WCSO Press Releases

In conjunction with the month of April’s “Alcohol Awareness Month”, the Will County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition and the Will County Sheriff’s Office, successfully conducted two initiatives throughout Will County in its efforts to bring attention to the illegal purchase of alcohol to minors and to adults who illegally purchase alcohol for minors.

On Saturday, April 13th, six area students and members from the Coalition completed a “Sticker Shock Campaign” at liquor store establishments in Homer Glen, Lockport, Joliet, and Plainfield. The team placed 455 bottle hanger tags and 364 stickers on individual bottles and cases of alcohol warning buyers against allowing minors to purchase alcohol, the use of fake ID’s, and warning adults who provide alcohol to minors.

On April 5th and April 20th, the Will County Sheriff’s Office, alongside youth participants, conducted alcohol sales compliance checks in twenty-one liquor sale establishments throughout unincorporated areas of Will County. This initiative reminds retail store owners and their employees that it is illegal to sell alcohol to minors. Of the twenty-one stores, four establishments sold alcohol to minors. They are Circle K Store, 12819 W. 143rd St. in Homer Glen; Homer Liquors, 13011 W. 143rd St. in Homer Glen; Speedway Gas, 12007 W. 159th St. in Homer Glen; and New Lenox Food & Liquors, 13410 Route 6 in Mokena.

The Will County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is funded in part by the Drug Free Communities grant and private donations to help promote awareness, education and community-wide prevention initiatives as a means to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drug use by youth. The Coalition partners with local businesses, churches, law enforcement, healthcare providers, schools, local government, media, civic groups, social services, substance abuse agencies, youth and parents to make an impact.

For more information, please call the Prevention Coordinator at: 815-727-5380.
Follow us on Facebook at Will County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition!

(Photos attached. All photos taken at Kenwood Liquors, Homer Glen - Owner, Mikey Dixon - who fully supported the Sticker Shock campaign.)

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The Will County Sheriff's Office will be hosting an active shooter simulation and training tonight at:

LAKEWOOD FALLS AND CREEKSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Monday, April 8th, 2019
4:00pm thru 5:30pm

PLEASE DO NOT BE ALARMED!

The Sheriff's Office will be visible around the schools and in the area of Weber Road, Taylor and Budler Roads. We are notifying the public that there will be loud noises and sirens, several emergency vehicles and several people around the schools. SWAT vehicles will also be visible and will continue training on site until 10pm.

School Administrators have notified the parents and staff of District 202, however, please share this information with your neighbors and friends.

The Will County Sheriff's Office is announcing the arrest of Lynda K. Bibian, age 32, of Joliet. In November 2018, deputies were called to Jimenez Landscaping located in Homer Glen where they spoke with the owners who stated that they believed a former employee, Bibian, had fraudulently used a company credit card for her personal use and also wrote several unauthorized checks. Bibian was hired in May of 2017 as an assistant to the office manager and through the year was given additional responsibilities associated with the financial end of the company.
The owners reported that while attempting to cancel the credit card in October 2018 they realized hundreds of unknown charges had been made on it. The owners stated that the credit card was originally issued to one of the them and a family member who had worked at the company before passing away. Upon contacting the credit company, the owners learned that from October 2017 thru October 2018 there were over 357 itemized charges on the account. The company believed the charges were made by the owner or the family member; which is now believed that Bibian took over the deceased family member's identity.
The detailed transaction report revealed charges in excess of $44,000 from multiple gas stations, restaurants, rent payments, department stores, Amazon, hair and nail salons, airline tickets, uber rides, limousine services, Ticketmaster, and other various businesses. Bibian was fired from the company on October 8, 2018.
Through a systematic investigation Will County Sheriff's detectives, working with the owners, also discovered that Bibian had fraudulently increased her hourly pay rate on more than one occasion, had written thousands of dollars in unauthorized checks to herself, and wrote thousands of dollars from the Jimenez Landscaping to pay for personal expenses such as dermatology and medical bills. Initial reports indicate those totals in excess of $54,000. The investigation remains open.
Yesterday, April 4th, Sheriff's detectives brought Lynda Bibian in for questioning. Bibian made statements implicating herself. She also acknowledged having a history of committing financial crimes in the past. She was arrested and charged with Theft, Identity Theft, Aggravated Identity Theft/over age 60 and two counts of Forgery. Additional charges are expected. Her bond was set at $75,000 (10% to apply).

The Illinois Sheriff's Association would like to announce the 2019 Officer Safety and Scott's Law Safety Initiative.
Scott's Law Chapter 625 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS 5/11-907(c) mandates that upon approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, when the authorized emergency vehicle is giving a signal by displaying alternately flashing red and blue lights or amber or yellow warning lights, a person who drives an approaching vehicle:
*proceed with due caution, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that of the authorized emergency vehicle, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions, if on a highway having at least 4 lanes with not less than 2 lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approach vehicle.
*proceed with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle, maintain a safe speed for road conditions, if changing lanes would be impossible or unsafe.

Sixteen law enforcement officers have been hit while conducting traffic stops on the side of the road in 2019. Illinois has had 4 traffic related officer fatalities already in 2019. Enough is enough!

April 12 thru 19, 2019, Sheriff's across the State of Illinois will be participating in a traffic awareness campaign specifically aimed at Scott's Law and distracted driving violators. The ISA urges all motorists to obey all the rules of the road and stay focused when driving.

Move Over, Slow Down and Put Down the Phone!
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The Illinois Sheriff's Association is advising all Illinois residents that there is currently a phone campaign underway that is fraudulently using the name and phone numbers of the Illinois Sheriff's Association. The ISA never solicits by phone but does conduct a direct mail campaign throughout the state of Illinois endorsed by the individual Sheriff's across Illinois. This mail piece goes out in February of each year.
Telemarketing fraud costs billions of dollars each year. Phone solicitors who want you to "act immediately" or are offering a "too good to be true" opportunity are most likely fraudulent. Remember that if you have any doubts or are highly pressured - JUST HANG UP!
You have the right to ask for the following information: 1) The name, address, and phone number of the organization for which they are soliciting 2) The name, address, and phone number of the telemarketing firm 3) The percentage of every dollar paid to the telemarketing firm and 4) Insist on something in writing prior to making a pledge or commitment. If you cannot get the answers, JUST HANG UP!
Although there are some legitimate organizations that use telemarketers for their fundraising efforts the Sheriff's of Illinois, through the ISA, are adamantly opposed to police groups and associations using telemarketers to fundraise. Should you receive a call from someone saying they represent your local Sheriff or the Illinois Sheriffs' Association - JUST HANG UP!

On 03/23/2019, at approximately 9:30 AM, the Will County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the 6500 block of W. Kennedy Road in Unincorporated Peotone Township in reference to a Missing Persons complaint involving a person with mental disabilities.  Deputies were advised that Patrick S. Bennett left through the backdoor of the residence around 12:30 AM on 03/23/2019.  Patrick’s mother advised deputies that several family members began to look for Patrick at that time and were unsuccessful. 

Patrick’s mother stated that Patrick has done this before, and has been located within the residence or at Indian Oaks mental health care facility in Manteno, Illinois.  Deputies contacted local area hospitals and searched the residence and were unsuccessful in locating Patrick.  Patrick’s mother further stated that Patrick has the mental capacity of a 10 year old.

Patrick was last seen wearing grey sweatpants and a dark colored coat.  Patrick is 5'7" and approximately 130 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. 

Since being reported missing to the Will County Sheriff's Office, the Sheriff's Office has been conducting a comprehensive search of the area.  Various means, methods, and agencies have been utilized by the Sheriff's Office to conduct this search. 

If anyone sees Patrick, please contact the Will County Sheriff's Office at 815-727-8575. Attached is a recent photograph of Patrick.