Ex-Joliet Housing Authority Commissioner Bob Hernandez Arrested

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet Police Department has issued a news release surrounding Friday night's felony arrest of former Joliet Housing Authority commissioner Robert "Bob" Hernandez.

Under the SAFE-T-Act, Hernandez was arrested and released from the police station on charges of possession of a controlled substance. Hernandez was caught with crack cocaine inside his car, Joliet police said.

At 10:15 p.m., on Friday, Joliet officers conducted a traffic stop after identifying Hernandez driving a Chrysler 200 near West Jefferson Street and Oneill Street, on the city's west side.

Officers executed a search warrant for two cell phones owned by Hernandez, which were recovered. During the traffic stop, Joliet police saw suspected crack cocaine near the driver’s side of the vehicle. Hernandez was placed into custody without incident and the vehicle was towed from the scene, according to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English.

Earlier this month, Joliet police were called to the CSL Plasma business on West Jefferson Street for an unrelated incident. In that case, the police officer notified Hernandez that he could face criminal trespassing charges if he continued to show up at the property in the future. That evening, Joliet police had been called to CSL Plasma for someone creating a disturbance.

Hernandez has been known around Joliet for his Facebook livestreams from crime scenes and traffic crashes over the years. Up until 2022, Hernandez also occasionally shared his photos from Joliet area police incidents with Patch. Over the years, he was a frequent public speaker at Joliet City Council meetings.