a wholesaler based in Prince George’s County has initiated a voluntary recall of three of its products after an employee spotted “a small glass fragment” on top of a piece of bread The recall is for the brand’s Ancient Grains Hoagie Rolls Multigrain Sourdough and its Whole Grain Multigrain Bread The company said Wednesday that all the products still on store shelves have been accounted for The affected products were distributed to Pennsylvania, California, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware and Ohio, according to the FDA The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one. The FDA listed the recalled bread as Class II which means the items may cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.” An investigation from the company found the glass contamination came from sunflower seeds supplied by JJ Nuts Crest Hill Bakery said it has stopped working with the company that manufactured those seeds Crest Hill Bakery said it believes the company has “effectively resolved the issue.” Crest Hill Bakery operates out of a 150,000-square-foot space in Glenn Dale, and sells wholesale products Cody Boteler cody.boteler@thebaltimorebanner.com Cody Boteler is a reporter on The Banner’s Express Desk trending stories and interesting things in and around Baltimore His work has appeared in The Baltimore Sun Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policies The Baltimore Banner is a trademark registered in the U.S for The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism Statement from Executive Vice President and General Manager Eric DeCosta pic.twitter.com/TNQrqw3me2 Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policies Click here to view our Terms of Sale.\n \n Click here to learn more about supporting local journalism.\n Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes. If the problem persists, please contact customer service at 443-843-0043 or customercare@thebaltimorebanner.com Crest Hill (Photo provided by Joliet Police Department) Joliet police arrested a man Tuesday for allegedly shooting video of a former girlfriend without her knowledge Jose Rendon, 22, of Crest Hill was arrested on four counts of unauthorized video recording and live video transmission Rendon is “a past boyfriend” of a woman who notified police July 25 that she found “a video recording device hidden in her bedroom,” according to a news release from the Joliet Police Department. “It was determined that Rendon owned the device and had allegedly recorded the victim without her consent,” according to the release who confirmed that he recorded the victim without her consent,” according to the release Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Rendon on Monday. He was arrested Tuesday after turning himself in, police said. Rendon was taken to the Will County Adult Detention Facility. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network 2025 at 1:14 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Crusade Burger II in Crest Hill along Renwick Road never captured the same success as the original location for Crusade Burger Bar in Yorkville along the Fox River IL —A short-lived restaurant in the Joliet area the Crusade Burger Bar West Renwick Road in Crest Hill is now the subject of a six-figure civil lawsuit filed at the Will County Courthouse A limited liability company called SD Basecorp II filed its lawsuit against Jessica Gomez and Rafael Gomez and The Crusade Burger The lawsuit noted that Jessica and Rafael Gomez reside in Kendall County and on Aug Crusade Burger signed a written lease that covered a time frame of more than five years In December 2022, Joliet Patch broke the news revealing that Crusade Burger Bar II had opened in Crest Hill bringing a unique dining experience to Will County "We are very excited to have Crusade Burger Bar in the city of Crest Hill," Mayor Ray Soliman told Joliet Patch at the time and they have a great reputation and following They will become a destination point for our city along with our other fine restaurants Crusade Burger II restaurant in Crest Hill only lasted about a year before it closed. This year, Patch reported that in addition to Crusade Burger II going out of business in 2023, the replacement tenant called the Jitterhead Breakfast Brunch and Coffee went out of business in late January after being open less than a year the defendants were in default of their payment obligations under the lease in the amount of $113,813 the plaintiffs and defendants entered into a written agreement "whereby the defendants confirmed the delinquent amount of $113,813 and agreed to pay the aforementioned delinquent amount pursuant to an installment payment schedule," the lawsuit reads the memorandum of agreement and the personal guarantee when they failed to pay the outstanding amounts due to plaintiff despite numerous demands to do so." the defendants vacated the property prior to the expiration of the lease term "Plaintiff has been damaged in the minimum amount of $184,803 Wheaton attorney Jason Cook of Sethna & Cook has asked Will County's judges to enter a monetary judgment against The Crusade Burger Jessica Gomez and Rafael Gomez for the more than $184,800 in unpaid rent and "an award of plaintiff's court costs and attorney's fees." Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 2025 at 3:25 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Joliet and Crest Hill police had the road blocked off near a home at McGilvray Drive and Michigan Court Wednesday afternoon IL — Police descended on a home in the 20500 block of McGilvray Drive near Michigan Court Wednesday afternoon in Crest Hill Crest Hill Police Chief Ed Clark told Patch that police received a call reporting a person in crisis and Clark said he was "hopeful for a peaceful resolution," and that the person would get the help they need Clark said there were no hostages and police don't believe anyone else was in the house Clark told Patch the situation has been resolved and the person was getting help Police had the roads blocked off in the Remington Lakes subdivision as negotiations were underway and Crest Hill police and members of the Joliet SWAT team were at the scene ExpandA sign sits in front of the future site of the Lockport Township Fire Protection District Training and Maintenance Facility in Lockport (Gary Middendorf/gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com) Crest Hill — The Crest Hill City Council voted Monday in favor of plans for a first responder training facility proposed by the Lockport Township Fire Protection District The council voted 5-3 in favor of the training facility A separate vote on the gun range itself was 5-4 in favor with Mayor Raymond Soliman needing to cast the tie breaking vote Alderperson Tina Oberlin voted in favor of the training facility but opposed the gun range While support for the fire and emergency training facility was generally high in the city, the gun range portion of the project drew significant criticism from some residents particularly in Ward 2 where the facility will be located next to the Stateville Correctional Center Multiple residents signed a petition to prevent the construction of the outdoor range The petition gained support from the Ward 2 Council Members Claudia Gazal and Darrell Jefferson “I think everything else is great for the community it’s just the gun range I’m opposed to,” Jefferson told the Herald-News last week “We’re already dealing with two gun ranges and a third one just adds more noise pollution.” Entrance to the city council chambers at the city of Crest Hill government building at 20600 City Center Blvd and concerns about ground pollution were all referenced by residents worried that the new addition would diminish their quality of life or property values four people addressed the City Council in favor of the project while four others spoke in opposition The facility will be built on 13 acres of property located on the south side of Division Street west of Broadway Street and east of Weber Road in Crest Hill and will be used to host classes and diverse training exercises using a four-story burn tower structure a K-9 training area and the outdoor shooting range Plans for the facility have been in the works for nearly two years and have evolved over time In order to address concerns about noise from the gun range LTFPD has worked with sound engineers on the design to mitigate noise the range will be surrounded on three sides by 24-foot high berms which should reduce the noise of a gunshot to between the volume of a whisper and a normal human conversation The facility will offer opportunities for police and firefighters to practice live fire training drills, HAZMAT simulations, water rescue and dive exercises, K9 training, vehicular extraction simulation, and drone search exercises. The campus will also include classroom spaces for furthering education and maintenance bays for emergency vehicles. The land for the project was granted to the LTFPD by the state of Illinois for free. While the project is estimated to cost $16 million, construction of the facility is not anticipated to raise taxes for residents of the district, which includes territory in Lockport, Crest Hill, and Romeoville. “I anticipate this being an enormous success for improving safety once we get past this hurdle,” O’Connor said. O’Connor said he hopes to have construction on the project commence later in 2025, and be completed in about one year. The gun range would be paid for by the Lockport Police Department. Crest Hill — The city of Crest Hill is slated to vote Monday on the Lockport Township Fire Protection District’s plan to construct a new fire and police training facility on property adjacent to Stateville Correctional Center Many residents in the 2nd Ward near the property still have objections A sign sits in front of the future site of the Lockport Township Fire Protection District Training and Maintenance Facility on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024, in Crest Hill. (Gary Middendorf/gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com) The gun range, which would be the third in Crest Hill, is the portion of the plan drawing objections from residents. “I think everything else is great for the community, it’s just the gun range I’m opposed to,” said Alderman Darrell Jefferson, who represents the 2nd Ward, where the facility would be located. “We’re already dealing with two gun ranges, and a third one just adds more noise pollution. We have people in our ward who have [post-traumatic stress disorder] and hearing ailments who it affects in a negative way. It’s insensitive to the people in the community.” Talea Ben, a resident whose property borders the fire district’s land, said she is concerned about noise and the possibility of stray bullets. “It’s going to be loud, and it’s a safety concern for me,” Ben said. “They’re going to be firing in the direction of my yard. Any shots that go awry could go into my backyard or home, where my desk sits.” Although Ben said her yard is “50 yards away” from the property, interim City Administrator Tony Graff said that the range sits at least 2,200 feet from the closest houses. Ben also expressed concerns about the noises disturbing her children and the family’s dogs. “I think everything else is great for the community, it’s just the gun range I’m opposed to.” The claim about misfired bullets was refuted by LTFPD officials. “Only trained professionals will use this facility, operating under the supervision of a range master and adhering to the strictest safety protocols,” LTFPD Chief John O’Connor said. “Additionally, our proposed range will feature 24-foot earthen berms surrounding the site, and all shooting will be directed south, away from the nearest residential community. To further reduce noise, we have also intentionally positioned our training classroom between the range and the nearest homes.” Joliet Fire Chief Jeff Carey (from left), Lockport Fire Chief John O'Connor, Joliet firefighter/paramedic Dominic Minnito and Joliet Deputy Fire Chief John Stachelski pose for a photo at the Lockport Township Fire Protection District's awards banquet April 12, 2024. (Photo Provided by Fire Chief John O'Connor) He added that the existing ranges at Stateville and the Illinois State Police range on Division Street have been operating for decades and have never had a misfire that affected the surrounding community. O’Connor also reiterated that LTFPD has worked with sound engineers at SoundScape Engineering to design the range’s noise mitigation system and test the expected volume of hand guns and rifles firing in similar conditions. According to the reports, the sound from a rifle will average about 45 decibels at the distance of nearby homes, somewhere between the noises of a whisper and a casual human conversation, which range from 25 to 60 decibels. Although the range will have 15 shooting lanes, most circumstances would not see more than four officers shooting simultaneously, O’Connor said. Despite these assurances, some, including Jefferson, are skeptical. “Putting up sound suppression and berms may work at the level of the shooting, but sound travels up into the air,” Jefferson argued. A sign appears outside Illinois State Police District 5 headquarters located at the corner of along Route 53 (Broadway Street) and Division Street in Lockport. (Eric Ginnard) A recurring theme of the concerns was damage being done to property values due to the increased noise. O’Connor suggested the new range could lead to reduced noise over time because it will be quieter than the existing ranges, where some of the agencies that will be using the facility currently train. “All public safety agencies in Lockport Township that will utilize our range currently train at these louder, heavily used state police and Stateville ranges,” he said. “Our facility will not increase gunfire noise in the area; rather, by consolidating training for five departments into a range designed with advanced sound mitigation measures, we will actually help reduce overall noise levels.” O’Connor also rebutted concerns that the outdoor range would cause lead to leak into the ground from spent bullets. “Shell casings will be cleaned up after each use,” he said. “The range will also comply with the ‘USEPA: Best Management Practices for Lead at Outdoor Shooting Ranges’ guidance, which states, ‘The range shall be designed to prevent contamination of any waterway consider waters of the U.S. as defined by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, wetland or floodplain in accordance with the Clean Water Act.” Many of the residents in the neighboring community and 2nd Ward Alderwoman Claudia Gazal have said that they would be supportive of the plan if the gun range were excluded or moved indoors. “We’re good with the training facility, just not the outdoor gun range,” Gazal said. “I think it would make more sense to leave that lot open for now until the funds were saved to build the enclosed range.” Despite Gazal’s suggestion, this is not something police and fire officials found feasible. O’Connor noted that the departments looked into the option but found that a range just for handguns would cost between $6 million and $8 million. In order to have it be large enough for rifles – something in which Illinois police are required to gain regular certification – it would need to be significantly larger and, therefore, more expensive. O’Connor said there are no indoor rifle ranges anywhere in the Chicago area, partially because of this prohibitive cost. In recent meetings, two new suggestions were taken into consideration to address continued concerns about the noise: the creation of an oversight board and adjusted operational hours. Graff said that at the last Crest Hill City Council workshop on the issue, council members Joe Kubal and Scott Dyke requested a citizen’s advisory board be created to oversee noise complaints and meet with the police and fire departments on residential complaints, something that the city is now exploring. Graff also reported that the LTFPD offered to adjust its hours so use of the range would end by 9 p.m. instead of the originally proposed 10 p.m. cutoff, and night shoots would be limited to four months of the year in spring and fall. Although Mayor Ray Soliman was not available to comment, Graff said that “[Soliman] has stated that he is in favor of all aspects of the project and thinks it will be a great asset to the city.” The public will have an opportunity to comment Monday at the City Council meeting before the vote takes place. Gazal noted that residents have a petition that will likely be presented against the gun range. Jefferson said that if the measure passes, “I guarantee it will end up in court.” ExpandKelvanti Lawrence (Photo provided by Illinois Department of Corrections) A Joliet man has pleaded guilty to concealing the death of a woman in Crest Hill and he was sentenced to serve 50% of an estimated six-year prison sentence for that offense pleaded guilty to concealment of a death and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon as part of a plea deal Lawrence had moved her body to a different location Sept Officers went to Lawrence’s hotel room and found that he had a gun even though he has a felony conviction Lawrence was sentenced to serve six years and six months in prison for concealment of a death, according to the sentencing order from Will County Judge Amy Christiansen Lawrence must serve at least 50% of that sentence Lawrence was sentenced to serve eight years for the offense of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon Lawrence will serve his sentence for both offenses at the same time because he also was credited with 554 days served in the Will County jail according to Christiansen’s sentencing order Lawrence was further credited with 60 days for participating in pretrial programs at the facility As a result, Lawrence is expected to be paroled from prison July 20, 2027, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. Prosecutors had filed a petition in 2023 that detailed the investigation that led to Lawrence’s arrest. About 8:40 a.m. Sept. 17, 2023, officers responded to Gustos Bar and Grill in Crest Hill for a welfare check after a report of someone possibly sleeping inside a vehicle, prosecutors said. Officers found the vehicle in the back parking lot of Gustos with the doors closed but not locked, and with the hazard lights on, prosecutors said. A family member of Bresley contacted police and indicated that Bresley consumed cocaine and other drugs on occasion and has a friend with a name similar in spelling to Lawrence’s name, prosecutors said. Officers learned that Lawrence and Bresley had been staying at the Crest Hill Inn. The police investigation showed that Lawrence moved Bresley from his hotel room to her vehicle and then drove the vehicle to Gusto’s, where he left Bresley and the vehicle, prosecutors said. During a police interview, Lawrence claimed that Bresley was drunk and alive when he was moving her inside the vehicle, prosecutors said. Lawrence told police that Bresley died, but he blamed a second man for coming up with the plan to move her body to the vehicle, prosecutors said. ExpandMore than 20 cats and two dogs may have caused a gas leak on March 27 at a home in the 1800 block of Nicholson Street in Crest Hill the city of Crest Hill building department has since deemed the home uninhabitable Animals apparently left on their own may have caused a gas leak on March 27 at a home in the 1800 block of Nicholson in Crest Hill John O’Connor, fire chief at the Lockport Township Fire Protection District said the incident “was caused from gas leaking from burners on the stove that were left in the ‘on’ position without the flames igniting.” “We believe the stove knobs may have been turned on by the 20 to 30 cats or dogs living in the residence,” O’Connor said and later added “No residents were there at the time our crews got to the scene.” An orange cat sits outside of a Crest Hill home on Tuesday More than 20 cats and two dogs may have caused the gas leak at the home on March 27 which the Crest Hill building department has since deemed uninhabitable O’Connor said the gas supply was shut off at the meter and ComEd remotely disconnected the electricity at the district’s request The Crest Hill building department deemed the residence uninhabitable “In the meantime, I have submitted a Premise Hazard form to Wescom [Western Will County Communication Center], advising them to mark the property as ‘Do not enter we will assess the condition of this residence to determine next steps,” Seeman said A black cat looks out the window while an orange cat sits outside of a Crest Hill home on Tuesday all appropriate utility representatives have shut off the utilities at the home “Some are going to barn cat programs because they’re not very friendly They’ve been living on their own for so long they’re really not comfortable around people Whitney McGill, director of Joliet Township Animal Control said animal control rescued two dogs – a pit bull mix and a Teddy Bear (“it’s like a shih tzu,” McGill said) and more than 20 cats – so far “We don’t have an exact number,” McGill said The cats were actually “in pretty good shape” with most of them already spayed or neutered “I know that a lot of the cats were adopted from different rescues,” McGill said Only some of the cats remaining at Joliet Township Animal Control will be adopted Joliet Township Animal Control is reducing its fees for dog and cat adoptions for its April “Spring Into Adoption Saturdays” initiative (Photo provided by Joliet Township Animal Control) “Some are going to barn cat programs because they’re not very friendly,” McGill said “They’ve been living on their own for so long McGill said cats slated for barn cat programs will first receive their rabies vaccine and be spayed and neutered – if needed – and then move to a barn home “where they can have a second job of catching mice for the barn owners.” Finally, McGill warned of the hazards of keeping too many pets in the home in terms of health and giving animals proper care. People living with a large amount of cats are exposed to increased levels of ammonia, dander, hair and dust, McGill said. Many times, cats in hoarder situations are not spayed or neutered, leaving them at risk for having multiple litters where few kittens survive, McGill said. Outside, cats that “use flower beds for litter boxes” may spread parasites, as well as annoying the neighbors, she said. Cats with feline immunodeficiency virus can spread it to other cats, McGill said. And both cats and dogs can carry fleas, which can cause skin issues in humans, she said Finally, large amounts of cats in one area can harm local bird populations by eating birds in large volume, despite the “circle of life” and the fact cats “need to eat, too,” McGill said. “But if you have 30 cats living in one concentrated area and catch the different birds coming around to look for food sources, that can cause some issues, too,” McGill said. “If you’re not able to give them medical care and that full attention – that they’re still feeling special and needed and loved – and provide for them the same as if you had one, that means you have too many," McGill said. ExpandSign on the city of Crest Hill government building at 20600 City Center Blvd Incumbent leaders in the village of Plainfeld and city of Crest Hill won another term based on the unofficial results from Tuesday’s election Raymond Soliman edged out challenger Marco Coladipietro gaining 54% of the votes to 45% for Coladipietro in the race for mayor with the challenger leading for several hours but the results flipped with the results in the Lockport Township 13th precinct where Soliman dominated with 81% of the vote Crest Hill Mayor Ray Soliman speaks at a Veterans Day service at the American Legion Post 1080 in Joliet (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf) He previously served as a Crest Hill police officer (1980 to 1985) a member of the Plan Commission (1991 to 1993) and as 1st Ward alderman (1993 to 2009) This was Coladipietro’s first time running for elected office Races for other elected city offices including clerk; treasurer; and alderpersons for the 1st Plainfield Mayor John Argoudelis shares his memories of the 1990 tornado during the "When Seconds Matter" workshop March 22 Argoudelis appears to have easily won a second term as village president of Plainfield The incumbent staved off three challengers – Kevin Calkins, Margie Bonuchi and Cally Larson – by winning 64% of the votes in Will County and 61% of the votes in Kendall County on Tuesday night. This will be Argoudelis’ second term after first being elected as village president in 2021, succeeding Michael Collins. The race for the one village trustee seat up for election was unopposed. ExpandA sign sits in front of the future site of the Lockport Township Fire Protection District Training and Maintenance Facility on Tuesday Crest Hill — The Crest Hill Plan Commission granted approval to a final plan for the Lockport Township Fire Protection District’s proposed training center The LTFPD first revealed the plan last year and now will bring it before the Crest Hill City Council for final approval in April and I think the votes showed that,” LTFPD Chief John O’Connor said located on the south side of Division Street west of Broadway Street and east of Weber Road near the Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill would provide training grounds and facilities for a wide range of situations for the LTFPD as well as for local police departments and the Will County Emergency Management Agency the Plan Commission split the approval of the plans into three action items Two of the items received unanimous approval The controversial item involves the LTFPD’s partnership with the Lockport Police Department to build a gun range on the site for local agencies to use for training purposes Crest Hill already is home to two gun ranges for police training and some residents expressed concern about increased noise Illinois State Police has a gun range just east of the proposed site on Division Street Joliet firefighter/paramedic Dominic Minnito and Joliet Deputy Fire Chief John Stachelski pose for a photo at the Lockport Fire District Awards Banquet on April 12 (Photo Provided by Fire Chief John O'Connor) “Nothing has changed in our building plans,” O’Connor said after the meeting we hired a sound engineer to do a study on the volume of different types of guns in an outdoor range with the kinds of mitigations we’ve put in place With elevated berms on three sides and a sound barrier wall on the back of an outdoor range O’Connor said the engineering report showed that the sound of gunfire in the range as designed would make a 45-decibel sound he said the volume of normal human conversation is 60 decibels and a whispering voice is about 25 decibels but it isn’t going to be very loud,” O’Connor said “You already have two other ranges in that vicinity Unless the other agencies choose to stop using those you will always have some gun noise in Ward 2.” Lockport police will be among the area departments to be using a gun range at the proposed Lockport Township Fire Protection District's training facility in Crest Hill The gun range will be used by the Lockport Police Department the Romeoville Police Department (for rifle training only) the Lewis University Police Department and for LTFPD arson investigators “The state gave us this land for free,” O’Connor said “We had no mandate to let other organizations use it O’Connor said that the plans received support from local officials, including state Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood; state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet; Will County EMA Director Allison Anderson; and multiple local police chiefs the 13-acre property will be home to a four-story structure made of repurposed shipping containers that would be used to simulate multiple emergency situations The center also will include classrooms and emergency vehicle maintenance bays; areas for live fire training; hazmat and car crash simulations; K-9 and drone search training; and a pond for water rescue drills in all weather In the event of an emergency or natural disaster the facility also will be equipped to be used as a backup emergency operations center for the Will County EMA “I anticipate this being an enormous success for improving safety once we get past this hurdle,” O’Connor said The plans will move on to a City Council workshop before coming up for a final council vote in late April the LTFPD hopes to go to bid on the project this spring O’Connor said the department estimates a one-year timetable for completed construction on both the training facility and the gun range The cost of the project is estimated at $16 million which will be paid through bonds and will not increase taxes for residents of the fire protection district When asked whether the budget for the project could increase due to anticipated inflation on materials because of tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, including steel and lumber, O’Connor said he is not too concerned. “We got our estimates a year ago, when concrete prices were up and interest rates were high,” he said. “Every year that passes, some material costs go up, but the interest rates have come down and could continue to come down, so we’re hoping that might even it out.” Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application entered into his heavenly home on Wednesday three grandchildren and four great grandchildren Wayne was preceded in death by his parents Kevin Thomas and sister Lavinia Swann.  Wayne was a United States Army Veteran and retired from IBM after 30 years of service He was a member of the Joliet American Legion Band and member of “RVICS” Roving Volunteers in Christ Service for 10 years Wayne served as the Choir Director at Hazel Crest United Methodist Church in earlier years and recently attended Faith Bible Church in Joliet for 15 years and served as the Choir Director there as well.  A Memorial Service will be held for Wayne on Saturday In lieu of flowers, donations to Faith Bible Church Missions www.faithbiblejoliet.org or Lighways Hospice lightways.org would be appreciated Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Crest Hill (Photo provided by Will County Sheriff's Office) A Crest Hill man has been charged with the Dec. 8 attempted murder and robbery of a 57-year-old man in Joliet has been in the Will County jail on charges of attempted first-degree murder aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in connection with the incident A firearm recovered in the investigation has been linked to two unsolved shootings in Joliet, according to a court filing from Will County Assistant State’s Attorney James Long. Long said Williamson poses a “real and present danger” to the public because he tried to “strong-arm rob” a random 57-year-old victim, who managed to flee from Williamson until he pulled a gun on the victim. Williamson allegedly tried to get into the vehicle that the victim retreated into, and when Williamson could not get in and the victim did not get out, Williamson “shot multiple rounds” at the victim, Long said. “[The victim] was not struck by a round,” Long said. “[The] victim’s vehicle was struck, including through the windshield at the head level. The victim took off and called the police.” Renwick Road in Crest Hill reason “didn’t translate to the support we needed to keep our dream alive” and hinted that at a possible revival of Jitterhead but we’re not defeated,“ according to the Jitterhead Facebook post we hope to breathe life back into Jitterhead in a space that’s better suited for the concept we’ve poured so much of ourselves into we’re taking a step back to refocus and plan for what’s next.” cilantro and pickled radish served with ranchero sauce sits on the table at Jitterhead on Wednesday Jitterhead offered breakfast and lunch menus along with a variety of nonalcoholic beverages We welcome news about business developments in our communities. We appreciate hearing about local business comings and goings, new hours, expansions, and milestones in the Joliet area. If you have a tip to share for Eyes on Enterprise, email news@theherald-news.com. ExpandA Joliet Police Department squad vehicle Officers in Joliet and Crest Hill are investigating three shootings reported within a roughly 29-hour time span between Sunday and Tuesday At 10 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to shooting in the 500 block of Campbell Street in Joliet and discovered a residence damaged by multiple rounds of gunfire, said Joliet Police Sgt More than 20 spent shell casings were found at the scene and while the residence was occupied officers responded to a shooting in the 16000 block of Palm Drive in Crest Hill according to a statement from Crest Hill Police Officers found no one injured in the incident or any threat to the community officers responded to yet another shooting at Division and North Broadway streets in Joliet Spent shell casings were found in an alleyway behind the 400 block of North Broadway Street photos or videos on the Joliet shootings should contact the Joliet Police Department’s investigation unit at 815-724-3020 The Joliet Police Department’s SWAT team assisted Crest Hill police in the execution of a search warrant regarding the Palm Drive shooting leading to the collection of additional evidence and information,” Crest Hill police officials said photos or videos on the Palm Drive shootings should also contact the Crest Hill Department’s investigation unit at 815-741-5115 Those who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Will County at 800-323-6734 or online at crimestoppersofwillcounty.org. Shawn was born to and was preceded in death by his mother Shawn was the dedicated and loving father of Cal Hudson He was devoted to making every moment with them a lasting memory and Christine (Matt) Conlon; cherished uncle of Aaron (Jill) Grace and Colton; and proud grand uncle of Eleanor and Elijah. Shawn was with UPS for 10 years most recently in the role of supervisor He loved spending as much time outdoors as he could and encouraged those around him to love it too He never missed a good day at the beach with his kids warmth and kindness had a lasting impact on those around him; whether through massage therapy or words of affirmation Shawn will be missed by all who knew and loved him The family will receive friends at Kurtz Memorial Chapel ExpandThe execution of a search warrant on Tuesday in the 1100 block of Elizabeth Court in Crest Hill was carried out by the Joliet Police Department's Special Operations Squad One man has been detained after Joliet police SWAT team members, detectives and officers executed a search warrant in Elizabeth Court in Crest Hill. The search warrant was executed about 10 a.m. Tuesday on a unit of an apartment building in the 1100 block of Elizabeth Court, which is just outside the city limits of Joliet. The apartment building is next to Ingalls Avenue. Members of the Joliet Police Department’s Special Operations Squad, Crisis Negotiation Team, detectives and officers were serving the search warrant as “part of an open and active investigation,” police Sgt. Dwayne English said. “One adult male has been detained after exiting the residence. There is no threat to the community and detectives remain on the scene at this hour conducting their investigation,” English said. Crest Hill police officers were also on the scene. 2025 at 1:55 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Crest Hill police arrested 32-year-old New Lenox resident Gregory Podobnik on several charges (Mugshot via Will County Jail )CREST HILL — A 32-year-old New Lenox resident has been denied pretrial release by Will County Judge Derek Ewanic in connection with his weekend arrest by Crest Hill police on allegations he tried to suffocate a woman causing her to lose vision in one of her eyes Gregory Podobnik was booked into the Will County Jail around 5 a.m Saturday and now that his pretrial release was denied Podobnik was charged with two counts of aggravated domestic battery and four counts of domestic battery According to the prosecution's petition to deny pretrial release Crest Hill police responded to the 1800 block of Marlboro Lane around 1 a.m the victim told the officers that she and Podobnik were arguing and he kicked the bedroom door in and pushed her she believed he would leave and stay with his family members in New Lenox court documents note that the officers learned that Podobnik had returned to the Crest Hill location and threw a toy at the woman and he pulled her off the bed and started choking her She felt his thumbs going into the base of her neck and she could not breathe Podobnik then hit the woman in the eye with his elbow The woman then hit Podobnik in the groin and ran from her residence Prosecutors say Podobnik was chasing after her when the paramedics arrived Court files note that the woman had red marks on her neck and she could not see out of her swollen eye when the Crest Hill police arrived he had bite marks on his arms and a bloody lip He denied hitting the Crest Hill woman and claimed he did not know how she hurt her eye He still has pending criminal charges in Will County from 2024 and 2023 both involving possession of controlled substances "He has multiple felony drug related convictions," prosecutor Steven Platek wrote Jail logs list Podobnik as residing in the 22500 block of South Country Lane in New Lenox He was in the jail twice in 2024 and once in 2023 which makes uses fresh ingredients to make healthy Burger City, which makes uses fresh ingredients to make healthy, tasty meals, opened its Crest Hill location on Jan Burger City’s Crest Hill menu includes 10 varieties of burgers seven types of salads and a wide assortment of sides For more information, call 815-763-1952 or visit theburgercity.com ExpandFile photo of a Joliet Fire Department ambulance pulling up to Ascension Saint Joseph – Joliet hospital (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf) A Crest Hill man who died on Christmas morning at a Joliet hospital after he was taken into police custody was suffering from a cardiac arrest The task force has been assigned to investigate Malito’s death at a hospital after he had been taken into police custody at the Shell gas station at 401 S The primary reason a Joliet Fire Department’s emergency crew responded to the scene was for a cardiac arrest according to a paramedic report obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request The primary impression of Malito’s condition was “cardiac/traumatic/respiratory arrest,” according to the report The secondary impression was “[alcohol/drug exposure-other substance related].“ said the cause of Malito’s death will be determined by Coroner Laurie Summers “once she releases her final report.” “In terms of any substance in [Malito’s] system Joliet police officials said officers found a vehicle belonging to Malito that had been damaged after striking a fence and a tree. McQuaid said the task force believes Malito had been operating that vehicle, but that is “still under investigation.” At 4:25 a.m. Dec. 25, officers responded to the Shell station after Malito made a 911 call claiming “someone had pulled a gun on him and was trying to kill him,” according to Joliet police officials. File photo of a Joliet police squad vehicle seen on Aug. 1, 2022 in Joliet. (Gary Middendorf/Gary Middendorf) Officers found no evidence at the time to support Malito’s claim, police said. Malito was exhibiting “erratic behavior,” making irrational statements and appeared to have been under the influence of an “unknown substance,” police said. The emergency crew initially was sent to the gas station for a “psychiatric evaluation” of a person “acting erratic in [a] parking lot,” according to the paramedic report. “Moments prior to arrival, crew was informed by dispatch that the [patient] was detained by [officers] and no longer breathing,” according to the report. The crew arrived to find Malito unconscious, struggling to breathe, and “prone on the pavement, head turned right and his hands cuffed behind his back.” “[Officers] stated he was acting erratic, not making sense and sweating [profusely]. [Officers] stated the [patient] became aggressive with them, requiring them to detain him on the ground,” according to the report. After officers handcuffed Malito, they saw he was “purple in color and not breathing,” according to the report. Officers said they administered the anti-overdose medication Narcan to Malito. The crew “noted no pulse” and requested officers remove the handcuffs and turn Malito over, according to the report. Malito was given CPR and Narcan. Paramedics were dispatched to the scene at 4:31 a.m., arrived at 4:36 a.m., provided Malito emergency care and took him to Ascension Saint Joseph-Joliet hospital at 4:51 a.m., according to the report. At 5:14 a.m., Malito was declared dead at the hospital, according to the coroner’s office. 2024 at 1:04 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}(File image John Ferak/Patch)JOLIET — Late on Thursday night Will County Coroner Laurie Summers announced that an autopsy was performed following the Christmas morning death of David J Malito died less than 50 minutes after he called 911 after running from his damaged car over to the Shell gas station at Larkin Avenue and McDonough Street The Joliet police went to the gas station and while he remained at the Shell he exhibited erratic behavior and was making irrational statements Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English has said Malito was also sweating profusely and repeatedly claimed that someone was trying to kill him the officers believed he might have been under the influence of an unknown substance to ensure his safety and the safety of those around him the officers attempted to detain the man and requested an ambulance for a medical evaluation act erratically and struggle with the officers He was detained in handcuffs after he fell to the ground after pulling away from the officers said Malito was pronounced dead at 5:14 a.m which is just a couple of miles away from the Shell station The Will Grundy Major Crimes Task Force is now investigating Malito's death and the final cause and manner will be determined following the autopsy the officers involved in Malito's death have all been on put on paid leave from their agency and said he is also connected to a shooting inside his family's Crest Hill subdivision in February The quiet Crest Hill subdivision was terrorized after a hail of gunfire took place around supper time Feb 10 spent 9mm cartridges were recovered by Crest Hill police Williamson was taken to the Will County Jail by Joliet police on Feb aggravated discharge of a gun and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon According to the prosecution's successful petition to deny Williamson's pretrial release a 57-year-old Joliet man was in the 100 block of Iowa Avenue to look at a vacant property up for sale The man went to the house alone and parked in the driveway Williamson walked up to him and asked about possibly renting the house Williamson told the middle-aged man that he wanted $50 for helping him out Williamson pulled out his loaded handgun and pointed it at the 57-year-old and told him he was going to shoot unless the man gave him the money The victim ran out of the house and as he started his car and began to drive away Williamson fired his gun at the man several times The 57-year-old man was not hit by the bullets but his front windshield sustained gunshot damage Joliet police recovered at least four spent cartridges from the east side shooting scene Although the random crime remained unsolved for two months Joliet police later linked the shooting back to Williamson as a result of the subsequent subdivision shooting in Crest Hill at 6:04 p.m 10 gunshot cartridges were recovered from Williamson's backyard Details Of Palm Drive Shooting Revealed By Prosecutors When Crest Hill officers responded to the Palm Drive shots fired call on Feb police obtained video footage from a neighbor that showed muzzle flashes coming from the backyard of the Williamson family's house in the 16000 block of Palm Drive and Williamson "got uncooperative and refused to provide any information," court files claim Williamson's mother told Crest Hill police that she her husband and her son moved to Palm Drive from Bolingbrook in October The mother indicated there were no guns inside their house and that her teenage son has never had a gun Crest Hill police saw a bullet hole in the fence of the Williamson property and Alex Williamson Jr refused to allow the police to process his yard for evidence Crest Hill police obtained a search warrant and the next day Crest Hill police recovered several spent casings on top of the storage cabinet and several more on the ground in front of the storage cabinet Police confiscated a Glock magazine from the kitchen drawer The defendant's parents told the police that their son was out with his girlfriend around the time of their subdivision's shooting even though officers told the parents "there was video of someone shooting in his backyard and over the fence and that person went into the house through the back door," prosecutors noted Court documents note that a projectile entered a nearby home and struck the drywall in the living room of a neighbor's house Will County's prosecutors informed the judge that video obtained from neighbors showed a light colored sedan driving north on Palm Drive and when the car turned onto Arborvitae Circle muzzle flashes are seen in the backyard of the Williamson's home which was also where the spent shell casings were recovered with gunshots appearing to be directed at the sedan a gun was recovered by police in an area behind the Williamson home Joliet police's December shooting victim viewed a photo lineup of six people and he identified Williamson as the person who tried to shoot him on Iowa Avenue 2025 at 11:29 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time and is being investigated by the Lockport Fire Investigators (Image via Lockport Township Fire Protection District)CREST HILL — The Lockport Township Fire Protection District issued a press release announcing that firefighters extinguished a two-story house on Tuesday morning around 9 a.m Lockport Township Fire Protection District responded to the structure fire in the 16300 Block of Rookery Drive in Crest Hill The residents had arrived home and discovered the house was full of smoke and called 911 Crews on scene were able to get the fire under control quickly which appeared to start on the second floor and the Crest Hill Building Department responded to the scene Red Cross was notified due to the home being uninhabitable and no injuries were reported The fire was upgraded to a general alarm which brought in mutual aid assistance from Lemont and Romeoville Fire Departments to assist with covering the rest of the fire district The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time and is being investigated by the Lockport Fire Investigators 2025 at 11:11 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Jitterhead Breakfast Brunch & Coffee at the Renwick Plaza never caught on It closed last month after being open for less than a year (John Ferak/Joliet Patch Editor)CREST HILL — With the month of February the property owners of the Renwick Plaza in Crest Hill are once again trying to find a new anchor tenant as the Jitterhead Breakfast Brunch and Coffee announced it had served its last meal in late January it is with a heavy heart that we announce the permanent closing of Jitterhead," the owners posted on their Facebook page on Jan but it comes from a place of deep gratitude and love .. "While our vision and passion for Jitterhead were clear and it didn’t translate to the support we needed to keep our dream alive we’re taking a step back to refocus and plan for what’s next ..." Jitterhead did not even last a full year in Crest Hill Joliet Patch wrote about its opening last June The article indicated that after five months of renovations to the former Crusade Burger Bar II opened their Jitterhead Breakfast Brunch & Coffee at the Renwick Plaza Jitterhead was considered a family-owned restaurant serving up delicious brunch & handcrafted coffees Jitterhead had replaced the Crusade Burger II which never captured the same success as its original location for Crusade Burger in Yorkville along the Fox River Crusade Burger II replaced the Burger Rebellion "Burger Rebellion Fails At Crest Hill Location." Burger Rebellion had opened Jan. 25, 2021, near the corner of Renwick Road and Weber Road during the coronavirus pandemic, but its run in Crest Hill ended on a down note. Restaurant owner Dale Lewis has closed up his Burger Rebellion restaurant, which he said was a similar concept to the Crusade Burger in Yorkville Given the string of back-to-back to back failures at 20631 West Renwick Road maybe the idea of opening a restaurant isn't such a bright idea Perhaps the property would be better suited for a medical clinic 2025 at 12:00 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Crest Hill police said a pickup truck driver was involved in a crash with a tanker truck on Plainfield Road just before 12:30 a.m with the pickup becoming trapped underneath the tanker IL — It took emergency crews more than 30 minutes to extricate a pickup truck driver after his vehicle became trapped underneath a fuel tanker truck after midnight on Plainfield Road in Crest Hill Police responded to the serious crash just before 12:30 a.m after the pickup became trapped under the tanker that had just finished refilling gasoline at the Speedway gas station in the 2400 block of Plainfield Road Citing "extensive damage" to the pickup truck police said crews worked to extricate the driver Crest Hill police requested assistance from Illinois State Police for accident reconstruction and the Will County Sheriff's Office assisted with traffic control including completely shutting down Route 30 in both directions for several hours Police sent out community notifications through the Everbridge system to alert residents of the road closure When the investigation was completed at 4:30 a.m a second alert was sent to notify residents investigators determined that the pickup truck driver was impaired He was arrested for DUI and traffic offenses including failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident Police did not say what condition the pickup truck driver was in as of late Friday morning CREST HILL — The Lockport Township Fire Protection District extinguished a burning house on Monday evening around dinner time that caused significant damage According to deputy fire chief James Grady: the Lockport Township Fire Protection District responded to a reported garage fire in the 20400 Block of Kingsbrook Drive in Crest Hill and the fire which appeared to start in the garage extended into the two-story home causing significant damage to the garage and to the house Crest Hill Building Department was on scene and assessed the residence The fire was upgraded to a full-still which brought in mutual aid assistance from Romeoville and Plainfield Fire Departments to the scene Crest Hill — The Diocese of Joliet has listed the former St. Anne church building in Crest Hill for sale It is the second church property to be placed on the market in recent months after the diocese’s consolidation and restructuring plan that went into effect this summer A priest greets parish members before the start of the final Mass held at St The listing for St. Anne was spotted on the Coldwell Bank’s Real Estate website by members of a Crest Hill residents Facebook group who noted that a for sale sign also has been placed on the former church’s lawn The listing mentions that the 9,400-square-foot structure includes the 300-seat church itself as well as a 2,800-square-foot hall and a 1,050-square-foot hall with attached kitchen facilities It also describes the property as “very well maintained and surrounded by extremely nice homes.” Although the listing describes the property as “commercial,” it does not mention any potential site uses, unlike the St. Jude listing from Karges Real Estate which suggested the property as “an ideal theater space.” diocese general counsel Mary Ann McLean said that the decision was reached sometime after the initial announcement was made in January as the result of “listening sessions” between members of the St Paul communities and the diocese restructuring team The Herald-News reached out to the Diocese of Joliet on Wednesday for comment on the St Like St. Jude, the former St. Anne building officially was decreed by Bishop Ronald Hicks to be reduced to “profane but not sordid use” in August, although no large public announcement was made at the time by the diocese. St. Jude’s decree was issued Aug. 15, while the St. Anne decree was issued Aug. 25. The decree paved the way for the buildings to be sold for other purposes, although it is unclear whether all the decommissioned churches were similarly decreed or only ones planned for sale. Despite the decommissioning of the buildings, some of the photos of the church on the real estate listing still included religious artifacts, including the parish crucifix in the church building, something multiple residents objected to in the Facebook post. It is not immediately apparent when the photos from the listing were taken or if the cross has since been removed from the site, as initially was stated in the Targeted Restructuring Plan. ExpandRepresentative Lauren Underwood presents a $200,000 grant check to Crest Hill officials at the Crest Hill City Hall on Jan (Photo Provided by the City of Crest Hill) Lauren Underwood’s office to conduct water system tests ahead of its planned transition to Lake Michigan Water which was acquired through Community Projects Funding on Jan According to Crest Hill City Engineer Ron Wiedeman the funding will go toward corrosion testing of the city’s water systems to make sure it is equipped to handle the change to Lake Michigan water “The testing being completed involves collecting 10 pipe samples from residents' homes,” Wiedeman said one of which are either lead or galvanized iron where lead solder was used for the joints “The test is looking to see how the new Lake Michigan water supply reacts with existing service line,” Wiedeman said “The testing will determine if any additional treatments are needed so that it meets all drinking water standards and requirements “The city wants to ensure that the residents of Crest Hill are getting the best water quality possible.” The corrosion testing should be complete by the end of this year Wiedeman also noted that if there is a problematic reaction with the lake water in the existing pipes it will likely not require full system replacements “We do not believe that replacement of water services will be needed,” he said based on the results of the testing should be able to be handled with additional treatments at the city water receiving stations but until we receive the results of the testing any corrective measures are yet to be determined.” “This study is an important step in the transition that will ensure the community continues to have access to safe and clean water,” the statement said. This round of testing is the second half of the study necessary to determine if any remediating measures are necessary. Mayor Raymond Soliman and members of the City Council received the grant check from Underwood, and Soliman expressed his and the city’s gratitude to her for providing it. Crest Hill plans to finish the transition to Lake Michigan water in 2030. ExpandCrest Hill Mayor Ray Soliman speaks at the Veterans Day service at the American Legion Post 1080 in Joliet in November 2022 Candidates are beginning to file for various local offices up for election in the spring Candidate’s paperwork and nominating petitions for April 1, 2025, municipal elections is due at the Will County Clerk’s office between Nov Candidates will appear on the ballot in order of submission of their paperwork In Lockport elections in April will be held for seats on the City Council and local city offices as well as for school boards treasurer and clerk – currently held by Steven Streit respectively – are all up for election as well as four aldermen seats Mayor Steven Streit talks at the Lockport City Council meeting on Wednesday Streit was first elected to office as Mayor in April 2013 and has said that he will seek a fourth term in the office The aldermen whose terms end in April are Susan King Tim Ozinga of Mokena when he resigned earlier this year 2 3 and 4 – are four-year terms that are also up Soliman was first elected as mayor in April 2009 He has confirmed he will be seeking reelection for a fifth term Lockport Township High School District 205 Board President Ann Lopez-Caneva speaks at the reopening celebration of the Lockport High School Central Campus on Friday The majority of the seats on the Lockport Township High School District board are also up for reelection in spring The terms of Board President Ann Lopez-Caneva Residents will also be asked to vote on two seats which were filled by appointees since the last election in 2023 Thies and Gerritsen’s seats are both up for two-year terms in 2025, while the rest of the board is running for four-year seats. 2025 at 2:00 pm CSTExpandJennifer Westcott holds an order of Huevo Rancheros at Jitterhead on Wednesday A Crest Hill brunch restaurant that opened in June was inspired by a restaurant in Colorado Jitterhead Brunch & Coffee Co. at 20631 W. Renwick Road in Crest Hill is part of Head Honcho Restaurant Group, which is owned by Megan and Jose Diaz of Plainfield and Megan’s sister, Lauren Imbo of Joliet Megan said that when she and her husband Jose traveled to Colorado in 2012 she really loved the venue’s approach to breakfast and wanted to bring that to the Joliet area one day A plate of the avocado egg bagel sits on the table at Jitterhead on Wednesday “It had really unique dishes and a really cool environment,” Megan said “It felt really different from most of the breakfast places you see around here and the dishes were not just classic omelets and other items It had some more unique variations of those options that we really liked.” Megan said Jitterhead offers in-person dining, carryout and delivery. And Jitterhead’s most popular dish so far is its Build-Your-Own Potato Bowl: breakfast potatoes topped with two eggs cooked to the customer’s preference and their choice of topping. is best known for its brunch and specialty coffees “They’re very similar to a skillet but just not served in a skillet,” Megan said However, Megan’s favorite Jitterhead menu item is the carnitas benedict due to its unique meat and toppings: an English muffin topped with carnitas, two eggs your way, hollandaise sauce, pickled radish, fresh jalapeño, cilantro and diced white onion. “I’ve never seen it anywhere else,” Megan said Megan also encourages patrons to check out the restaurant’s lunch menu “We have a really good Philly cheesesteak sandwich,” she said A plate of the huevo rancheros – two tostadas topped with black beans cilantro and pickled radish served with ranchero sauce – sits on the table at Jitterhead on Wednesday Jitterhead also has a full-service bar that’s open at 7 a.m for breakfast Monday through Saturday and at 10 a.m “We do classic beverages like mimosa and a Bloody Marys,” Megan said We definitely want people to know we have those offerings.” Jitterhead also serves a wide variety of coffees and teas, along with a variety of nonalcoholic beverages. serves a variety of specialty coffees including the Candy Cane Cappuccino on Wednesday Megan said the Head Honcho Restaurant Group opened its first restaurant in May 2021 when Nancy Kveton couldn’t operate Sanctuary Events due to COVID-19 restrictions and wanted to bring revenue into that space So they opened Juicehead and served smoothies and that became more of a café,” Megan said Jitterhead also is going through a small expansion Megan said weekday hours will run from 7 a.m “You need to be willing to make changes in order to make your clientele happy.” “It would still be the same menu,” Megan said “And the weekend hours would stay the same.” A plate of apple cinnamon waffles sits on the table at Jitterhead on Wednesday Megan said the restaurant industry has gone through “lot of ups and downs,” especially since the COVID-19 pandemic Listening to customer feedback is important “You need to be willing to make changes in order to make your clientele happy,” Megan said For more information, call Jitterhead at 630-757-9059 or visit headhonchogroup.com/jitterhead INFORMATION: Call Jitterhead at 630-757-9059 or visit headhonchogroup.com/jitterhead. 2024 at 5:12 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Tamica Neal of Crest Hill's North Hickory Street is eligible for a sentence of either probation or 1 to 3 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (2023 mugshot via Will County Jail )CREST HILL — The staff of Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced on Thursday that a Will County jury found Tamica Neal guilty of one count of aggravated cruelty to animals and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following a four-day jury trial before Judge John Connor According to the press release from Glasgow's agency the Crest Hill Police Department was dispatched to 1906 North Hickory Street for a disturbance involving Neal and her boyfriend Witnesses tried to break up the altercation and Neal ran out of the bedroom to the kitchen Neal grabbed a knife and swung it at the victims The owner of the home had a female dog that was stabbed by the defendant in the body and later succumbed to its injuries Neal is now eligible for a sentence of either probation or 1 to 3 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections Glasgow thanked Assistant State’s Attorneys Victim Witness Advocate Elizabeth Ruiz and the Crest Hill Police Department for their hard work and dedication in this matter Related Joliet Patch coverage of Tamica Neal: ExpandFirefighters from the Lockport Township Fire Protection District inspect damage to a Crest Hill home after extinguishing a fire on Tuesday (Photo Provided by Lockport Township Fire Protection District) Crest Hill — About 9 a.m. Tuesday, the Lockport Township Fire Protection District responded to a fire in the 16300 block of Rookery Drive in Crest Hill. Fire companies arrived at the scene to find an active fire in a two-story single-family home after the residents called 911 according to a Facebook post from the fire district Lockport Township firefighters stand outside the Crest Hill home where a fire broke out the morning of Tuesday (Photo Provided by the Lockport Township Fire Protection District) The residents reportedly contacted emergency services after returning home in the morning and finding the house full of smoke Crews at the scene were able to get the fire under control quickly but the fire caused “significant damage” to the home The Crest Hill Building Department responded to the scene and declared the home uninhabitable resulting in utilities to the building being shut off but the American Red Cross also was called to the scene to assist the residents It is unknown at this time what started the fire but the blaze is believed to have started on the second floor Lockport fire investigators are investigating the cause The Lockport Township Fire Protection District thanked fire crews from Lemont, Homer, East Joliet, Bolingbrook and Romeoville who assisted in covering the rest of the district. 2025 at 10:52 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A 41-year-old Crest Hill man faces charges in connection with a house fire on Caton Farm Road (Image via Lockport Township Fire District )CREST HILL — Zachary Siegel has been charged with the felony crime of arson by the Will County State's Attorney's Office in connection with last May's house fire that was seen by tens of thousands of people across the Joliet area skyline According to the criminal complaint from Crest Hill Detective Joel Steen Siegel is accused of using fire or explosives on May 10 by damaging the house and its contents at 1231 Caton Farm Road The fire damage was estimated at $150,000 to $200,000 Joliet Patch reported last year that the fire broke out around 7:20 p.m According to Lockport Township Fire District then-deputy fire chief Frank Blaskey fire companies arrived to find a vacant two-story single-family house with heavy fire showing The fire caused the majority of the house to collapse and damaged the detached garage along with some vehicles in the rear Companies were on the scene approximately three and a half hours working to extinguish spot fires in the collapsed debris The house was being rehabbed but unoccupied at the time of the fire The fire mutual aid assistance to the scene from Plainfield and Romeoville fire departments who lives in the 2400 block of Hacker Drive in Crest Hill has retained downtown Joliet criminal defense attorney Chuck Bretz Siegel is on the court docket for a hearing on Thursday morning in Courtroom 405 He has not been booked into the Will County Jail in connection with his arson charge A warrant for his arrest was issued on Monday by Will County Judge Art Smigielski Bretz told Joliet Patch on Wednesday evening that Siegel voluntarily appeared before Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak this week and the judge agreed to quash the arrest warrant "He did voluntarily turn himself in," Bretz told Patch Bretz and Siegel will be in court on Thursday morning for a status hearing on the arson charge Bretz said the prosecutors have not turned over all the police and fire reports related to the case "We intend to vigorously defend against this charge and we believe the evidence will ultimately show he is not guilty of this offense," Bretz said of Zachary Siegel Two people were extricated from vehicles and hospitalized following a two-vehicle crash in Crest Hill On Wednesday afternoon, “multiple crews” responded to the scene of a crash at Broadway and Division streets in Crest Hill, according to the Lockport Township Fire Protection District. Crest Hill Police Chief Ed Clark said there was an “extrication” of the one of the occupants of the two vehicles involved the crash but the injuries were “non-life-threatening.” The two vehicles had “heavy damage,” said Lockport Township Deputy Fire Chief Jim Grady. Two people were extricated from vehicles and taken to a hospital, Grady said. “Condition of both patients unknown at this time,” Grady said. 2024 at 1:22 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A resident of Crest Hill's Gaylord Road (Mugshot via Will County Jail)CREST HILL — A 40-year-old Crest Hill man staying in the 2300 block of Gaylord Road will remain in the Will County Jail after Judge Donald DeWilkins deemed Matthew Kealey too dangerous of a person to let out of jail Crest Hill police arrested Kealey on two charges of aggravated battery and two counts of domestic battery The criminal complaint indicates Kealey attacked a man who is more than 60 years old According to the Will County State's Attorney's Office petition to deny pretrial release: Crest Hill police were called to the house on Gaylord Road for a domestic incident while police cars were headed to the house it was a woman who advised that Kealey was intoxicated and causing problems She notified authorities that the victim was bleeding Crest Hill police spoke with Kealey at the scene Kealey claimed he asked the victim a question and the victim attacked him by holding Kealey's throat police found no marks on Kealey's throat but "blood all over the front top portion of his jeans and on the watch that he was wearing," the petition outlined Kealey claimed the blood on his pants came from his finger but Crest Hill police saw no injuries to the defendant the man held a towel to his forehead and had a significant amount of blood on his T-shirt He also had a deep laceration on his forehead above his right eye A Lockport Township ambulance was summoned The victim told police that Kealey pushed him across the room and slammed him into the entertainment cabinet Kealey called him names and threatened to cut him with a knife in his hands The victim's wife told Crest Hill police that Kealey was going through a divorce and has been staying at their house "Defendant has recently been at a mental health facility and claims he is bipolar and an alcoholic," prosecutors noted and he began yelling and raising his voice upon his return Kealey took off his shirt and began calling the victim a bitch pulling out his pocket knife and threatening to harm the victim causing the injury to the older man's forehead Kealey admitted to the police that he pushed the man down he wouldn't change anything," prosecutors informed the judge The victim's injuries required two internal stitches and five external stitches The victim told the police that Kealey attacked him on one prior occasion Kealey's criminal past includes a pending February charge of DUI and past convictions for battery ExpandWill County sheriff's deputies conduct a search for suspected burglars on Monday Will County sheriff’s deputies had guns drawn and shields up as they searched abandoned properties near Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm in Crest Hill and arrested two men on burglary charges On Monday, Manuel Gonzalez-Martinez, 24, and Jose Rangel, 44, both of Joliet were apprehended on burglary charges after deputies searched an abandoned brick building and residence off Weber Road Sheriff’s deputies and Crest Hill police had responded to the scene midday Monday Southbound traffic on Weber Road was closed but northbound traffic was allowed to continue moving Deputies were gathered outside a brick building at 17104 Weber Road that is in Lockport Township “Put your hands behind above your head” to whoever was inside the building Deputies first responded to the incident about noon on Monday for a report of a “suspicious garage door open of an unoccupied abandoned building that had recently been burglarized,” according to a statement from Will County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer. Deputies saw a broken window that had been boarded up, Hoffmeyer said. One deputy heard “rustling in the nearby foliage” and saw a man “take off running while yelling in Spanish toward the building,” she said. Manuel Gonzalez-Martinez (left) and Jose Rangel. (Felix Sarver) Hoffmeyer said it was as if the man was warning another person at the scene. The man was wearing a “multicolored face mask” and he held an “object/tool in his hand,” Hoffmeyer said. “As the deputy pursued him, [the man] ran south into brush areas where the deputy lost sight of him a few times,” Hoffmeyer said. More deputies arrived on scene to “set up a wide perimeter” and pursue the man as well, Hoffmeyer said. The face mask was recovered by police and the man was seen near a pond, then west of the brick building and was caught “near a gravel pile on the property,” she said. The man was Gonzalez-Martinez and he was found with “two burglary tools and ammunition in his pockets,” Hoffmeyer said. Will County sheriff's deputies conduct a search for suspected burglars on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, at a property at 17104 Weber Road, Lockport Township, just north of Siegel's Cottonwood Farm. (Felix Sarver) Since deputies suspected a second person was involved in the incident, they entered the brick building but found no one inside, Hoffmeyer said. The deputies then searched an abandoned home on an adjoining property and found no one inside, she said. After a property owner notified deputies regarding an access point that was “difficult to locate,” deputies conducted another search and found Rangel, Hoffmeyer said. While conducting a perimeter walk of the property, deputies discovered a moped, a bucket filled with pieces of cut copper and a keyring with several keys that did not belong to the property owner, Hoffmeyer said. “Deputies also located a large collection of copper piping in the grass and a large garbage can filled with cut copper piping,” Hoffmeyer said. Will County sheriff's deputies conduct a search for suspected burglars on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, at a property at 17062 Weber Road, Lockport Township, just north of Siegel's Cottonwood Farm. (Felix Sarver) A new Shell gas station and Dunkin' is coming to the corner of Route 53 and Caton Farm Road in Crest Hill A Shell facility with a Dunkin’ and convenience store is under construction at Route 53 and Caton Farm Road in Crest Hill community and economic development director for the city of Crest Hill Permits have been issued and inspects have been done The plan is to – hopefully – open this fall “They’ve run into some unexpected conditions – underlying gas lines and bedrock,” Mentzer said “Hopefully they’ll get it open this fall.” We welcome news about business developments in our communities. We appreciate hearing about local business comings and goings, new hours, expansions, and milestones in the Joliet area. If you have a tip to share for Eyes on Enterprise, email news@theherald-news.com. 2025 at 4:08 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Police responded around 3:45 p.m to an emergency call about a disturbance in the 8500 block of Cermak Road where they encountered a situation involving the man IL — A Crest Hill man armed with two knives was fatally shot by an officer Sunday in North Riverside Family identified the man as Jose Evans, age 42, WLS reported an officer discharged their firearm in defense of another individual striking the male subject who was armed with two knives,” the Village of North Riverside said in a social media post “… We want to assure the community that this was an isolated domestic incident and there is no broader threat to the public Our officers acted to protect the safety of others present at the scene.” The man was taken to a hospital and later died who said no officers were hurt and the North Riverside officers on scene were wearing body cameras Cellphone video released by WLS showed Evans running from police with the knives in his hands as the officers fire "Somebody has to take accountability," his cousin His family told WLS Evans was visiting his girlfriend and was experiencing a mental episode The North Riverside Police Department is cooperating with the state police public integrity task force Crest Hill — Lockport Township Fire Protection District’s plans for a new training facility in Crest Hill are progressing and will soon come before the city’s Planning Commission for further approval According to fire district chief John O’Connor 9 workshop with the Crest Hill City Council and staff led to a “straw-vote” granting preliminary approval to “move forward with the training facility including the public safety shooting range,” an element of the plan which was met with public scrutiny earlier this year The 5-3 vote in favor of the plan means the proposal will need to make a final presentation before the Planning Commission before it can receive final as the fire protection district will need to compile additional information for the board “The process is far from over,” O’Connor told the Herald-News and we would anticipate breaking ground in spring of 2025.” If approved the new facility would be located next to the Stateville Correctional Center on Division Street on a currently vacant 13-acre parcel of land According to the proposal introduced in January, the finished site would include a four-story structure made of repurposed shipping containers which would be used to simulate multiple emergency situations. The center also will include areas for live fire training, hazmat and car crash simulations, K-9 search training, and a pond for water rescue drills, as well as the aforementioned gun range. The range would be used for training the fire district’s armed arson investigators as well as police from Lockport and neighboring communities, O’Connor said. Full, updated plans for the facility will be made available to the public prior to the final meetings with the city of Crest Hill. The Lockport Township Fire Protection District serves a 46-square-mile region that includes all or portions of the cities of Lockport, Crest Hill and Romeoville. It has six stations, two in each of the three communities it serves.