Barefield's Dodge Ram Faces Joliet Police Forfeiture

JOLIET, IL — A 30-year-old Joliet man faces the prospect of having his 2011 Dodge Ram become a forfeited asset for the police after prosecutors say he chose to drive away from a traffic stop Oct. 15.

The forfeiture complaint involving Jonathan Barefield, 600 block of Betula Street, is set to go before a Will County judge on Feb. 6. Barefield spent about three weeks in the Will County Jail in late 2019. He pleaded guilty to charges of resisting the arrest, while a second charge, fleeing and attempting to elude an officer, was dismissed under the plea bargain with prosecutors.

Back in October, Joliet police officer Tyler Bayles was patrolling the city's Cathedral Area when he noticed a red Dodge Ram truck with Arkansas license plates heading south on Raynor Avenue. The truck had an expired registration, so the officer stopped it near Allen Street, according to court records.

After obtaining the names of the driver and his passenger, the Joliet officer ran both names and they "came back clear," court records show.

Then, when the officer returned, Barefield's truck began to "accelerate away from the traffic stop," court records state.

Another Joliet police officer, Bill Otis, notified dispatch of the incident. Eventually, police spotted the truck where it had stopped near Morgan and Dewey. Barefield's passenger was "walking away from the parked, but still running vehicle, heading westbound on Morgan," court documents state.

Officer Bayles yelled at the fleeing passenger to turn around and get on his knees and put his hands on his head. The young Joliet man complied and "spontaneously stated that Barefield ran through the yard and over the fence," court documents state.

After Joliet police took the passenger into custody, efforts to enlist the help of a Will County Sheriff's Office police dog were unsuccessful.

Officer Bayles turned his attention back to the truck and saw "a small clear plastic bag containing a white powdery substance, suspect cocaine, sitting on the floorboard of the 2011 Dodge Ram," the forfeiture complaint reads.

Barefield had also left inside the truck his wallet, which contained his Social Security card and a student ID from the University of Arkansas, court documents indicate. Evidence technicians determined that the plastic baggie weighed 3.67 grams and tested positive for cocaine, according to prosecutors.

At this time the Dodge Ram remains in the control of police and "is now subject to forfeiture as provided by the aforementioned section of Illinois Compiled Statues," the complaint notes.

On Nov. 19, Barefield was sentenced to 40 days in the Will County Jail and given credit for the seven days of time he had already served. He was also given two years of conditional discharge, court files show.