Police Release Identity of Man Killed Thursday by Metra Train

Eric Bennett of Hickory Hills was killed Thursday evening after he was hit by an eastbound Metra train at the Cass Avenue crossing in Westmont.

Updated at 4:57 p.m. Westmont Police Department officials investigating the death of Eric Bennett, the 31-year-old Hickory Hills man struck by a Metra train Thursday at the Cass Avenue crossing, are waiting to see Metra's onboard video from that train before releasing any information about what led to the fatal collision, Sgt. Stephen Thompson said Friday afternoon. "At that point we’ll have more information," Thompson said. Typically, he said, Metra gets that video to investigators within seven days of the incident.  Original story: The Westmont Police Department has released the identity of the man who died Thursday night after being struck by a Metra train in Westmont. The deceased is 31-year-old Eric Bennett of Hickory Hills, according…

•  2 Comments
• Photos (2)

'Deadbeat Dad' from Palos Wanted

See what local fathers are delinquent on child-support payments.

Wanted for Child Support Delinquency, Nov. 9

The Cook County Sheriff has arrest warrants out for these accused "deadbeat dads" in the south suburbs.

Child support warrants are most often filed when a person neglects to pay child support bills, according to Cook County Sheriff's Office representatives. However, warrants may also be issued in other cases, such as when a person doesn't report to a police department to provide a required DNA sample or when he or she doesn't notify authorities of salary increases. The following child support warrants were listed by the Cook County Sheriff's Office as of Nov. 8: Larry Multon Jr., 35, has racked up $37,676.59 in child support payments. His last known address is in the 8600 block of W. 167th Street. Dewayne Parks, 39, owes $18,311.28 in child support payments. His last known address is in the 10200 blk of S. 86th Terrace in Palos Hills.  …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (2)

Burglar in Nike Shoes Snags Bottles of Booze

Palos Hills police are searching for a woman believed responsible for a break-in at New Open Pantry.

Police are investigating a break-in at the New Open Pantry on 103rd Street in which several bottles of vodka were stolen. The suspect is described as a 5-foot, 6-inch white woman with a thin build. She was wearing black Nike shoes and a grey coat with a hood over her head. At about 2:50 a.m. on Aug. 12, a burglary alarm drew police to the convenience store, located at 8652 W. 103rd St, according to a report. When they arrived, police found the front door window shattered with a brick. Police were able to obtain a description of the burglar through video surveillance in the store. They also were able determine that the women, after smashing the window, grabbed the bottles of alcohol. Police report information is provided by Palos Hills …

• Photos (1)

Police Nab Palos Hills Man Wanted on Aggravated Battery Charge

Palos Hills police assisted the Chicago Police Department in the arrest.

A Palos Hills man wanted on a warrant out of Chicago for aggravated battery was arrested last week. Delfino Molina, 19, was arrested by Palos Hills police on Aug. 9 in his home, police said. At about 8:30 p.m., police were assisted Chicago Police Department officers in the arrest of Molina in the 10300 block of Charles Street. Molina, who reportedly is a member of the Latin Kings gang, is accused of shooting a person in the 2400 block of 47th Place in Chicago, police said. The victim was shot three times. Join the conversation. Like Palos Patch on Facebook and sign up for the breaking news alerts! Want more crime news?

• Photos (1)

5 'Attackers' Appear Before County Judge, 2 'Targets' Charged Separately

Five Indiana men were accused of felony mob action, among other charges, during a Monday afternoon court appearance. Two men who prosecutors say were targeted in the Ashford House attack were charged separately.

Bail was set Monday for five Indiana men who stood as a group in connection with a Saturday afternoon mob-style attack in Tinley Park.  Two among those targeted in the attack, who officials say are associated with white supremacist organizations, were also charged. They appeared before a judge separately. Dylan J. Sutherlin, 20, Cody Lee Edward Sutherlin, 23, and Alex R. Stuck, 22, all of Bloomington, Ind.; joined Jason W. Sutherlin, 33, of Gosport, Ind.; and John S. Tucker, 26, of Spencer, Ind., in front of Cook County Associate Judge Terence B. Smith. A group of about a dozen showed in court to support the suspects. Several of them collectively gasped when the highest bail amount—$250,000 for Jason Sutherlin because of his criminal …

•  145 Comments
• Photos (1)

South Suburban DUI Arrests, April 29

Champagne is for celebrating special occasions. But two bottles in down one throat leads to a special DUI arrest. Check out the latest drunken driving busts in the Southland.

PALOS HEIGHTS April 21: Nikola Ostojic, 38, of the 12900 block of Forestview Road, was charged with driving under the influence. He was stopped at 4:53 a.m. and failed a field sobriety test, police said. A breath test revealed a blood alcohol level of .143, police said. April 21: Trevor King, 33, of the 5000 block of 171st Street in Tinley Park, was charged with drunken driving. He was stopped at 1:50 a.m. for doing 55 miles per hour in a 35 zone, police said. He was also wanted on an outstanding $10,000 warrant in Cook County for failure to appear in court, police said.   ORLAND PARK April 8: Police pulled over an SUV after seeing it speed and cross over lane lines on 159th Street near Will Cook Road around 4:05 a.m. The driver’s breath …

• Photos (1)

Court Watch: Judge Refuses to Put 'Gag Order' On Possible Murder Trial Witnesses

Evidence comes in against man accused of soliciting sex from children through the Internet. Trial was set for one of two men, the search for whom caused a lockdown of Frankfort-area schools and neighborhoods last year.

The Southland's major criminal and civil cases heard in Cook County and Will County courts this week. NEW LENOX — A judge on Thursday denied Rodney Julun’s request to put a “gag order” on two men who could be called to testify against him during trial. Julun is accused of murdering Dwight Jones of New Lenox Township with a lamp and then enlisting David Reed and John White to rob his home and property over the next several days. Evidently unaware that court hearings are open to the public, Julun said he does not believe he can get a fair trial because Reed and White have been leaking “their stories” to the media. The two men remain in jail, awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to residential burglary, and have never spoken directly …

• Photos (1)

South Suburban DUI Arrests, April 22

Accused drunken drivers flip trucks, cry in court, get slapped with five dozen felony charges and seek "payback" for Trayvon Martin. All in a night's work for a Southland patrol cop.

PALOS HEIGHTS April 15: Joseph Schadt, 33, of the 9200 block of Massasoit Avenue in Oak Lawn, was charged with driving under the influence. He was stopped at 3:32 a.m. for speeding and failed a field sobriety tests and a breath test, police said. April 15: Ralph Wojcik, 37, of the 7400 block of 162nd Street in Tinley Park, was charged with driving under the influence and operating an uninsured vehicle. He was stopped at 2:19 a.m. and officers noticed the smell of alcohol and his bloodshot and glassy eyes, police said. He failed all field sobriety tests, police said. April 14: Kyle Roderick, 24, of the 13300 block of 108th Avenue in Orland Park, was charged with driving under the influence and operation of an uninsured vehicle. He was …

• Photos (1)

Court Watch: Fatal DUI Crash Defendant Pleads Not Guilty

Also, former-Tinley Park cop sentenced to probation for DUI hit and run. State's investigation into the death of Jeanie Kustok to wrap up soon.

The Southland's major criminal and civil cases heard in Cook County and Will County courts this week. OAK LAWN — There was no mention of a plea deal Tuesday for Michael T. Kelly, a former Village of Oak Lawn employee accused of beating and choking a young girl. Prosecutors dropped an unspecified video into the evidence pool. Kelly’s defense attorney, Ed Barron, said so long as the state continued to tender evidence, a possible deal would have to wait. Both parties return to court on May 31. ORLAND PARK — State to Finish Pretrial Murder Investigation Against Allan Kustok A year and a half later, Kustok's defense attorneys will soon begin a pretrial investigation of its own, one that may rely in part on conflicting forensic opinion. He …

• Photos (1)