Thanks to the watchful eyes of the Joliet Police Department, citizens can feel safer this Valentine’s Day knowing several firearms have been taken out of the hands of criminals.
On 02/13/12 at 7:50pm, Joliet Police Officers Liebermann and Payne made a traffic stop on a vehicle near Collins Street and Jackson Street. The driver, Alfonso Sanchez of Joliet, opened the glove box to retrieve an insurance card and officers saw a black Taurus .38 caliber revolver. The revolver was fully loaded. Sanchez was then taken into custody. During questioning, Sanchez admitted to having a rifle at his residence. Officers obtained consent to search the residence and, upon investigation, found the rifle, an SKS 7.62 x .39 assault weapon. Sanchez was charged with two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
On 02/13/12 at 11:17pm, Tactical Officers Montello and Humphrey made a traffic stop in the 1400 block of Burry Street. The driver of the vehicle fled from the scene and dropped a handgun. Officer Montello gave chase and was able to track the suspect in the snow. The driver was eventually taken into custody. The handgun was an Intratec 22 loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition. Darron Prince, of Joliet, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and defacing a firearm. The vehicle’s passenger, Larry Knight of Joliet, was found to have cannabis in his possession. $581.00 found in the vehicle was seized.
On 02/14/12 at 2:40am, Officer Wietting was in the area of Cypress Lane and George Avenue when he observed a subject walking across the street carrying two rifle cases. Upon seeing Officer Wietting, the subject fled on foot. Officers set up a perimeter of the area. The suspect was tracked to the area of Theodore Street and Pioneer Lane and was taken into custody. The weapons found were taken in a motor vehicle burglary in Will County’s jurisdiction. The subject, Diamond Anderson of Crest Hill, was charged with possession of a stolen firearm, unlawful use of a weapon by a street gang member, and burglary to a motor vehicle.
Chief Trafton congratulates the officers on a job well done. Each of the officers is a credit to the police department and the citizens of the City of Joliet.