Category: News
Wet processing system ordinance fails to pass Gary council
The Gary Common Council was unable to get a majority vote on an ordinance that would allow a wet processing system to come to the city at Tuesday’s meeting.
Four council members voted to approve the resolution, and four were against. Councilwoman Mary Brown, D-3rd, was present at Tuesday’s meeting but left before the ordinance vote.
Council members Dwayne Halliburton, D-2nd; Marian Ivey, D-4th; Lori Latham, D-1st; and Myles Tolliver, D-at large, were the four votes against the ordinance. President Linda Barnes Caldwell, D-5th; Vice President Darren Washington, D-at large; Parliamentarian Kenneth Whisenton, D-at large; and Councilman Dwight Williams, D-6th, voted in support of the wet processing system.
The ordinance would have granted a special use permit to Reconstruct Aggregates, Inc. for the facility on 4900-5200 E. 15th Ave. in Gary. The proposal previously received a favorable recommendation from the Gary Board of Zoning Appeals at a Nov. 13, 2025, public hearing.
According to the ordinance, the wet processing system would use water-based machinery to clean and sort soils, and remove dust and other materials. The recycled soils will be reused for local construction, which can reduce landfill waste, truck traffic and dependence on rural quarries.
The system would be allowed to run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, according to Post-Tribune archives. Operators would have to obtain permits from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Site operators would also have to submit a formal drainage and runoff control plan to Gary’s city engineer.
Various Gary residents, including those who are members of Gary Advocates for Responsible Development, have continually opposed the wet processing system, mainly concerned with increased truck traffic in the Aetna community.
Penelope Love, who lives in the Aetna neighborhood, said it seems every resident agrees that they don’t want the development.
“We are not only concerned about our neighbors, but we’re concerned about our future,” she said.
Dorreen Carey, president of GARD, told the council on Tuesday that she would like Reconstruct Aggregates to submit a plan to the city that outlines the company’s expected protocol for the site.
Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, Carey sent a letter to the council, on behalf of GARD, requesting more information about the wet processing system before the city legislative body’s vote. Washington said the council had to vote on the wet processing permit at Tuesday’s meeting.
In her letter, Carey said residents still had not had questions answered about where the soil could come from and if it would contain toxic substances, truck traffic and how much material would accumulate on site.
“Unless we have protections in place, I do not think this company can provide the (necessary) protection and sustainability for the revitalization of the Aetna neighborhood,” Carey said.
Gary resident Glenda Williams said she’s concerned about the environmental effects of the wet processing system, mainly because she and her neighbors don’t know what kind of soil it will bring in.
“We don’t have a desire to have this because it doesn’t sound like it will be beneficial to us,” Williams said. “I’m concerned about the environment and the health of our community.”
Mike Zoeller, senior attorney with the Conservation Law Center, told council members on Tuesday that the community has only heard from Reconstruct Aggregates’ attorney, and he’d like someone from the company to answer questions.
“In any action, if somebody comes before the council, asking you to take action, you deserve to hear from the person who has the direct knowledge and who can answer all of your questions,” Zoeller said.
Darren Eastwood, a representative for Reconstruct Aggregates, was present at Tuesday’s meeting and answered various questions from council members.
“The materials can be used for a lot of beneficial purposes, like making blocks, concrete, floors, pipe drainage…,” Eastwood said. “This is a lot of beneficial reuse that would avoid the need to drive tens or hundreds of miles to a dump site, then to a quarry, and then back again.”
Latham, who represents the Aetna neighborhood, said she believes the property has better uses, including lodging, which she says is in high demand near the Miller neighborhood.
“We don’t have a demand in our neighborhood for washing dirt,” Latham said. “We have a demand for amenities, and I believe that’s why so many people have gathered here today.”
During a Jan. 14 planning and development committee meeting, residents expressed concerns with city truck traffic because of the facility, and Carey asked for a traffic study. Scott Yahne, Reconstruct Aggregates’ attorney, said the facility can process 100 to 250 tons per hour, which he believes equals between five and 10 trucks per hour, according to Post-Tribune archives.
Yahne also said he didn’t expect noise or dust to be an issue for neighbors. Residents were still concerned that the facility would be built near a residential area because of public health and potential soil contaminants.
“You’d Be Justified In Shooting”: Rep. Jerry Nadler Triggers Outcry Over Violent Rhetoric Against ICE
“You’d Be Justified In Shooting”: Rep. Jerry Nadler Triggers Outcry Over Violent Rhetoric Against ICE
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D., NY) is under fire this week for joining other Democratic members in reckless rhetoric to fuel the growing threats against federal law enforcement officers. Calling out the “fascism in our streets,” Nadler suggested that citizens could be justified in shooting masked agents, a chilling claim made earlier by other Democratic leaders.
The New York Post reported the comments made in a Judiciary Committee hearing. Nadler declared:
“What is really the major problem in this country today is the fascism in our streets. The attacks on American citizens, by masked hoodlums. If you were attacked by a masked person, you might think you were being kidnapped. You’d be justified in shooting the person — to protect yourself.”
The agents are wearing masks because different groups are actively publishing their identities and personal information online. The result has not only been doxxing but threats made against the families of these agents. Democratic politicians have pledged to assist in the effort to “unmask” and publish the identities of these officers as threats soar.
For many, these statements suggest that they have a license under laws like Stand Your Ground to shoot at agents and claim mistaken self-defense.
The continued use of such rhetoric in the face of soaring attacks and threats against officers is the worst form of demagoguery.
At the same time, members like Rep. Dan Goldman (D. NY) deny that there is evidence of a sharp increase in attacks despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Notably, Nadler and his colleagues pushed for the impeachment of Donald Trump for what they called his inflammatory rhetoric on January 6th despite his call for the protests to remain peaceful.
Other members are engaging in the same hyperbolic rhetoric to appeal to the growing mob on the left.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D. Conn.) seems the most unhinged:
“What is happening in Minnesota right now is a dystopia. ICE is tear gassing elementary schools. It is disappearing legal residents into cars. It is murdering American citizens.”
Aspiring Democrats are getting the message.
Total Wine billionaire David Trone — who is running to recapture his Maryland congressional district from fellow Democrat Rep. April McClain-Delaney, declared this week that the federal government is “literally executing people on the streets” in “not just Minneapolis… all over the United States.”
Ohio Democratic Attorney General candidate Elliot Forhan is running on the catchy pledge that “I will kill Donald Trump.” It is a race to the bottom as Democratic leaders try to take the lead in mob politics.
When combined with the rationalization for the use of lethal force against officers, this rhetoric is not just inflammatory but dangerous. We have heard these voices before in our history.
As discussed in Rage and the Republic, we have a rising class of new Jacobins, politicians and pundits who are pandering to the mob. History does not bode well for these politicians seeking to ride the wave of rage when the mob turns against them.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/04/2026 – 18:25
After 80 years, Minute Maid’s frozen canned juices are getting put on ice
Minute Maid helped make orange juice a year-round morning staple in 1946, when it started shipping cans of frozen juice around the U.S.
But 80 years later, the brand’s parent company is halting sales of frozen juice concentrates in the U.S. and Canada, saying it wants to focus on the fresh juices that customers now prefer.
“We are discontinuing our frozen products and exiting the frozen can category in response to shifting consumer preferences,” The Coca-Cola Co., which owns Minute Maid, said Wednesday in a statement.
Minute Maid’s frozen juices – including several varieties of orange juice, lemonade and limeade – will be discontinued by April, with inventory available while supplies last, Coca-Cola said.
For generations, Americans who wanted orange juice without the work of squeezing fresh fruit cracked open a can and watched a cylinder of frozen juice go ker-plunk into a pitcher. The concentrated juice was mixed with water to make it ready for drinking.
In 1946, Vacuum Foods Corp. became the first U.S. company to ship frozen orange juice across the country, according to Coca-Cola. It named the product Minute Maid; Vacuum Foods eventually changed its name to Minute Maid as well. Rival Tropicana, which still sells frozen canned juice, was founded in 1947.
Coca-Cola acquired Minute Maid in 1960, and 13 years later, Minute Maid introduced ready-to-drink orange juice, which was sold in the refrigerated case instead of the freezer and let consumers skip the step of mixing it up. Minute Maid added lemonade and fruit punch to its lineup in 1980.
In recent years, orange juice has struggled as other options, like energy drinks and protein smoothies, have flooded the market. Skyrocketing prices due to poor weather conditions in Brazil and Florida haven’t helped; a 12-ounce can of frozen orange juice cost an average of $4.82 in December, up 13% from the prior year, according to U.S. government data.
Consumers also increasingly questioned the added sugar in juices. Minute Maid launched Zero Sugar versions of its fresh juices in 2020. But its frozen juices have languished along with the broader frozen juice category.
U.S. sales of frozen beverages fell nearly 8% in the 52 weeks ending Jan. 24, according to the market research firm NielsenIQ.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/04/minute-maid-frozen-canned-juices/
Stormwater project in Crown Point moving forward
Plans for the Edgewater Stormwater Project can proceed following action taken by the Crown Point Board of Public Works and Safety.
The five bids opened by the board at its meeting on Wednesday were as follows: Gariup Construction, $697,000; LGS Plumbing, $985,882; Austgen Equipment, $668,432; M & J Underground, $298,680; and Grimmer Construction, $945,786.
The bids were accepted by the board then tabled pending review by both the city’s engineering and legal departments.
The Edgewater Stormwater Project replaces a culvert under the old railroad north of the Edgewater subdivision.
Crown Point staff at the Jan. 7 meeting briefed the board that the Edgewater project design and bidding had been approved by the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission and requested authorization to publish notice to bidders.
Mayor Pete Land said the project is a financial partnership between the city and the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission, with exact terms of the next phase to be communicated to Crown Point later this month or in March.
The commission provided 80/20 funding to design and engineer the Edgewater Stormwater Project.
That phase is now complete, so the city of Crown Point went out to bid and will present those figures to the commission to continue the partnership on this project, city officials said.
In other business, the board approved three transfer agreements of portions of roadway to the city following a review with Crown Point officials and Lake County officials.
The roadways accepted by Crown Point are as follows:
•A portion of 121st Avenue, including Iowa Street east to Winfield corporate limits and Iowa Street west to Crown Point corporate limits.
•A portion of 133rd Avenue, including Marshall Street east to Grant Street (Indiana State Road 55).
•A portion of Iowa Street, from 113th Avenue south to 137th Avenue.
Land said the roads the city is accepting are in good shape and will only require normal maintenance.
The board also approved purchase of a technical rescue speciality box truck per a request from Crown Point Fire Chief Mark Baumgardner.
The cost of the truck, which will be purchased from Beverage Body & Trailer Service out of Leesburg, Florida, is $143,495.
The truck is expected to be delivered sometime this summer, Baumgardner said.
The board also approved an agreement with American Structurepoint for intersection improvements at U.S. 231 and 113th Avenue/South Street.
The revised agreement includes a new project schedule and revisions to roadway geometry following feedback from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and additional services needed for project completion.
The project will create a roundabout at U.S. 231 and 113th Avenue/South Street near Sauerman Woods Park.
The project, which is INDOT-led, is slated for 2027/2028.
Deborah Laverty is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/04/stormwater-project-in-crown-point-moving-forward/
Police probe link between West Side shootings, possible gang involvement
Belmont Area detectives are investigating possible links between a pair of shootings that wreaked havoc up and down the Near West Side over a few hours Tuesday afternoon, where the same group of gunmen in a pair of incidents may have shot at a total of six people in three cars, leaving three of the victims dead.
In the second shooting, the aggressors allegedly circled the block and came back to fire again as two of their targets were forced to steer and work the vehicle pedals of a vehicle around a third man who was fatally wounded in the driver’s seat, per a police report obtained by the Tribune. Detectives have linked several different street gangs to the investigation, sources said.
Around 1:20 p.m., Near West (12th) District police found three people shot, one inside a flaming SUV, in the parking lot of a White Castle at the intersection of Roosevelt and Western Avenue. The alleged aggressors are thought to be part of the same street gang, a source said.
According to a police report, surveillance camera footage captured three unknown shooters armed with both handguns and a rifle as they drove up to the parking lot in a gray Dodge Durango when they got out and shot three men, ages 35, 44 and 48, who were inside two vehicles.
The 35-year-old victim was shot with his foot on the gas pedal of a parked Lincoln SUV, causing the vehicle to catch fire, sources said. The 44-year-old victim appeared running up Western on surveillance footage and was later brought by a Good Samaritan for treatment at Stroger Hospital, per a police report. Police said Tuesday that man was in good condition, but that the third man, age 48, had also been killed.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office had not yet publicly identified the two dead men from the White Castle shooting, but a source with knowledge of the situation said two of the three shooting victims lived in a section of the West Side controlled by the Cali Boys street gang. Citywide organized crime investigators had flagged two of the men for gang activity, per a source with knowledge of the situation.
A different source familiar with the investigation said police believe the White Castle shooters may have later fired on a second carload of three men in the 700 block of North Wolcott Avenue around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday. According to a police report obtained by the Tribune, the second group of targets told police they had been across the street from the White Castle earlier on Tuesday.
When police responded to that shots-fired call in West Town, they found a 32-year-old man shot in the back in the driver’s seat of a Buick Enclave. According to a police report obtained by the Tribune, two other men who were in the car said the driver had picked them up from a barbershop at Roosevelt and Western and were passing the intersection of Adams Street and Leavitt Avenue when the black Buick rolled up to the car and its occupants started firing at them.
The driver was incapacitated due to his wound, the report stated — so one of his companions took the steering wheel of the Enclave while the second operated the gas and brake pedals and navigated the car to the 1900 block of W. Huron St., nearly a mile and a half away. The same black Buick reappeared then and fired again, disabling their car, before driving away to the south, the report stated.
The wounded man was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 5:15 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. His identity wasn’t yet public as of Wednesday afternoon.
That man has been listed in police records as an affiliate of a few different West Side gangs, but most of his 29 past arrests took place in parts of the West Side controlled by the Black Souls street gang, per sources with knowledge of the situation. Harrison Area detectives had flagged the man for notifications about new arrests, sources said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no one was in custody for either shooting, police department representatives said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/04/police-gang-link-daylight-homicides/
Body of Elgin man missing since mid-January found in West Dundee creek
The body of a 52-year-old Elgin man reported missing in January was found in the Jelkes Creek in West Dundee, officials said.
Joseph Johnson was identified by the Kane County coroner’s office Wednesday, two days after his body was discovered in an area near Route 31 and Boncosky Road.
Johnson was last seen Jan. 14 in the 500 block of Tollgate Road. His family reported him missing to Elgin police on Jan. 22, prompting an investigation that included searches, reviews of surveillance videos and interviews with family and friends, officials said. He was not believed to be a danger to himself, officials said.
An autopsy conducted by the coroner’s office found the preliminary cause of death to be drowning. Toxicology reports are pending, the coroner’s office news release said.
West Dundee police contacted Elgin police when the body was found. The coroner’s office said the investigation remains ongoing.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/04/elgin-man-body-missing-found-creek-dundee/
Court briefs: Conviction in drug dealer’s slaying upheld, trio charged in shooting
Appeals court upholds conviction for Gary marijuana dealer’s slaying
The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a Gary man’s conviction for killing his marijuana dealer inside an apartment in November 2021.
Tyrone Reno, 34, was sentenced to 70 years in June for the Nov. 15, 2021, death of Quintez Johnson, 31, of Gary.
Johnson’s two kids, aged 8 and 6, were in the apartment when he was shot.
At trial, jurors viewed footage of an unmasked man running down a stairwell just after Johnson’s death. They returned a guilty verdict after 15 minutes.
In a 3-0 decision, Appeals Judge Paul Mathias wrote his sentence was appropriate.
Reno can appeal.
His earlier release date is in 2076.
Trio charged in Christmas Eve Gary apartment shooting
Three people are facing charges in connection with a Christmas Eve shooting at a Gary apartment targeting the alleged shooter’s romantic rival.
Roncia Fletcher-Black, 48, Ryan Shebesh, 49, and Christopher Jackson, 34, are charged with aggravated battery and other felonies.
Gary Police responded around 7 p.m. Dec. 24 to an apartment on the 600 block of Jackson Street, where officers found a man shot five times in his legs, according to an affidavit.
Charging documents alleged Jackson was forcibly holding the woman, the victim’s girlfriend, by the back of her neck. The victim said Jackson “let (her) go,” then “charged” him, according to an affidavit.
Jackson and the victim soon fought over Jackson’s dropped gun. Fletcher-Black picked it up and handed it back to Jackson, who opened fire at the victim. Shebesh admitted he kicked the victim in the head after he was shot.
The victim’s girlfriend recently left Jackson to date the victim again, charges state.
Jackson and Shebesh are charged with aggravated battery and three counts of battery. Fletcher-Black is also charged with the same, plus assisting a criminal.
mcolias@post-trib.com
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from an Arizona neighborhood that is dark at night, quiet and spread out
TUCSON, Ariz. — Nancy Guthrie’s upscale Arizona neighborhood is quiet and mostly dark at night, lit mainly by car headlights and homes spaced far apart. Long driveways, front gates and desert plants provide a buffer from the winding streets and curious eyes.
Saguaro cacti tower above the roofline of Guthrie’s Tucson-area home, and wispy trees partially block the view of the front door.
Those are the conditions that investigators are faced with as they try to piece together the moments before and immediately after the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. Authorities offered no detailed update Wednesday.
What to know about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of ‘Today’ show’s Savannah Guthrie
“Is there somebody out there who’s kidnapping elderly people in the middle of the night, every night?” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Tuesday. “We don’t believe that’s the case. We believe Nancy was taken from her home against her will.”
The sheriff suggested there was video from some cameras, though he didn’t elaborate, adding: “That’s all been submitted and we’re doing our best with the companies that own those cameras or built those cameras.”
Nanos’ office said Wednesday that detectives still were speaking with anyone who had contact with Nancy Guthrie last weekend but that no suspect or person of interest had been identified.
There were signs of forced entry at the home in the upscale Catalina Foothills neighborhood. Guthrie has limited mobility, and officials do not believe she left on her own. A sheriff’s dispatcher talking to deputies during a search Sunday indicated that she has high blood pressure, a pacemaker and heart issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com.
Jim Mason, longtime commander of a search-and-rescue posse in Maricopa County, isn’t involved in the search for Guthrie but said desert terrain can make looking for missing people difficult. He said it can be hard to peer into areas that are dense with mesquite trees, cholla cactus and other desert brush.
“Some of it is so thick you can’t drive through it,” Mason said.
Multiple media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes Tuesday that they handed over to investigators. The sheriff’s department has said it’s taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.
Guthrie was last seen Saturday around 9:30 p.m. at her home where she lived alone, and she was reported missing midday Sunday after she didn’t appear at a church.
On the other side of the country, Victory Church in Albany, New York, said it’s offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to finding Nancy Guthrie.
“Me and my wife, we watch Savannah every single morning. We’ve heard of her faith. We’ve heard of her mom’s faith. And she’s got such a sweet spirit,” Pastor Charlie Muller said.
The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday.
For a third day, “Today” opened with Guthrie’s disappearance, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. NBC Sports said Tuesday that she will not be covering the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics “as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time.”
The “Today” host grew up in Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at Tucson television station KVOA. Her parents settled in Tucson in the 1970s when she was a young child. The youngest of three siblings, she credits her mom with holding their family together after her father died of a heart attack at 49, when Savannah was just 16.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/04/nancy-guthrie-disappeared-arizona/
Man who tried to shoot Trump at a Florida golf course gets life in prison
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A man convicted of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on a Florida golf course in 2024 was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison after a federal prosecutor said his crime was unacceptable “in this country or anywhere.”
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon pronounced Ryan Routh’s fate in the same Fort Pierce courtroom that erupted into chaos in September when he tried to stab himself shortly after jurors found him guilty on all counts.
“American democracy does not work when individuals take it into their own hands to eliminate candidates. That’s what this individual tried to do” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley told the judge.
Defense attorney Martin L. Roth argued that “at the moment of truth, he chose not to pull the trigger.”
The judge pushed back, noting Routh’s history of arrests, to which Roth said, “He’s a complex person, I’ll give the court that, but he has a very good core.”
Routh then read from a rambling, 20-page statement. Cannon broke in, said none of what he was saying was relevant and gave him five more minutes to talk.
“I did everything I could and lived a good life,” Routh said, before the judge cut him off.
“Your plot to kill was deliberate and evil,” she said. “You are not a peaceful man. You are not a good man.”
She then issued his sentence: Life without parole, plus seven years on a gun charge. His sentences for his other three crimes will run concurrently.
In a statement on the social platform X, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi thanked prosecutors for ensuring that Routh “will never walk free again.”
“Ryan Routh’s heinous attempted assassination of President Trump was not only an attack on our President — it was a direct assault against our entire democratic system,” Bondi said.
Routh’s sentencing was initially scheduled for December. But Cannon agreed to move it back after Routh decided to use an attorney during the sentencing phase, instead of representing himself as he did for most of the trial.
Routh was convicted of trying to assassinate a major presidential candidate, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm as a felon and using a gun with a defaced serial number.
“Routh remains unrepentant for his crimes, never apologized for the lives he put at risk, and his life demonstrates near-total disregard for law,” prosecutors said in their sentencing memo.
His defense attorney had asked for 20 years plus the mandatory seven for the gun conviction.
“The defendant is two weeks short of being sixty years old,” Roth wrote in a filing. “A just punishment would provide a sentence long enough to impose sufficient but not excessive punishment, and to allow defendant to experience freedom again as opposed to dying in prison.”
Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican presidential candidate played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.
At trial a Secret Service agent helping protect Trump on the golf course testified that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and run away without firing a shot.
In the motion requesting an attorney, Routh offered to trade his life in a prisoner swap with people unjustly held in other countries and said an offer still stood for Trump to “take out his frustrations on my face.”
“Just a quarter of an inch further back and we all would not have to deal with all of this mess,” Routh wrote. He added, “but I always fail at everything (par for the course).”
In her decision granting Routh an attorney, Cannon chastised the “disrespectful charade” of Routh’s motion, saying it made a mockery of the proceedings. But the judge, nominated by Trump in 2020, said she wanted to err on the side of legal representation.
Cannon signed off last summer on Routh’s request to represent himself. The Supreme Court has held that defendants have the right to represent themselves in court proceedings as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to an attorney.
Routh’s former federal public defenders served as standby counsel and were present during the trial.
Routh had multiple previous felony convictions, including possession of stolen goods, and a large online footprint demonstrating disdain for Trump. In a self-published book, he encouraged Iran to assassinate him and at one point wrote that as a Trump voter, he must take part of the blame for electing him.
Man charged with hiding loaded gun under infant’s car seat, Naperville police say
A Downers Grove man was arrested in Naperville for allegedly hiding a loaded gun under a car seat in which his year-old daughter was seated, officials said.
In addition to one count of felony aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon concealed in a vehicle, Antoine Street, 40, faces charges of resisting a police officer, endangering the health or life of a child and unlawful possession of cannabis by a passenger, all of which are misdemeanors, a Naperville Police Department/DuPage County state’s attorney’s office news release said.
According to the report, police pulled over a vehicle registered to Street about 10:45 p.m. Feb. 3. because of Cook County warrants issued for his arrest. Street was seated in the back seat behind the front passenger seat and next to a car seat occupied by a 1-year-old child, reports said.
When officers told Street he was under arrest, he allegedly resisted and had to be forced out of the vehicle. During a search, a loaded 9mm Ruger pistol with the handle was facing Street and the barrel pointed towards the driver’s side of the vehicle was discovered, the release said.
Police also found Street was allegedly carrying about 32 grams of cannabis, the release said.
“The very idea that someone would hide a loaded weapon, with one bullet in the chamber, under an occupied child car seat where their infant daughter was sitting is inconceivable,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “Thankfully, officers were able to remove the weapon before tragedy struck.”
Police Chief Jason Arres said, “Arrests like this highlight the fact that our officers aren’t just sitting around waiting for the next 911 call to come in. They’re out there patrolling, conducting traffic stops, and making this city safer.”
Street was ordered to be held in the DuPage County jail pending trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 2.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/04/naperville-police-gun-car-seat-arrested/
