in prison Friday for raping a teen on New Year's Day in 2008.

Police Blotter
JOLIET ­-- Students and visitors will be searched this morning as they arrive at Joliet West High School after a bomb threat was discovered Wednesday.

Man hurt in Halloween hammer attack
A man police say has already survived one attempted murder was the victim of a recent attack right out of a horror movie.

Convicted murderer fights former lawyers
The attorneys who lost the 2003 murder trial of a Joliet man charged with strangling his next-door neighbor and torching her duplex claimed they left it up to their client to waive his right to a jury and denied keeping him from taking the witness stand. Law partners Tom Breen and Todd Pugh, of Chicago, both said 36-year-old Vincent Trevizo was the one who wanted a judge to decide his fate. The two lawyers also said Trevizo was in no hurry to testify at his own trial.

Broken window a racial crime?
A teenage interracial relationship likely inspired a nasty pre-Halloween trick at a Plainfield family's home, police say.

Detectives rescue puppies, pit bulls
Will County Sheriff's police and animal control officers rescued five pit bulls from an apparent dogfighting operation Tuesday. Will County and Joliet Animal Control officers were notified about the animals when a Will County Land Use Department employee went to "red tag" a house neighbors say has been vacant for several months.

Convicted rapist's prison stay may lengthen
A jury found a convicted rapist guilty Wednesday afternoon of trying four years ago to kidnap a young woman as she walked home from her after-school job.

Teens busted in burglaries
JOLIET TOWNSHIP -- Five teens were arrested last week after being linked to burglaries this summer in the Sugar Creek subdivision.

Joliet casino parking lot shocker
One woman might be shocked to learn the county jail is also handicap accessible. Police say around noon Oct. 29, two vehicles were arriving in the parking lot of the Empress Casino when one of them took the last available handicapped parking space.

Robbery suspects nabbed
JOLIET -- Two teens were arrested after reportedly being part of a crew that robbed a man in a casino parking lot early Tuesday.

Special delivery: Firefighters

NEW LENOX -- Hot mail?

Rollover blocks I-55/Arsenal ramp
State police were called to a rollover accident at 6:46 a.m. today on the Arsenal Road ramp to northbound Interstate 55.

Man, 70, sentenced for child sex abuse
A 70-year-old Joliet man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday for sexually abusing two little girls while babysitting. Glenn Lawlor was found guilty of one count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse following a bench trial in August.

DUI charge in fatal crash
Drunken driving charges have been filed against a man whose passenger died after a single-car crash Sunday night. Deputy Police Chief Mike Trafton said it was around 11:20 p.m. when Jose Reyes, 27, was driving a silver 2000 Toyota Camry north on Center Street.

Two hit with a crowbar in Bolingbrook
BOLINGBROOK -- Police say an ongoing fight led to two people being attacked with a crowbar early Sunday.

Vandal smashes windows, flees scene in Cadillac
JOLIET -- A man was seen breaking windows of parked cars around 12:30 a.m. Sunday.

Police Blotter: Theft, disorderly conduct charged
Derek T. Oneal , 18, of 528 W. Auborn in Crete, was arrested by Monee police and booked into the county jail Thursday on charges of theft and disorderly conduct.

Joliet woman not guilty in drug case
After deliberating for several hours Tuesday, a jury found a Joliet woman not guilty in a drug case.

Shorewood campaign aims for safer drivers
Shorewood police hope drivers can recognize the signs as they're traveling down residential streets. The village recently adopted the "Keep Kids Alive -- Drive 25" campaign and got 50 yard signs that will be put up in areas at the resident's request.

Warrants

Name: Javier Rivera

Blotter: Police make drug arrests
Angela C. Hernandez , 35, of Milwaukee, Wis., was arrested by sheriff's police and booked into the county jail Wednesday on charges of manufacture or delivery of cannabis and possession of a controlled substance.

After arrest, charges for Stebic still pending
Although Plainfield police arrested Craig Stebic on Sunday for allegedly threatening a neighbor, he has yet to be formally charged with a crime by the Will County state's attorney's office.

Minooka youths elude abductors
A young boy escaped the clutches of a band of Hispanic women who tried to lure him into a pickup Thursday.

Local liquor store robbed
JOLIET TOWNSHIP -- Armed men held up a liquor store Wednesday night.

Alleged dealer arrested

JOLIET -- Police say one man was arrested near a fast food restaurant for delivering items that weren't on the menu Tuesday afternoon.

From Champaign to drugs
Oh ... well, I guess he didn't. Joliet police were called around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday for a response to man saying had been robbed. The Champaign resident told officers he had been visiting family when a cousin "he had not seen in 15 years." took out a handgun and said, "Give me your money, cuz."

Nursing home evacuated after roof fire
Nursing home residents were evacuated after part of the roof caught fire Tuesday morning. Battalion Chief Robert DiLorenzo said it was 9:06 a.m. when flames and smoke were reported at Glenwood Care Center, 222 N. Hammes Ave. "There was a rooftop fire on the back of the one-story section of the building and smoke went into the vents near the kitchen area," he said.

Police Blotter

Police seeking assistance from the community
Vigilance, not fear, is a key to resident involvement in crime fighting, said Joliet police Chief Fred Hayes.

Future in-law to out-law?
JOLIET -- Police say a man shot at his girlfriend's relatives after the couple argued Saturday.

Police arrest three in ice cream parlor theft
HOMER GLEN -- Will County Sheriff's police have arrested a manager accused of being the "inside man" in a robbery at an ice cream parlor last month.

Man beaten on Black
JOLIET -- A Joliet man told police he was walking in the 900 block of Black Road on Thursday around 7:15 p.m. when three or four men beat him up and stole his phone.

Police Blotter: DUI
Jacqueline M. Tranchita, 47, of 1518 39th Ave. in Stonepark, was arrested by Will County police and booked into the county jail Friday on a charge of driving under the influence.

Probation for school worker in sex case
Laura J. Obzera, a former Valley View School District employee, who admitted she had sexual contact with a teenage boy, was sentenced Wednesday to 48 months of probation. Obzera, 50, of 876 Bonnie Brae Lane in Bolingbrook must register as a sex offender for life.

Warrants

Name: Jonathan L. Phillips

School bus hit in accident
PLAINFIELD -- Police say a car slid into a school bus after striking another car Friday morning.

Police: Shooter drill is place for errors
Police admit that it's a no-win situation when they respond to a shooting at a school or public event where somebody is actively trying to kill many people. "You might not have as many officers there (as you need to make up the formations)," Lt. Dwayne Killian said. "But any plan's better than no plan, and that's why we train. That's why we have active shooter drills."

Family held at gunpoint
Four masked intruders menaced a family at gunpoint early Thursday. Joliet Police Chief Fred Hayes said the home invasion occurred around 12:35 a.m. at the residence in the 300 block of South Chicago Street.

Sex, drugs and a family involved in murder
Full story: Three people have been arrested in connection with the death of a 26-year-old man whose body was discovered Saturday morning in Pilcher Park. Elvida S. Garcia, Jessica Ocampo, and Garcia’s 16-year-old son are charged with murder and two counts of armed robbery in the death of Eugenio Rosales of Joliet.

Probation for puppy abuse
A woman caught running a puppy mill at her Peotone home recently pleaded guilty to abusing animals.

4 hospitalized after crash near Plainfield
Two adults and two children were hospitalized Wednesday night following a head-on collision near Plainfield. About 9 p.m., two vehicles were involved in a head-on crash on Route 126 near Ridge Road in unincorporated Kendall County, authorities said.

Oh No You Didn't: Parting with the departed
Ashes to ashes. Dust to ... stolen property? On Oct. 14, Will County Sheriff's police were called to the Deer Creek Recreational Club on 143rd Street after a 42-year-old woman reported her husband was missing.

Intruders break in home, hit young mother
Two men attacked a 25-year-old mother around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in her house in the 300 block of Illinois Street.

Contractor set to pay back stolen cash
A New Lenox contractor who pleaded guilty earlier this year to fleecing his customers has yet to reimburse any of them. But that could change in two weeks, said his lawyer, Carl Buck. Michael Doman might have 85 percent of the money by then, Buck told Will County Judge Richard Schoenstedt.

Wilmington votes to outsource dispatch jobs
The Wilmington City Council voted Tuesday night to end a longtime tradition of local police dispatching. The split vote was to outsource police dispatching and enter into a contract with Wescom. The change will displace eight full-time dispatchers in the department.

Hayload spill snarls I-55 traffic

Hay there!

Traffic was snarled Tuesday morning after a semi-truck carrying bales of hay overturned from the exit ramp from northbound Interstate 55 onto River Road near Wilmington.

Feds raid Grundy slaughterhouse
Update: In the wake of a Sunday afternoon raid on a former meat-processing plant, residents of this town of 100 have questions but few answers. Was an al-Qaida cell lurking in the Grundy County village about 20 miles west of Morris, residents asked? Was the building at 6260 S. Kinsman Road housing illegal immigrants? Was meat slaughtered there done illegally? Authorities aren't offering answers.

Chase ends with 1 arrest
Will County police arrested one man and are seeking another in connection with a recent series of burglaries.

Torch run is no trivial pursuit
SHOREWOOD -- Think you're smarter than a whole bunch of cops?

Joliet man killed and dumped in city park
A dead man found in Pilcher Park has been identified, and police believe he was attacked somewhere else. Eugenio Rosales, 26, of Joliet was found Saturday morning outside Pilcher Park Nature Center.

Four charged with burglary
JOLIET -- Four people were arrested Friday morning for allegedly burglarizing a house in the 1100 block of Campbell Street.

One hurt, family displaced in Lemont blaze
One person was hospitalized and a family displaced when a fire started in Lemont home Sunday morning. Emergency crews responded at 9:08 a.m. to a residential fire at a tri-story home in the first block of West Eureka Avenue in Lemont, Lemont Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Dave Slivinski said.

Male found dead in Joliet park
A male was found dead in a Joliet park Saturday morning, authorities said. The unidentified man was found in Highland Park in the 2500 block of Highland Park Road and was pronounced dead at 8:13 a.m., according to the Will County Coroner’s office.

Police Blotter

Police Blotter

Suspect arrested for attack of elderly woman
The investigation into a recent violent home invasion has led to the arrest of a suspect in another brutal attack earlier this year. "Newer leads developed after last week's attack in the 300 block of South May Street," Chief Fred Hayes said. "But after questioning and further investigation, there is no evidence linking him to other recent attacks."

Woman suspected of cashing bad checks
JOLIET -- One woman was arrested Tuesday after reportedly going to an illegal financial well once too often.

Police: Two arrested for menacing behavior
Two men were arrested after reportedly menacing a man at his home Tuesday night. Lt. Mike Rompa said it was at 11:52 p.m. when a 51-year-old man called police after seeing men wearing nylon masks outside his house in the 100 block of Woodlet Lane.

Bombs found in local house
A bomb squad was called to secure a house after police reportedly found explosives inside Wednesday in Manhattan Township.

4 charged in Kohl's theft
ROMEOVILLE -- Four women were arrested after reportedly trying to walk out of a store with bags of clothing Monday.

Think twice before asking for directions
As children we're told if you get lost you can always go to a police officer for help. But if you're already wanted, you might want to tough it out longer.

Chimney fire being probed
A Sunday night house fire started in the chimney, but fire officials still aren't sure what caused it.

Retired state cop could take helm in Plainfield
A retired state police officer could take the helm of the Plainfield Police Department next month.

Cops: Man brought girlfriend to drive-by
Police arrested a man after he reportedly brought his girlfriend along for a drive-by shooting Monday.

Police say man stabbed by his Joliet girlfriend
JOLIET -- A woman was arrested Sunday night after allegedly stabbing her boyfriend in the chest.

Bomb threat at Joliet West
JOLIET -- Police were called Friday afternoon after a bomb threat was found written in the boys room at Joliet West High School.

$400,000 bond set for dad in drowning
Update: Bond was set at $400,000 for a father accused of drowning his 19-month-old son Friday in Romeoville, authorities said.

Police Blotter

Jury convicts man in murder-for-hire scheme
A jury found a Joliet man guilty Friday afternoon in a murder-for-hire scheme. Earlier this year, Neil E. Ackerman, 36, asked his cell mate at the Will County jail to kill his ex-girlfriend. Court records list his address alternately as 407 Buell Ave. and as homeless.

Woman loses $25,000 in jewelry at Joliet casino
JOLIET -- An Oak Lawn woman lost $25,000 worth of jewelry in restroom Sunday at Empress Casino.

Attacks have residents 'fed up'
The brutal beating of an 89-year-old woman Tuesday shook Reedswood residents already reeling from an August home invasion in which an elderly woman was bound by an intruder who slipped through her bathroom window while she was sleeping.

Two charged with robbery
SHOREWOOD -- A pair of local men tried to lure an acquaintance into a trap so they could rob him at knifepoint early Thursday, police said.