Parolee Cries After He's Nabbed With Ecstasy: Cops

OAK LAWN, IL -- A parolee making lewd comments to pre-teen girls was arrested after Oak Lawn police found a bag of ecstasy and assorted drug paraphernalia, prosecutors said. Gustavo Salazar, 21, of Joliet, appeared before Cook County Judge Michael Kane on two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance. Salazar is also charged with resisting arrest and drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors.

A citizen flagged down an Oak Lawn police officer around 6:39 p.m. July 1. The citizen told the officer that a blue Dodge Caravan minivan was parked in his condo building’s parking lot near Austin Avenue and Southwest Highway. The men inside the van were drinking alcohol and making sexual comments to the children who lived in the building, the prosecutor said. When the officer approached the van, one of the male occupants bolted for the building. A second man, later identified as Salazar, also allegedly tried to enter the building.

Officers ran after Salazar and ordered him to stop, which he refused to do, the prosecutor said. A cop made it to the condo building’s door before Salazar could enter. Police spoke the driver of the minivan who allegedly told police that he and Salazar were at the building to “hang out with some females.” The driver could not tell police which unit the “females” lived in.

As officers were speaking with the driver, police at the scene said that Salazar removed a clear bag containing two yellow tablets from his pocket and dropped it on the pavement. Salazar reportedly told officers, “Bro, that’s going to violate my parole. If I tell you what it is will you work with me?”

While police waited for field testing to be completed on the yellow tabs, Salazar allegedly confessed that the bag contained ecstasy or MDMA. Officers received information that Salazar had a caution alert for being on parole. Police checked the building for the other man but couldn’t find him. The tabs tested positive for what turned out to be 15 grams of ecstasy, the prosecutor said.

Salazar was taken to the Oak Lawn police station, where he allegedly remained uncooperative. Police said Salazar started crying: “bro, this is going to violate my parole. Are you going to notify my parole officer.” Salazar refused to make any further statements, but kept on crying, police said.

In addition to the ecstasy, officers also found two crack rocks, a scale grinder and a crack pipe, according to an Oak Lawn police report. Illinois Department of Corrections records indicate that Salazar is out on parole for a one-year sentence for possession of a lost credit/debit card.

Bail on the new charge was set at $30,000. Salazar is being held without bond on a parole hold. His next court date is July 23 in Bridgeview.