2 Guns, Cocaine Found After Arrest Near Eden's: JPD

JOLIET, IL — A 48-year-old Joliet man, Christopher Walsh, faces several gun charges including armed habitual criminal after Joliet police say he almost collided with another vehicle while exiting the Eden's Bar and Grill parking lot in the 1000 block of Gardner Street.

Bail for Walsh, who lives in the 500 block of South Ottawa Street, was set at $200,000.

Walsh's 49-year-old passenger, Michelle Rodriguez, was arrested on cocaine possession charges. Walsh is also charged with two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated DUI, driving on a revoked license, defacing identification marks on a gun, possession of a stolen gun, unlawful possession of ammunition and resisting arrest.

According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English, the following events led to the pair's arrests:

Around 2:15 a.m. Saturday, officers saw Walsh's car nearly hit another car at Eden's, and Walsh was driving in the opposite traffic lane.

Walsh emerged from the driver’s seat and began yelling at Joliet police, indicating he had been drinking prior to driving, police said.

According to officials, Walsh pulled away from the officers multiple times as they tried to arrest him.

Walsh has a revoked driver’s license, and Rodriguez had an active warrant from the Illinois State Police for failing to appear in court on traffic offenses.

When officers searched Walsh's car, they found two loaded firearms in the center console — a 9 mm handgun, and a .380 caliber handgun. The 9 mm gun's serial number was defaced, police said.

Officers found suspected cocaine on Rodriguez after searching her at the police station, according to police. Rodriguez, who lives in the apartment units in the 1300 block of Fairmount Avenue, was released from custody on Sunday evening after posting 10 percent of her $5,000 bail.