Saturday, May 18, 2013
A lawsuit against an imprisoned preacher from Crete and an Indiana megachurch topped the week's court news.
A former megachurch preacher sentenced to 12 years in federal prison in March for carrying on a sexual relationship with a teenage member of his congregation was sued in Will County court. In addition to preacher Jack Schaap, 55, of Crete, the First Baptist Church of Hammond was named as a defendant in the lawsuit. The parents of a teenage girl Schaap had sex with while he was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hammond filed the lawsuit. The suit identifies the parents as "John Doe and Mary Doe," and the teen as "Jane Doe." The suit gives Jane Doe's date of birth as June 27, 1995. Here's what else was going on at the area's courthouses: Check out all these stories and more on our Facebook page.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
A Will County judge ruled Thursday that Bahaa Sam is sane enough to stand trial for allegedly beating his wife to death with a weightlifter's bar.
A Tinley Park man charged with beating his wife to death with a metal bar while their young son watched was found sane enough to stand trial for her murder. Bahaa Sam, 47, appeared before Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak Thursday morning and learned an evaluation of his mental state showed he is fit to face the murder charges. READ: Tinley Park Man Charged With Beating Wife to Death Pleads Not Guilty An interpreter translated the proceedings into Arabic for Sam, who is being held at the Will County jail in lieu of $5 million bond. Sam was represented by Palos Park attorney John Eannace. Police and paramedics went to Sam's house in December after a Tinley Park public works employee spotted the body of Sam's wife, Nermeen Sam, next to a…
Saturday, May 4, 2013
A Caribbean music record company owner has a drug dog's lack of punctuality to thank for getting him out of a felony pot charge, but he still couldn't get his marijuana back.
Martin Scott was looking at a possible 30-year prison sentence after a police dog found pot in the trunk of his car back in September 2011. But a Cook County judge decided this week that the 41 minutes a state trooper made Scott wait for the dog to show up was too long, and ruled that the marijuana could not be used as evidence against him. Without that evidence, prosecutors decided to drop the case. Scott, 52, said he is the owner of Kingston, Jamaica, based UIM Records. He also said he obtained his marijuana legally in California and asked if he could have it back. He was refused. Scott left the Markham courthouse a happy—and free—man, and strolled away puffing on his electronic cigarette. Not too many other people written about last …
Saturday, April 20, 2013
A former Plainfield North gym teacher pleaded guilty to meeting a teen for sex. And that was just one of the things going on in court this week.
More than two years after the police caught her in a car with a half-dressed student from the high school where she was a teacher, Ashley Blumenshine copped a plea. Blumenshine, a 30-year-old former Plainfield North gym teacher, will have to do 11 days in jail. She will also spend two years on sex offender probation and 10 yeas on the Illinois sex offender registry. She tearfully apologized before she was taken into custody to start doing her time. Let's look at what else was going on in the area's courthouses this past week: Check out all these stories and more on our Facebook page.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
A New Lenox man spoke of his "horrific" ordeal in the county jail after he was arrested for a murder someone else was wanted for.
We started the week off by talking with the New Lenox man jailed for two weeks for a murder allegedly committed by someone else with the same name. Pedro Hernandez, 67, said his time in the Will County jail was "horrific," and that he's looking for a lawyer to talk to about filing a lawsuit. But Hernandez's ordeal was just one of the things going on last week. There was also: Check out all these stories and more on our Facebook page.
A fundraiser will be held April 27 in Chicago Ridge to help the son of Thomas Mastro, the Tinley Park resident who was shot and killed March 21. Find out more about the event.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Joe Vince
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Saturday, April 6
The family of the victim of last month's fatal 7-Eleven shooting in Tinley Park is planning a benefit to help create a college fund for the slain 24-year-old's young son. READ: Tinley Park Man Fatally Shot in Argument in Store Parking Lot Tom & Anthony's Benefit—named after the victim, Thomas Mastro, and his 4-year-old son, Anthony—will be April 27 at Jack Desmond’s Irish Pub in Chicago Ridge, according to a flyer for the event emailed to Patch by Mastro's father, Perry. Donations for Anthony's fund will be taken at the door, and food and a cash bar will be available for guests. "We are asking all friends and family of Tom Mastro to gather with us as we will be raising funds for his son Anthony’s college education," the flyer stated. READ…
41.704339
-87.779374
10339 Ridgeland Ave, Chicago Ridge, IL
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Tuesday, April 2, 2013
A week before she died of head trauma, DCFS received reports of bruising on 3-year-old Gina Presley.
One week before 3-year-old Gina Presley of Oak Forest died from head trauma, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) received a report of bruises on the girl's body, Sun-Times Media reports. Read: Aunt's Boyfriend Charged with Murder in 3-Year-Old Girl's Death DCFS contacted Oak Forest police on March 19 to check up on Presley after the report. She was in the custody of her aunt. Sgt. Tom Lynch says police went to Presley’s aunt’s home on the 15300 block of Walnut Road but there was no answer and no lights on. No follow-up attempts were made, according to the report. The aunt's boyfriend, 42-year-old Jessie B. Rodriguez of Chicago, was recently issued a $10 million bail in connection with the girl's murder. Get the …
Monday, April 1, 2013
Bail was set during an emotional hearing for the man charged with murder in the death of Gina Presley.
Bail was set at $10 million for a Chicago man charged with killing his girlfriend's niece. Jessie B. Rodriguez, 42, was charged Saturday with the murder of Gina Presley, 3, of the 15300 block of Walnut Road. He appeared in Cook County Bond Court Sunday afternoon, according to the Chicago Tribune. Read: Aunt's Boyfriend Charged with Murder in 3-Year-Old Girl's Death It was an emotional hearing with a man shouting out at Rodriguez during the proceedings yelling, "That's horses---! There should be no bail!" the Tribune reported. The courtroom was cleared for about 10 minutes before order was restored, the Tribune reports. Initially, a 911 call was placed that reported Presley was choking. Rodriguez is the boyfriend of Presley's aunt who …
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Jessie B. Rodriguez, 42, of Chicago, is the boyfriend of Gina Presely's legal guardian, police said. He has been charged with first degree murder following the girl's death on Tuesday.
A 42-year-old Chicago man is accused of killing a 3-year-old girl inside her Oak Forest home. Jessie B. Rodriguez, 42, was charged with first degree murder on Saturday, according to police. Gina Presley, 3, of the 15300 block of Walnut Road was pronounced dead on Tuesday. Police said the Cook Count medical examiner's office has ruled the death a homicide. Rodriguez is the boyfriend of Presley's aunt and legal guardian, police said. He was living in Oak Forest despite having a Chicago address. Rodriguez was one of two people held for questioning by Oak Forest police following the girl's death inside the Walnut Road home. He will be taken to Cook County jail on Saturday to await a bond hearing. The other person held by Oak Forest police has …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The alleged triggerman jailed in connection with last week's 7-Eleven parking lot murder appeared at the Bridgeview courthouse and was sent back to jail without a bond.
The Markham teen charged with gunning down a man he met through Craigslist to barter electronic equipment appeared at the Bridgeview courthouse Tuesday morning and was sent back to jail without a bond. READ: Markham Teen Charged With Murder in 7-Eleven Shooting Christopher Dyson, 18, faces murder and armed robbery charges in connection with Thursday's fatal shooting of 24-year-old Thomas Mastro of Tinley Park. Dyson and Mastro reportedly met outside a Tinley Park 7-Eleven so Dyson could trade his iPhone for Mastro's Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita. The deal reportedly was set up after Mastro posted an ad on Craigslist. READ: Tinley Park Man Fatally Shot in Argument in Store Parking Lot Dyson tried to rip Mastro off, then pulled a gun …
Fester Bestertester
4:22 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013
Drunkenly driving and drunkenly lying on the street. huh. more ›