Admitted Joliet Gang Member Arrested After Police Pursuit
An admitted gang member known to Joliet police is in custody after a routine traffic stop that resulted in a police chase, crash and foot chase.
On January 6, 2021 at approximately 2:47 a.m., Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle near North Hickory Street and Division Street after observing a traffic violation. The driver refused to stop the vehicle and a pursuit ensued. Officers pursued the fleeing vehicle to the area of Maple Road and Draper Avenue. While turning northbound onto Draper Avenue, the vehicle left the roadway and struck a brick landscaping structure. The vehicle then continued back onto the roadway at which time the driver again lost control of the vehicle and it left the roadway into a ravine along Draper Avenue.
The driver then fled from the vehicle on foot from Officers. Officers quickly apprehended the driver near Maple Road and Draper Avenue and identified him as 21-year-old Sebastian Gates of Joliet. Officers recovered a handgun that Gates discarded while fleeing. It was determined that this firearm had been reported stolen from another county in Illinois. A second handgun was recovered by Officers upon search of his vehicle. It was determined that this handgun was also reported as stolen from Will County.
Gates was arrested, booked, and transported to the Will County Jail for the offenses of Aggravated Fleeing/Eluding a Peace Officer, Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapon (2 Counts), Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon (2 Counts), Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Firearm (2 Counts), Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Street Gang Member (2 Counts), Obstructing a Peace Officer, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, No FOID card, and multiple traffic citations.
Shortly after arriving at the Joliet Police Department, Gates complained of a medical issue and was transported to AMITA St. Joseph Medical Center by the Joliet Fire Department. Gates was released from the hospital a short time later and taken to the Will County Jail.
