FF_120519

4 | December 5, 2019 | the frankfort station news
frankfortstationdaily.com
Man arrested, charged with
groping women in multiple
Plank Road Trail incidents
Nuria Mathog, Editor
A Richton
Park man
was arrested
Nov. 25
and charged
with Class 4
felony battery
after he Swift
allegedly
groped multiple women on
the Old Plank Road Trail in
three separate incidents this
fall, the Frankfort Police
Department announced in a
Nov. 26 news release.
Anthony C. Swift, 33,
of the 22800 block of East
Drive in Richton Park, was
arrested in connection with
incidents reported on the
trail Sept. 10, Oct. 23 and
Nov. 6. In each incident,
a woman reported a lone
man had grabbed her buttocks.
At around 11:20 a.m.
Nov. 25, Frankfort officers
received several reports of
a potential suspect running
between the Larch Road
and the LaGrange Road
suspension bridge, according
to police. A woman
reported she was walking
westbound on the trail
when she saw a man matching
the description of the
suspect in previous cases
running eastbound toward
her. The woman said she
passed the man, continued
walking westbound and
noticed someone quickly
approaching her from behind.
At that point, she said
she turned around and saw
the man behind her. She reported
she thought he was
attempting to touch her,
but he was startled by her
movement and changed di-
From Nov. 26 From dec. 2
rection, running east along
the trail.
Frankfort patrol officers
worked with a Will County
Forest Preserve officer to
set up a perimeter, which
they began to tighten
with each reported sighting,
according to police.
The man, later identified
as Swift, was detained on
the trail between Oak and
White Streets, and taken
to the Frankfort Police station
for additional questioning.
Through investigation,
police determined
Swift was a regular trail
user and would sometimes
park near the trail and
Larch Road, according to
the release. On Nov. 25,
he reportedly parked near
White and Elwood streets.
After being processed
and interviewed by Frankfort
police, Swift was
transferred to the Will
County Jail, where he
awaits a bond hearing.
The Frankfort Police Department
wishes to thank
the community and other
law enforcement agencies
for all of the leads and tips
investigators received that
led to the arrest.
“I thank the users of the
Old Plank Road Trail who
immediately called the police
when they saw somebody
doing something inappropriate,”
Frankfort Mayor
Jim Holland told The Station.
“We certainly also
thank the police for quickly
using proper police techniques
to set up a perimeter
and close in on the subject.
We also thank our detectives
for their good work in establishing
the evidence that has
led to a felony charge.”
Trustee resigns from Village Board
Nuria Mathog, Editor
Frankfort Village
Trustee Dick Trevarthan
resigned from the Frankfort
Village Board effective
Dec. 2, citing health
issues as the reason for
his departure, Frankfort
Mayor Jim Holland was
expected to announce at
the Board’s regular meeting
that same evening.
In an interview with
The Station, Trevarthan
said he was thankful for
the opportunity to have
served the people of
Frankfort and appreciated
that they had continued
to elect him for so many
years. Trevarthan was a
Village trustee for a total
of 32 years, serving from
1971-1973, 1975-1979
and from 1993 until his
resignation this week.
“That makes me proud,”
he said. “I was always
happy to be there.”
During his time as
parade
From Page 3
for showing an uncommon
commitment. Thank
you for setting aside individualism
and believing
in team first. Thank you
for redefining yourselves
on a daily basis in all that
you do. It is because of
that redefining that today
you sit here as the very
best in what you do. Not
very many people get to
wake up in the morning
and be the very best at
what you do, but that is
exactly what you guys are
today.”
Zvonar said he was
proud to be the coach at
East.
“This is not some
trustee,
Trevarthan
held a number
of roles
on Village
committees,
most recently
as the Trevarthan
chairman
of the Operations Committee.
He contributed to
several projects in downtown
Frankfort, including
improvements to the west
side of Oak Street, and
advocated for the consolidation
of Frankfort’s
normal group of young
men,” he said. “They are
going to change the world
for the good. But for now,
they’ve earned the right
to celebrate. The trophy
will be in the case, and
you are going to get the
ring, but the legacy will
last a generation and all
the memories that go with
it.”
After the rally concluded,
and while the families
and students took to the
court to celebrate with
the football team, East
standout senior defensive
linemen Adrian Wilson
and Sean McLaughlin reflected
on the season and
the parade.
“Getting on the bus
and going around with
the team, that was one
wastewater treatment
plants into a singular regional
wastewater treatment
plant.
“I was lucky in my life
to meet a lot of sharp
people and work with
them and learn a lot from
them,” Trevarthan said. “I
learned from a lot of good
people that were on that
board. I’ll miss that.”
Trevarthan is an alumnus
of Purdue University,
graduating in 1959 with a
degree in agronomy and
a minor in golf course
management and landscaping.
He helped build
Frankfort’s Prestwick
Country Club golf course
and maintained it for more
than three decades as a
golf course superintendent.
Holland told The Station
he credits Trevarthan
with playing an important
role in landscaping and
beautification efforts in
Frankfort.
“For many years, since
I was first elected 22 years
ago, Dick and I have
served on as trustees together,
and while I was
mayor,” Holland said.
“Dick will be very missed
by the people of Frankfort.
He always would talk
a stand on even controversial
issues and he would
vote for what he thought
of the coolest things,”
McLaughlin said of the
parade. “It’s kind of one
of the last times that
we’re all going to be together
for an organized
event.”
They also touched on
how it felt the night before
as the clock hit zeroes.
“It was just surreal,”
Wilson said. “You just
think all the way back to
January and all the hard
work you’ve put in.”
“You’re lost in emotion
almost,” McLaughlin
added. “You don’t
know what to do, because
all of the work that you
put in has finally like
come to a point and you
have nothing other to do
than to celebrate with the
would be in the best longterm
interest of the people
of Frankfort.”
State law calls for the
mayor and trustees to appoint
a new trustee within
60 days of a trustee’s resignation.
Holland said the
Village will begin accepting
applications for the
vacancy, which will be
made available on the Village’s
website, vofil.com,
and at the Village Administration
Building, 432 W.
Nebraska St. All residents
who are registered voters
are eligible to apply, and
applications must be submitted
to Theresa Cork at
the Village Administration
Building by Monday,
Dec. 30.
Holland said he expects
to conduct interviews for
the position the first week
of January and appoint
a new trustee during the
Tuesday, Jan. 21 Village
Board meeting.
brothers you’ve grown up
with something you’ve
worked toward forever.”
As for how they felt this
team would rank in the
pantheon of East football
teams, they each pointed
to the team’s toughness.
“The defense putting
up a zero in a state
championship game is
like truly unheard of, especially
with the other
games where there was
like 37 and 42 [points],”
McLaughlin said. “I definitely
think our grit was
one of the biggest things.
We had kids that were
playing with one shoulder,
and we had a kid with
a club on his hand. Just
the grit and toughness
that we had was crazy.”