Kankakee, IL – An early Sunday morning traffic stop for speeding escalated to a passenger’s arrest on serious felony and gang-related charges in Kankakee.
According to Kankakee City Police reports, the incident occurred when a gold SUV was observed reportedly speeding and attempting to overtake other vehicles illegally on Station Street near Dearborn Avenue at around 1:56 am. The vehicle was subsequently stopped at the intersection of E Station St and S Greenwood Ave.
Upon conducting the traffic stop, officers reportedly noticed a firearm on the vehicle’s floor beneath the front passenger seat, where Michael J Rodgers-Pizano was seated. The discovery led to Rodgers-Pizano’s detention, while the driver was released with a citation for the traffic violation.
Following an investigation, Rodgers-Pizano was transported to the Kankakee Police Department for interrogation and later charged with multiple accounts, including alleged Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon in a Vehicle, Possession of a Weapon by a Felon, and Possession of a Weapon by a Gang Member. The firearm was collected and logged as evidence with the Kankakee Police Department.
