The line of storms that hit Joliet and the other areas of northern Illinois on Wednesday has been classified as a derecho. This long-lasting thunderstorm complex produces a “swath of particularly damaging thunderstorm winds,” according to the National Weather Service.

Wind gusts reached 70 mph in Plainfield and Homer Glen.

The impact of the derecho was still evident on Friday in the Cathedral Area of Joliet. City crews worked to clear fallen tree debris from Raynor Avenue.

Tornadoes struck parts of northern and central Illinois on Thursday, but none have been reported in Joliet.

After the storms hit on Wednesday, more than 19,000 Commonwealth Edison customers in Will County were still without power on Thursday afternoon.

On Friday afternoon, ComEd reported 3,831 customers in the county were still without power. The company reported 1,839 customers were without power in Joliet, 110 were without power in Lockport, 54 in New Lenox and 21 in Plainfield.

Merichka’s Restaurant in Crest Hill was still without power until Friday afternoon.

“We are hoping for a possible reopen on Sunday. We have a lot to deal with and need to make a lot of fresh items so we are hoping for the best,” according to the restaurant’s post on Facebook.

Joliet spokeswoman Sydney Thompson told Shaw Local on Friday that a few traffic signals are still out, but the city is “actively working to get them restored.”

The city had localized roadway flooding at locations where tree debris from the storm blocked sewer inlets, but those locations have been cleared, Thompson said.

Locations where trees blocked roads have been cleared, but cleanup from downed trees and limbs will continue through next week, Thompson said.

“We are still evaluating damage from the Wednesday and Thursday storms and are focused on providing assistance to our residents,” Thompson said.

Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English said officers did not respond to any storm-related incidents.

Marisa Tomich, spokeswoman for New Lenox Fire Protection District, said she had not heard of any further storm damage or storm-related hazards in the village on Friday.

A Wellness Center to provide storm aid for residents in Joliet had ended Thursday afternoon, Thompson said.

The Ruby Street bridge had lost power on Thursday until about 5:30 p.m., according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“As a result of the recent storm that passed through the city of Joliet yesterday afternoon, there was a power outage in the area and at the Ruby Street bridge,” IDOT spokesperson Maria Castaneda said.

She said backup generators provided “limited power and reduced bridge functionality,” which resulted in much longer times throughout the day to open and close the bridge to accommodate vehicle and marine traffic.

On Wednesday, a Will County jury found Donovan Dewayne Burbridge, 18, guilty of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery of a detainee at River Valley Juvenile Detention Center in Joliet.

Burbridge was 15 at the time of the March 24, 2024, incident, and the victim was 17, according to a court filing from prosecutors.

He was charged on April 7, 2025, following an investigation by the Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force.

Burbridge is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 24. He was taken to the Will County jail after turning 18 on Friday.

Before the incident, the victim had been in a classroom at the detention facility and seated alone in a “single school-style desk,” prosecutors said. Other detainees were also in the room.

After about 20 minutes, Burbridge and a 16-year-old “got up in unison” from the table where they were playing cards and walked toward the victim, prosecutors said.

Burbridge and the 16-year-old allegedly threw “repeated rapid punches at the victim,” who had his “back to the attack,” prosecutors said.

The victim went into a “fetal position” but he may have been “knocked out” as he did not “really move” to defend himself, prosecutors said.

Burbridge and the 16-year-old were accused of stomping on the victim’s head and kicking him repeatedly while he was motionless on the ground, prosecutors said.

The entire attack was captured on video, which lasts about 15 to 20 seconds, prosecutors said.

The staff reported that Burbridge was “laughing as he was removed from the room to a holding cell,” prosecutors said.

The victim was taken by helicopter to a Chicago hospital for treatment. The victim is “nonverbal as a result of the attack” and suffered traumatic brain injury, prosecutors said.

On Monday, Dakota Smith, 34, was sentenced to serve 75% of a 6.5-year prison sentence for the drug-induced homicide of Edward Strysik on March 6, 2019, court records show.

Smith was also sentenced to serve 50% of a three-year prison sentence for possessing heroin in 2021.

Smith was given credit for time served while on home confinement in both cases. He had been on pretrial release after posting cash bail. In 2023, cash bail was abolished under the SAFE-T Act.

Smith and Strysik had known each other for years, and Strysik had asked Smith for heroin, according to a court filing from Will County prosecutors.

Smith gave Strysik a substance that later tested positive for fentanyl after Strysik was found dead, prosecutors said.

The drug-induced homicide case was filed against Smith in 2022 following an investigation by the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

Smith is required to pay $100, which is the street value of the fentanyl seized by the sheriff’s office. He owes more than $4,800 in fines and fees.

Court records primarily list Smith’s address in an area that is outside Joliet city limits but within Plainfield Township. Records also list him having an address in Bourbonnais.

“The Roadways Division has been working to clear all streets of any debris from the storm last night. Due to the two additional waves of storms expected today, Roadways will continue to clear all roadways and prepare for the upcoming storms,” the city of Joliet said in a statement.

Crews will continue be out through the storms and any damage from Thursday’s storms will be reevaluated on Friday, the city said.

“I am told there are no roadways that are completely blocked, but there are some locations that may still be obstructed but passable as of this morning,” Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English said Thursday.

Police did respond to 10 crashes between 3:30 p.m. midnight Wednesday, he said. “None of them were major crashes,” English said.

Joliet Fire Chief Jeff Carey said, “We did have a lot of trees and power lines down. There were some homes damaged from falling trees, but nothing was major.”

New Lenox Fire Protection District said it received a few calls for downed power lines “and maybe one tree that fell on the north side of town that we made aware of, but nothing beyond anything we anticipated,” said spokesoman Marisa Tomich.

Cleanup in Joliet will be extended at least through the end of next week, the city said.

Residents who would like the city to pick up debris from trees on private property need to place all branches on the parkway by the morning of Monday, June 15.

City crews will “systematically clear all parkways street by street, and crews may not be able to circle back to houses that have not placed their debris in the parkway by that time,” the city said.

If residents are unable to place debris on the parkway by Monday, make arrangements with Waste Management for disposal.

City crews will be collecting storm debris from city-owned parkway trees only over the next several days.

Residents may place downed limbs and yard waste debris on the parkway, and city crews will make multiple passes through the community to collect it.

Tree damage on private property is the responsibility of the property owner. The city advises residents to contact a landscaping service or use Republic Services’ weekly curbside yard waste program for disposal.

For curbside pickup through Republic Services follow these guidelines:

The city of Lockport Public Works Department said it is working to clear trees and other roadway obstructions throughout the city.

Anyone who has branches or tree limbs to be picked up, place them at the edge of the parkway with the cut ends facing the street by the end of the day on Sunday, June 14.

Place small twigs and branch debris in your Waste Management yard waste containers.

Non-emergency service requests can be submitted online:

https://cityoflockport.net/213/Submit-a-Service-Request

The city has designated the following cooling centers:

Lockport Police Department, 1212 Farrell Road

Available 24 hours – After 4:30 p.m., use the phone in the lobby to contact an officer, who will assist in opening the facility.

Lockport City Hall, 222 E. 9th St.,

Open 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m.

The Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center in Joliet was closed Thursday. Power lines were down and the center was without power.

Power outages and general storm cleanup forced businesses in the Joliet area to close .

Walmart, 1401 Illinois, Route 59, Joliet, is closed as of 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

An employee outside the store was telling people it was closed because of a power outage from the storms.

Merichka’s Restaurant in Crest Hill posted it was closed Thursday “and possibly tomorrow since our power is off. Unfortunately we will have to remake a lot of items and that takes a lot of time. I will keep everyone posted about tomorrow Friday.”

Tens of thousands of ComEd customers in Will County were without power into Wednesday night.

With more storms expected, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for northeastern Will County until 4 a.m. Thursday.

City of Joliet spokesperson Sydney Thompson said, “There are multiple damage reports, including downed trees and power outages. The storm affected the entire city. We are still assessing the scope of the damage.”

Joliet Public Works, fire and police departments were responding to storm-related issues across the city, including hazards being caused by downed trees and wires, Thompson said.

“With more severe weather expected (Wednesday overnight) and tomorrow, residents are urged to pay attention to the forecasts and have several ways to receive weather alerts,” Thompson said.

Anyone experiencing a power outage or who sees a downed or damaged power line is urged to call ComEd immediately at 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661), text OUT to 2-6-6-3-3, or visit ComEd.com, she said.

The Joliet police department said Wednesday evening it was responding to “multiple incidents related to the weather” and road hazards caused by trees and wires down due to the storm.

“If you are out driving, please use caution if you come across a road hazard and be prepared to use an alternate route. City departments (Police, Fire, Streets) are responding to incidents as quickly & safely as possible,” the police department said.

The city of Lockport Public Works Department crews were out clearing trees from roads Wednesday afternoon.

Trees and power lines were reported down blocking streets in the downtown Lockport area.

Lockport Chamber of Commerce canceled all Old Canal Days festival events scheduled for Thursday due to the severe weather forecast.

The weather and storm damage led the Joliet Public Schools District 86 to cancel its regular Board of School Inspectors meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday night.

The meeting will be rescheduled at a future date, the district said.

Reonah Epting, 25, is a a Black woman who is 5-foot-5 and a 130 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair, according to the Joliet Police Department.

She was last seen wearing black Adidas sweatpants, black zip-up top, black Nike slides and a red-and-black baseball cap, police said.

“It was initially reported that Ms. Epting was out of state, however, it is believed that she may be back in the Joliet area now,” police said.

Anyone with information on Epting’s whereabouts should call 911 or the department’s investigation division at 815-724-3020.

The Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force is investigating the stolen vehicles incident was reported about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of Holiday Inn and Suites, 1471 Rock Creek Blvd., Joliet.

The ”vehicles involved were participating in the 2026 HOT ROD Power Tour” according to a statement from Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English.

The HOT ROD Power Tour launched Monday morning from the Route 66 Raceway in Joliet. The tour is considered the nation’s largest traveling car show and it is celebrating 100 years of Route 66, America’s most famous roadway.

Officers determined three Chevrolet Corvettes and one Chevrolet Camaro were stolen, English said.

A Chevrolet SS, a Dodge Challenger and a Chevrolet Camaro sustained damage but were not stolen, English said.

A Dodge Charger was found damaged in the parking lot of Comfort Inn, 1520 Commerce Lane, Joliet, English said.

“It is believed the incidents are related and occurred during the overnight hours,” English said.

Officers were notified one of the stolen Chevrolet Corvettes was found following a crash in Dolton, English said. No one was arrested for that incident, he said.

Anyone with videos or additional information should contact the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force at 815-724-4677 or by email at tcat@joliet.gov.

If they wish to remain anonymous, they can contact Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734 or submit a tip online at crimestoppersofwillcounty.org.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis granted a motion from attorneys for William Busse, 42, for the judge to conduct a private review of the grand jury minutes that led to the Aug. 29, 2024 indictment against Busse, court records show.

Busse was an officer for the Joliet Police Department until 2021. He faces charges of distributing cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine in 2021 in Lockport, Orland Park and Chicago.

William Hardwicke, an assistant federal public defender, filed the grand jury review motion on behalf of Busse on June 4.

Hardwick’s motion said the defense has “recently become aware of several high profile allegations of misconduct involving this same special June 2024 grand jury.”

The special June 2024 grand jury in Busse’s case, which returned an indictment while former U.S Attorney Morris Pasqual was in office, was the same grand jury that returned an indictment in the 2025 federal case against a group of protesters known as the “Broadview Six.”

The protesters were demonstrating against the federal immigration crackdown in northern Illinois called Operation Midway Blitz.

The protesters were charged with felony conspiracy but the case collapsed following claims of prosecutorial misconduct before a grand jury, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Hardwicke’s motion cited the “Broadview Six″ case, as well as the court transcript published on May 22 by Block Club Chicago that revealed U.S. District Judge April Perry’s comments regarding the grand jury proceedings in the case.

Perry found there was “improper prosecutorial vouching” to grand jurors, improper prosecutorial communications with grand jurors outside the grand jury room and prosecutors excusing grand jurors who disagreed with their case from the deliberations process, according to the transcript.

“In light of these troubling allegations, the defense would like to review the grand jury transcripts for Mr. Busse’s case. The government has agreed to produce the transcripts of all witness testimony before the grand jury to the defense,” according Hardwicke’s motion.

Hardwicke’s motion requested Ellis perform a private review of the “grand jury minutes, including the government’s presentation of law to the grand jury, that led to the return of the indictment in this case.”

Busse’s next court hearing is on Aug. 18.

In 2019, Busse had been arrested twice in New Lenox on domestic battery charges. Retired Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner had recommended Busse for termination in Feb. 28 2020.

On May 5, 2021, a settlement was reached between Busse and the city that led to his termination.

The first domestic battery case against Busse was dismissed after police witnesses were not available to testify. The second case went to trial and a jury found Busse guilty of domestic battery but not guilty of resisting officers.

Following the “Broadview Six″ case, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, as well as numerous Democratic elected officials, have called for the resignation of Andrew Boutros, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García said Boutros “has disgraced the office he leads.”

“Between the baseless Broadview Six case, the ridiculous charges against Marimar Martinez, and the credible allegations of dysfunction and misconduct, he has made it clear that he will put politics above the interests of Chicagoans and other residents of the Northern District,” Garcia said.

At 2:30 p.m. Monday, officers and paramedics responded to The UPS Store, 1133 W. Jefferson St., for a report of a vehicle that struck a storefront, according to a statement from the Shorewood Police Department.

It was determined the vehicle had “backed through the storefront,” and then “striking and pinning an employee” who was inside the business, police said.

Emergency personnel “extricated the employee from beneath the vehicle,” and the employee was taken to Saint Jospeh Medical Center in Joliet, police said.

Police officials believe the employee suffered lower body injuries.

The driver and passenger of the vehicle were evaluated by emergency medical personnel, police said.

The driver was taken to the same hospital but the injuries are “currently unknown,” police said. The driver was conscious and able to communicate, police said.

The passenger declined treatment and was released, police said.

The vehicle was removed from the storefront and Shorewood village staff are evaluating the building to determine “the extent of structural damage,” police said.

The crash remains under investigation.

The lawsuit was filed on June 4 against Ascension Healthcare and Prime Healthcare Services at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet.

Ascension was the former owner of Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. Prime Healthcare took over the hospital in 2025.

The nurses pursuing the lawsuit include Cathy Wolff, Mary Sue Bugler, Paula Koranda and Cindy Poe.

Wolf and Bulger are still with the Joliet hospital, while Koranda and Poe contend they were forced to leave because of severe understaffing and intolerable working conditions, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleged Koranda worked for more than 52 years at Saint Joseph Medical Center and the number of nurses at the hospital dropped from 550 to 250.

The companies “cannot readily fire senior and better-paid” nurses but have been able to “force out these nurses” by making “work conditions intolerable,” the lawsuit alleged.

“In this manner, defendants save even more cost by understaffing and acting in willful and wanton disregard of the harm to plaintiffs and other nurses,” the lawsuit alleged.

The nurses’ lawsuit alleged Ascension and Prime caused them to suffer “fatigue, burnout and other physical symptoms” because of the severe understaffing and the companies have systematically failed to meet “minimally safe nurse-to-patient ratios” for the Joliet hospital.

Patients’ lives are being endangered through “severe understaffing” and by forcing plaintiffs and other nurses to “watch helplessly as the needs of their patients are ignored, the defendants have engaged in conduct that is unethical, immoral and indifferent to the conduct expected of a hospital, to provide safe and adequate patient care,” the lawsuit alleged.

In an email, Noel True, a Prime Healthcare spokesperson, said Saint Joseph Medical Center does “not comment on pending litigation and the majority of these allegations involve periods of time under previous ownership.”

“Patient care is always our top priority with recent investments to support caregivers, and our current staffing practices align with national best practices for quality and safety,” True said.

In another email, Olga Solares, an Ascension spokesperson, said the company does “not comment on ongoing litigation but is committed to vigorously defending these allegations.”

“We remain focused on delivering high-quality patient care and supporting the dedicated nurses, providers, and associates who make that care possible,” Solares said.

In May, Prime Healthcare officials touted the praise they’ve received from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board after acquiring Franciscan Health Olympia Fields.

“During the review board’s unanimous 8-0 vote, members repeatedly highlighted Prime’s track record of turning around financially distressed hospitals, fulfilling commitments made to Illinois communities and investing in expanded services,” according to the statement from Prime Healthcare.

In 2025, Prime Healthcare purchased eight Illinois hospitals from Ascension, including Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Mercy Hospital in Aurora and Saint Mary Medical Center in Kankakee.

Prime Healthcare has defended the cuts at Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. Company officials said the hospital experienced a “period of significant financial distress, including approximately $90 million in annual losses until it was saved by Prime Healthcare.”

The nurses’ lawsuit alleged Ascension and Prime have “consistently disregarded” recommendations from a nursing care committee regarding nurse-to-patient ratios for each care unit and “systematically breached” the lower standards that a chief nursing officer chose to adopt.

The lawsuit claimed only Wolff and Melody Ryan, another nurse, have been assigned to the dialysis unit “at various times in the past” and the companies have submitted technicians for work done by nurses.

The lawsuit alleged technicians can only do part of what nurses are trained and qualified to do and Wolff and Ryan “have far more work than two nurses can safely handle” in a unit where “extreme kidney failure has life and death consequences.”

The lawsuit alleged Prime Healthcare is currently attempting to have a ratio of one nurse for three patients in dialysis for kidney failure instead of just two.

The lawsuit accused Ascension and Prime Healthcare of setting nurse-to-patient “ratios, or ‘grids,’ however they please, with no meaningful input from the nurses.”

Poe became one of the “floater” nurses at the Joliet hospital who work in various units, such as the emergency room, and other units “outside of her specialty and training, which were already understaffed,” the lawsuit alleged.

“Defendant Ascension knew that it was highly stressful for Poe and other nurses to become floaters and to work in various units temporarily that were severely understaffed and to provide patient care outside their specially or for which they were unfamiliar,” the lawsuit alleged.

Poe left the hospital after she became emotionally drained, exhausted and fearing reprisal from her employer because she protested unsafe staffing, the lawsuit alleged.

After about 10:50 a.m. on Monday, Shaw Local saw two black vehicles flashing lights while traveling south on Ottawa Street and turning west onto West Jefferson Street at an intersection next to the Will County Courthouse.

In that area, West Jefferson Street is a one-way street where traffic runs east. The vehicles were traveling west through traffic toward the Jefferson Street bridge.

The two vehicles were parked just outside Joliet City Hall and a third white vehicle joined them.

A plainclothes law enforcement agent wearing a padded vest was seen on the sidewalk holding a baton. Other law enforcement agents were in the area as well.

Joliet police and Will County sheriff officials confirmed those were not their officers.

In a statement on Facebook, Warehouse Workers For Justice contend their Joliet Rapid Response team of volunteers “witnessed and confirmed an abduction” out the courthouse.

“Various SUV’s, including a Blue Ford Edge, a Black Ford Escape & a Grey Chevy Tahoe, driven by ICE agents in plainclothes and green vests, are still in the area,” according to the statement from Warehouse Workers For Justice.

The organization was founded in 2008 and focuses on workers’ rights issues related to the logistics industry locally and statewide. The organization has been active in the monitoring of ICE activities in Will County and the Chicago area.

Shaw Local contacted the Chicago field office for U.S. Customs Immigration and Enforcement, as well as Erin Bultje, a spokesperson for the agency, which is within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

In an email, ICE officials said they require additional information to complete the inquiry, such as “alien registration number,” or the “individual’s full name and date of birth.”

“Please provide these details so we can assist you further,” ICE officials said.

Law enforcement agencies in Will County have usually provided information about incidents when given either the time, date or location.

Shaw Local pointed this out to ICE officials and they have not responded to another request for further information.

Police Sgt. Patrick Schumacher will lead the special services unit that will consist of six officers, according to a statement on Friday from the city.

Schumacher was assigned to Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy’s office and he completed his assignment to the office when he was promoted to sergeant in March 2025.

D’Arcy was quoted in Friday’s statement saying the downtown is “experiencing renewed energy and activity from the new City Square to community events and public gatherings.”

“As more people spend time downtown, it’s important that we continue creating an environment where residents, visitors, and business owners feel safe, comfortable, and connected to their community,” D’Arcy said.

In May, the Joliet City Council approved City Square rules that include a ban on sleeping on the property, limits on panhandling and a ban against skateboarding.

The city has allowed certain businesses to sell alcoholic beverages in city-approved cups for outdoor drinking in the downtown.

This week, the city council approved new rules for sidewalk cafes in the area.

The special services unit consists of officers who are assigned to the downtown area, Gateway Center, and Union Station, according to the Joliet Police Department’s website.

The unit is focused on providing a “safe environment” for citizens and visitors to the downtown.

The city’s statement on Friday said the expanded unit will “work closely” with residents, business owners, property owners community organizations, and city staff to “identify concerns, solve problems and build positive relationships throughout the downtown area.”

The unit “complements existing downtown patrol operations” while providing a “dedicated focus on outreach, visibility, and problem-solving,” according to the city.

“Officers will maintain a consistent presence downtown, including in and around City Square, where they will engage with the public and work collaboratively to address concerns as they arise,” city officials said.

At 8:46 p.m. Thursday, officers responded to the incident in the 300 block of North Broadway Street at Riverwalk Homes apartment complex, according to a statement from Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English.

When officers arrived on scene, they found a “large crowd gathered outside the apartment complex” and multiple people were “actively fighting,” according to a statement from Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English.

Officers worked to disperse the crowd and deescalate the disturbance but several people continued fighting and resisted officers’ “efforts to restore order,” English said.

Steven Brown, 33, of Joliet, was arrested on probable cause of aggravated resisting arrest.

During the investigation, officers recovered spent shell casings in the area and discovered three unoccupied vehicles and a nearby building had been struck by gunfire, English said.

One of the responding officers was injured, hospitalized for treatment and later released, English said.

No other injuries were reported, he said.

Anyone with video footage or information on the incident should contact the Joliet Police Department’s investigations division at 815-724-3020.

If they wish to remain anonymous, they may contact Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734 or submit a tip online at crimestoppersofwillcounty.org.

On Friday, Will County Judge Amy Christiansen heard arguments on whether she should allow the pretrial release of Jae’vion Smith, 17, who is charged as an adult with the first-degree murder of Javion Bailey, 17.

Christiansen may decide June 22 on whether Smith should receive pretrial release.

The pretrial provision of the SAFE-T Act requires judges to consider whether there are no conditions that can mitigate the risks of a defendant’s pretrial release.

Smith’s attorney, Chuck Bretz, argued Smith can be released to family on home confinement with electronic monitoring. He said Smith would stay at a residence with no access to weapons.

Bretz said there’s evidence in the case his client was attacked during the incident and he was acting in self-defense.

Assistant State’s Attorney Ashley Kwasneski objected to Smith’s pretrial release. She said Smith was adjudicated as a juvenile on a shooting offense, he has access to guns and he poses a danger to witnesses in the case.

At 12:55 p.m. on May 3, officers responded to Riverwalk Homes for a stabbing and found Bailey on the fifth floor with a “serious stab wound,” according to Joliet police officials.

Riverwalk Homes is an apartment complex in the central district of Joliet, just west of the Des Plaines River.

During Friday’s court hearing, Kwasneski said Bailey suffered a stab wound to the abdomen and he died after he was hospitalized from multiple organ failure.

Kwasneski said Smith was still on the scene and he allegedly admitted to stabbing Bailey.

Kwasneski said officers learned Smith and Bailey were in a bedroom with several other people. She said Smith claimed Bailey and one other person pulled a gun on him and he stabbed Bailey in self-defense.

Kwasneski said Smith stabbed Bailey without provocation and officers learned Smith was motivated to stab Bailey because Smith felt disrespected by him.

Bretz said Smith believed he was going to be robbed by several people involved in the incident and a gun was “pulled on him.” Bretz said there is clear evidence the incident was initiated by an assault with deadly weapons on his client.

Smith remained on scene instead of fleeing and he was cooperative with police, Bretz said.

Kwasneski said the only witness who suggested self-defense had fled the scene and there is a “reasonable inference” the witness was part of the plot to “get revenge” on Bailey.

Bretz said that witness didn’t remain on scene because there were people with guns beating him up.

Attorneys for Melanie Mulconrey filed the lawsuits on May 21 against Nestle USA and The J.M. Smucker Company at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet.

Similar lawsuits have been filed against Nike, Lululemon Athletica, Amazon and Costco, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Mulconrey’s lawsuit alleged she purchased products from the companies, which passed “tariff burdens” onto her and other consumers “directly or indirectly” charging them the cost of the tariffs.

The lawsuit alleged Mulconrey spent $18.99 on a Folgers product from a Costco in Plainfield and bought Nespresso products from a Target in Joliet.

Mulconrey’s lawsuit alleged if the companies receive a refund for tariffs deemed unlawful by the U.S. Supreme Court, then they will have been “provided a windfall” as a result of “already having charged consumers” for the collection of unlawful tariffs.

In a 6-3 ruling on Feb. 20, Supreme Court found Trump lacked the constitutional authority to impose higher import taxes on goods from nearly every other country, according to the Associated Press.

Big and small businesses are starting to receive tariff refunds after the court ruling, according to the Associated Press.

Mulconrey’s lawsuit alleged even if Nestle USA and The J.M. Smucker Company do not receive refunds, charging consumers the cost of the “unconstitutional, unlawful” tariffs would still be “unfair, oppressive, unscrupulous” and cause substantial injury to the consumers.

The lawsuit accuses the companies of unjustly enriching themselves by shifting the tariff burden to consumers and of violating the state’s Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

Shaw Local contacted both companies about the lawsuits on Monday and have not yet received a response as of Tuesday.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, sent a March 16 letter to Mark Smucker, CEO of The J.M. Smucker Company. The letter inquired about the increase of coffee prices under Trump’s “chaotic, indiscriminate, and illegal tariffs” and how that has impacted the company and its customers.

Warren’s letter noted Brazil is the largest supplier of coffee to the U.S. and Brazilian coffee imports “faced a combined tariff burden” of 50%.

According to the letter, The J.M. Smucker Company, which is the parent company of Folgers, Dunkin’ and Cafe Bustelo, spent 2025 “grappling with the president’s tariffs, inflation, and the rising cost of importing coffee.”

“Smucker raised coffee prices twice in 2025 to offset the rising cost of tariffs on coffee imports and had signaled another hike planned for early winter 2025 but decided to pause on further price hikes after Trump’s November [2025 executive order],” according to Warren’s letter.

According to Warren’s letter, coffee prices are expected to climb this year, despite the tariff rollbacks.

Warren’s letter asked Smucker a series a questions, including what “portion of those tariff-driven cost increases was passed on to retail consumers through price increases on Smucker’s coffee products.”

On Thursday, the teen was taken to River Valley Juvenile Detention Center in Joliet on charges of attempted first-degree murder, attempted making of a terrorist threat, unlawful possession of a handgun and other weapon-related offenses, according to the sheriff’s office.

The teen is being charged as a juvenile and he is expected to appear in court on Friday.

The teen was a freshman at Plainfield Central High School, and he last attended school in December, according to Plainfield School District 202.

About 12:50 p.m. on May 22, deputies were sent to the 2400 block of Hel Mar Lane in Plainfield Township for a “male suicidal subject,” police said.

A family member had “pinned down” the teen and dialed 911 after learning the teen was “armed with a firearm,” police said.

“It was later learned that the juvenile was on his way to conduct a school shooting at nearby Grand Prairie Elementary School, when the family member intervened,” police said.

Deputies recovered a Glock handgun as well as a backpack containing multiple loaded magazines, knives, accelerant, gloves and other items, police said.

The teen was taken into police custody at a hospital and evaluated by medical professionals after “making suicidal and homicidal statements” to emergency medical personnel, police said.

In a May 26 court filing, Assistant Attorney General Eric Levin did not render any findings on the substance of attorney Frank Andreano’s arguments regarding the constitutionality of forfeiture law.

But Levin did find Andreano’s arguments were moot after prosecutors with Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow decided about three weeks ago to drop a 2024 case seeking forfeiture of an elderly woman’s 2014 vehicle, court records show.

The case is still moving forward with a June 17 court hearing.

Andreano has argued the practice of forfeiture law violates people’s due process rights because the funds from those cases go directly to police and prosecutors, which has “improperly influenced” their pursuit of those cases.

Andreano claimed the case involving the 2014 vehicle is an example of “prosecuting for profit” in Will County.

In 2024, Andreano represented Almeda Cain, 86, of Richton Park, in her legal fight for the return of her Mazda CX-5 vehicle.

Cain’s 58-year-old daughter was driving the vehicle and officers seized the vehicle during a traffic stop because she was driving on a revoked license, according to Andreano.

The vehicle was returned to Cain after she filed a petition indicating she had no other means of traveling to the pharmacy, the grocery store, church or other locations, court records show.

But several days later, prosecutors filed a forfeiture complaint for the vehicle by arguing it was used with “knowledge and/or the consent” of Cain in connection with driving on a revoked license.

Andreano contends Cain did not know her daughter’s driving privileges had been revoked and Cain was not interviewed by police about the incident.

Because Andreano was raising a claim of unconstitutionality, Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Office was notified on March 16 to review his claim.

Then on May 13, prosecutors had decided to drop the forfeiture case.

“The state voluntarily moves to dismiss the underlying forfeiture action, which motion is allowed, with each party to bear their own fees and costs,” according to a court order.

Because that occurred, Levin said the judge should dismiss Andreano’s claim as “moot and due to lack of standing.”

Levin said Cain “already received the concrete relief she seeks” with the return of her vehicle and the “dismissal of the underlying forfeiture proceeding.”

Levin said Cain is not in “immediate danger” of suffering “direct injury” as a result of the enforcement of forfeiture law.

Glasgow’s office has defended their forfeiture practices by saying prosecutors’ salaries are fixed and there is no personal incentive to prosecute in forfeiture cases.

Assistant State’s Attorney Dant Foulk has opposed a petition from Andreano in a separate case calling for a special prosecutor to investigate Glasgow’s forfeiture unit and federal agents involved in another forfeiture case.

In a separate case, Foulk said in in a court filing that Glasgow’s office “always follows the law and never decides a forfeiture matter based on the value of the assets.”

“The motivation is to combat and address criminal activity,” Foulk said.

Danielle Duhoski, of New Lenox, had questioned the practices of Glasgow’s office after her legal fight to get back her 2012 vehicle even though she was never charged with any crime.

Duhoski was a joint tenant of the vehicle that was seized by police after her ex-boyfriend was accused of driving the vehicle on a revoked license.

In 2025, Duhoski told Shaw Local it was her understanding that civil forfeiture was created to combat drug money and money laundering, not take people’s vehicles in traffic-related cases.

On May 27, Courtney McDonald, 35, was charged with false personation of a police officer following a Will County Sheriff’s Office investigation of the incident.

As a condition of pretrial release, McDonald is required to “not use red and blue flashing lights,” court records show.

The incident leading to the charges began May 10 when deputies were sent to the jail for a call of someone impersonating a police officer, according to Elizabeth Matthews, sheriff’s office spokeswoman.

A man later identified as McDonald had pulled up to the jail’s sally port entrance, turned red-and-blue flashing lights on a personal vehicle and “tried to make entry” to the jail, Matthews said.

McDonald had suggested he was with U.S. Corrections and he had a “male passenger for intake,” Matthews said.

“After further examination of the ‘badge card’ he had in his possession, it was determined he was impersonating an officer and was asked to leave the property by correctional personnel, which he did,” Matthews said.

Later that day, an enforcement deputy was using the license plate reader system known as Flock to research McDonald’s vehicle and found the vehicle around the Jackson Street bridge, Matthews said.

A deputy noticed several alleged traffic violations, such as speeding and failure to signal, which led to a traffic stop on McDonald’s vehicle, according to Matthews.

“McDonald suggested he worked with government agencies but admitted he was not a law enforcement officer. The deputy investigated the flashing red and blue lights on the vehicle and found six in total,” Matthews said.

The deputy removed the lights as evidence and McDonald was taken into custody, Matthews said.

On May 22, Cesar Jesus Carrillo-Castro, 31, of Indianapolis, Indiana, pleaded guilty to aggravated driving under the influence in a Dec. 4, 2023, crash in Joliet that led to the death of Joseily Yusleidi Escalona-Gomez, 25, of El Paso, Texas.

Carrillo-Castro was the driver of a Volkswagen Passat that was traveling through McDonough Street and approaching Chicago Street in Joliet, according to a court filing from Will County prosecutors.

The Volkswagen Passat disregarded a red light, struck a semitrailer and continued moving underneath the semitrailer, prosecutors said. The vehicle rotated counterclockwise before stopping at an intersection, prosecutors said.

Medical records indicated Carrillo-Castro’s blood-alcohol concentration was about 2.6 times above the legal limit in Illinois, according to prosecutors.

As part of Carrillo-Castro’s plea deal, he was sentenced to serve 85% of a four-year prison sentence. He was given credit for serving 612 days in pretrial custody. That puts his prison time closer to a year and eight months.

Carrillo-Castro and Escalona-Gomez were among the five occupants of the Volkswagen Passat.

During the investigation, one of the passengers told police that Carrillo-Castro and other passengers were “drinking that night at a friend’s house before entering the Volkswagen,” prosecutors said.

The day after the crash, Escalona-Gomez was pronounced brain dead at a Cook County hospital, according to prosecutors.

One passenger suffered a fractured nose, and another passenger was in a coma for months and suffers from brain damage, prosecutors said.

A fourth passenger’s injuries caused her to have to use a wheelchair, and she “does not remember much of her life, including her children,” prosecutors said.

Carillo-Castro faced eight other charges of aggravated driving under the influence. Those charges were dropped as part of the plea deal.

On Friday, Will County Judge Art Smigielski signed a warrant for the arrest of Cesar Carrillo-Castro, 29, of Joliet on nine felony charges of aggravated driving under the influence, court records show.

Carrillo-Castro is accused of driving a Volkswagen Passat while under the influence on Dec. 4, 2023, on McDonough Street in Joliet when he was involved a crash that resulted in the death of Joseily Yusleidi Escalona-Gomez, 25, of El Paso, Texas.

Escalona-Gomez was a passenger in the vehicle who was pronounced dead Dec. 5, 2023, at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

A criminal complaint alleged Carrillo-Castro’s DUI violation was a “proximate cause of the death.”

Carrillo-Castro was also accused in the criminal complaint of causing great bodily harm to three other people in the crash.

Last year, Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English said Escalona-Gomez was among five occupants of a Volkswagen Passat who were critically injured in the crash at the intersection of McDonough and South Chicago streets.

The area is near Interstate 80.

Escalona-Gomez was a passenger in the rear seat of the vehicle, English said. The Volkswagen Passat had struck a semitrailer truck that was heading south on Chicago Street.

“It is believed that the Passat collided under the trailer of the semitruck,” English said.

On Tuesday, Joseily Yusleidi Escalona-Gomez, 25, of El Paso, Texas, was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English said.

Escalona-Gomez was among five occupants of a Volkswagen Passat who were critically injured in the crash Monday morning at the intersection of McDonough and South Chicago streets.

Escalona-Gomez was a passenger in the rear seat of the vehicle, English said. The Volkswagen Passat had struck a semitrailer truck that was heading south on Chicago Street.

“It is believed that the Passat collided under the trailer of the semitruck,” English said.

The driver of the Volkswagen Passat, a 26-year-old male passenger and one of two 30-year-old female passengers remain in the hospital, English said.

The other 30-year-old female passenger was conscious, standing at the scene and considered in stable condition, English said.

English had no information on where the Volkswagen Passat was coming from or going because the incident remains under investigation.

The latest motions from Karl Ferrell, 46, of Joliet, represent further efforts by his attorneys to seek a pretrial dismissal of the case that was filed on Dec. 14, 2022.

Ferrell is charged with fraudulently obtaining $39,623 in federal Paycheck Protection Program loans and $11,203 in state unemployment benefits. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The vindictive prosecution motion is set for a hearing on June 29. Ferrell is also scheduled on that day to go to trial on separate charges of failing to file income tax returns between 2017 and 2021.

Last year, Will County Judge Jessica Colón-Sayre denied motions from Ferrell’s attorneys to suppress evidence and to dismiss the indictment based on alleged prosecutorial misconduct.

Colón-Sayre has also denied a request from Ferrell’s attorneys to appeal her ruling.

In April, Ferrell’s attorneys filed a motion claiming Glasgow’s office investigated him because of his public advocacy and his refusal to step down as Joliet Township trustee several years ago.

Ferrell is a Black Lives Matter activist who has advocated for police accountability in Joliet.

“Mr. Ferrell made the unfortunate decision to stand up to the state’s attorney’s office and fight to remain in office representing the citizens of Joliet Township and was criminally investigated for the decision,” according to the motion from the Tomczak Law Group.

Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Casson filed a response that called Ferrell’s claim “risible.”

“Defendant’s related contention that he is being prosecuted as a result of his public advocacy and not because of his clear commission of crimes is risible. Just to state the claim is to demonstrate its sheer ludicrousness,” Casson said.

Casson said the assertion is “absurd” because it would mean anyone who criticized Glasgow’s office could not be prosecuted.

In a statement, Glasgow’s office said their office brings charges only after a careful review of the evidence and applicable law. The office said information in Ferrell’s case was presented to a grand jury, which found probable cause and returned an indictment.

In 2021, Glasgow’s office notified Joliet Township that Ferrell was not qualified to hold elected office because of his past felony record. They filed a lawsuit against Ferrell the following year when he refused to step down.

Will County Judge John Anderson ruled it was indisputable that Ferrell has multiple felony convictions and township code clearly states a person is not eligible for office if they’ve been convicted of a felony at the time they take the oath of office.

Anderson’s ruling was upheld by the 3rd District Appellate Court.

In a court filing, Ferrell’s attorneys said he “consistently led many protests” against Glasgow and the “actions and inactions” of his office, as well as “law enforcement in general.”

Ferrell’s attorneys said he was also “community organizing” in favor of the SAFE-T Act. In 2022, Glasgow joined numerous prosecutors in a lawsuit to stop the abolishment of cash bail under the SAFE-T Act. The Illinois Supreme Court upheld no-cash bail.

Ferrell’s attorneys pointed to the “timing” of the investigation of Ferrell.

“While the simple fact of applying for a [Paycheck Protection Program] loan presents no evidence of criminality, the fact [Glasgow’s office] chose to begin their investigation into Mr. Ferrell three weeks after he refused their demand to resign is clear evidence of the motive of [Glasgow’s office] to punish the defendant,” Ferrell’s attorneys said.

In Casson’s response, he argued Ferrell’s attorneys failed to show objective evidence of “animus or retaliatory motive” from prosecutors and further failed to show evidence the prosecution of Ferrell would not have occurred” without such motives.”

Casson disputed the timing of the charges were evidence of vindictive prosecution based on the separate case where Ferrell was fighting to stay in elected office.

“[A] prosecutor is not required to wait for unrelated civil litigation to be completed before bringing criminal charges,” Casson said.

On Monday, Will County prosecutors filed a petition to deny the pretrial release of Chance Keller, 22, who is charged with reproduction of child sex abuse material and possession of those materials.

The charges followed a Plainfield Police Department investigation.

Detectives had met with a family member of Keller, who claimed Keller is “into satanic stuff” and believes he is a “real superhero named, ‘The Dove,’” according to the petition from prosecutors.

The investigation first began when officers responded to a report of a suspicious gold pipe in a Plainfield business foyer that was found with the inscription, “Revelation,” prosecutors said.

The pipe had a gold USB thumb drive inside of it, prosecutors said.

A second suspicious gold pipe was found at a Plainfield church, prosecutors said. The pipe also contained a gold USB thumb drive, as well as the inscription, “Yaweh’s fear losing my soul to Lucifer,” prosecutors said.

A forensic review of the thumb drives showed they were identical, prosecutors said. The drives contained a resume for Keller, child sex abuse materials and files with names such as Yahweh, religion, 666 and 777, prosecutors said.

During a police interview with Keller, he allegedly pulled out a gold thumb drive, offered it to the detective and said it was an “updated version of what he was leaving around town,” prosecutors said.

“When asked how he came upon the (child sex abuse materials), he said it was through his superhero job and he spreads it throughout the community to spread awareness and end (child sex abuse materials),” prosecutors said.

Keller allegedly told the detective he was looking forward to going to jail because he “can preach God’s word in jail related to CSAM,” prosecutors said.

The administrative investigation into former Officer Christopher McClinton, 27, has concluded and McClinton “separated from employment” with the department as of Friday, according to Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English, the department’s spokesman.

English was not able to provide further details because it “relates to a personnel matter and a criminal case that has yet to be adjudicated.”

Since Nov. 26, 2025, McClinton has been facing felony charges of forgery, official misconduct and a misdemeanor charge of theft.

The charges alleged McClinton took a counterfeit $100 from an impounded vehicle on July 13, 2025, and used a counterfeit bill to buy $100 worth of lottery tickets from Thornton’s gas station, 400 Collins St., Joliet.

The case was investigated by the Joliet Police Department. Special Prosecutor Bill Elward had been appointed to the case.

McClinton’s case is set for another pretrial hearing on Wednesday.

In 2023, McClinton and Officer Erick Gutierrez had fired their guns at Jamal Smith, 31, after they saw Smith firing gunshots outside Larkin Village Apartments.

The officers were responding to a domestic disturbance before the shooting.

Smith died from his injuries several months later. Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s Office determined there was no basis to prosecute any officer involved in the incident.