Harrah's Joliet hotel evacuated after fireworks found in hotel room
On Friday, June 30, a housekeeper at the Harrah's Joliet, Illinois Hotel in Southwest Chicago discovered what she believed to be an explosive in a guest room, and the hotel was subsequently evacuated. Law enforcement later determined the items were "commercial-grade fireworks."
The incident resulted in the riverboat casino and adjacent hotel being evacuated around noon that day. A bomb squad from the Cook County Sheriff's Office was called in to clear the property. Additionally, police discovered additional commercial fireworks in a vehicle in the casino parking lot belonging to the person who made the reservation.
Joliet police later identified the suspect as Thomas Lopez, 42, of Joliet. Lopez, who has a lengthy criminal record, is currently charged with driving while intoxicated, aggravated assault and use of a deadly weapon in an incident in early April.
Fireworks remain illegal in Illinois, with the exception of novelty items such as sparklers, bottle rockets, Roman candles and smoke bombs. Violating the law, formally known as the Pyrotechnic Use Act, is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 and one year in jail.
Illinois is one of only three states that bans most consumer fireworks.
Fees coming soon
Joliet police said arresting Lopez was not an easy task. Police found Lopez on a party bus in the area, but the driver of the Ford E-450 was uncooperative.
Police said they stopped the party bus around 11 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, near Kelly Avenue and Ingalls Avenue, about two miles from Harrah’s Joliet Casino. The driver, 36-year-old Joshua Cargle, refused to show his driver's license to police.
There was a reason Kargel was trying to evade the police. His driver's license was suspended, police said. He was charged with obstructing law enforcement and driving with a suspended license.
Lopez was taken into custody for possession of fireworks. A search of the party bus vehicle uncovered illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy. Anti-anxiety drugs were also discovered.
Lopez has not been formally charged with possession of fireworks, according to Will County court records. He is due in court on July 13 for a preliminary hearing on the aggravated assault/DUI case.
In this case, Lopez allegedly got into an argument outside a bar before he decided to intentionally drive his Ford Econoline van into another man's Chevrolet Malibu, police said. The incident happened outside One More Time Sports Bar, 1527 N. Raynor Avenue, Crest Hill.
Firework Damage
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported last month that an estimated 10,200 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms last year for fireworks-related injuries. The independent agency of the U.S. government said there was a "statistically significant trend in estimated firework-related injuries associated with emergency departments from 2007 to 2002."
This trend assumes an increase of 535 injuries per year due to fireworks. ” the agency reported.
Although the number of fireworks-related injuries continues to increase, there were only 11 fireworks-related deaths in 2022.
Read also:
- Games Industry Research: Carbon Emissions of Top Video Games
- U.S. cities with the most Swifties per capita
- Blackjack Casino Advantage: How to Beat the Odds
- Football 101: What is relegation in football?
Source: www.casino.org
