Jeep In Joliet Homicide Investigation Faces Police Forfeiture

JOLIET, IL — A 24-year-old Lockport man who faces several charges of dealing cocaine in Joliet this summer may lose his 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee as a forfeited police asset. Court documents in the forfeiture case against Dearis Evans also indicate his Jeep Grand Cherokee "is known to Joliet Police as a suspect vehicle in an ongoing homicide investigation."

According to the forfeiture complaint, two Joliet Police officers tried to stop the 2016 Jeep on July 6 at the intersection of Arthur Avenue and Princeton Street; the officers realized the Jeep is being sought in connection with a Joliet homicide case, court records reflect.

The Jeep, however, sped away from the Joliet Police officers, traveling "50 mph in a 25-mph zone, which was a residential neighborhood ... Dearis Evans disobeyed at least six stop signs while fleeing," the complaint reveals.

Ultimately, Evans pulled into the driveway in the 2100 block of Luther Avenue and Evans ran into his house, court records indicate. Two Joliet Police officers chased Evans into the front door and "Evans was not following commands so Officer Blaskey activated his Taser and placed handcuffs on Evans. Officer Blaskey placed Dearis Evans under arrest for aggravated fleeing and eluding," the complaint notes.

Evans was hauled off to the downtown Joliet Police Station where "he refused to speak to officers," court documents show.

The forfeiture of Evans' 2016 Jeep will go before a judge on Sept. 11.

Evans was in the Will County Jail for three days until he posted 10 percent of his $300,000 bail, jail logs show. Then, on July 17, Evans was arrested again by Joliet Police.

On that occasion,the Will County State's Attorney charged him with five counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, cocaine. His co-defendant Victoria Orasco, 24, of Joliet, was charged with one count of armed violence and one charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance. The armed violence charge indicates Orasco was armed with a black 9 mm Taurus semi-automatic at the same time that she possessed cocaine.

The complaint indicates that the Joliet Police have evidence that Evans was dealing between 1 and 15 grams of cocaine on the following dates: July 17, July 3, July 1 and June 26.

Evans remained in the Will County Jail until last week, when he posted bail on Aug. 16, jail logs show. Evans has retained the services of Joliet criminal lawyer Paul Napolski. While free on bond, Evans was ordered by Will County's judicial system to be on GPS monitoring.