83-Year-Old Man With Gun Arrested By Joliet Police: Cops

JOLIET, IL — An 83-year-old Plainfield area man is now in the Will County Jail after Joliet police say Lawrence Decesare was threatening to harm people following an argument with a relative Tuesday morning at his house in the 2600 block of Stowe Court.

When officers pulled him over later in the morning in his subdivision off Caton Farm Road, Decesare had an unloaded .22 caliber gun on the front seat of his car and an empty handgun magazine in his sweater pocket, according to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English.

Officers hauled away Decesare from the scene and booked him into the Will County Jail at 3:13 p.m. Decesare is being charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and having no FOID.

According to English, these events led to Decesare's arrest on Tuesday:

• Decesare had an argument with a relative and left his house before Joliet police got there.
• Decesare also threatened to harm someone else before he left.
• Police called Decesare, and he drove back to the residence to speak to them.
• Police found no weapons in his car, even though officers were told he might have a gun.
• After Decesare denied making comments about harming anyone, the officers left.
• Several minutes later, police saw Decesare driving through a stop sign at River Bend Lane and Stonybrook Drive. He was pulled over on the same block where he lives, on Stowe Court.
• While talking to Decesare, officers spotted an unloaded .22 caliber handgun on his front seat, and he had the empty handgun magazine in his sweater pocket, prompting his arrest.