Palatine police officers conducting patrol in the block of 700 East Rand Grove Lane just after 4:00 p.m. Saturday, July 12, 2025, observed suspicious behavior by a man later identified as Kenneth J. Smith, age 29, of the block of 5100 West Huron Street in Chicago.
Palatine police officers observed Kenneth J. Smith, who was on foot, conceal a black object behind an electrical box adjacent to an apartment building. Upon making contact with him, police officers confirmed he had two active arrest warrants — one out of DuPage County and another from the Illinois Department of Corrections for a parole violation. Smith was taken into custody on the warrants.
Palatine police officers recovered the item Smith had concealed, which was a black jacket. Inside the jacket, they located a black 9mm handgun with a loaded extended magazine. Smith did not possess a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID card).
In addition to the outstanding warrants, Smith was charged with:
Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon (Class 3 Felony)
Unlawful Aggravated Possession of a Weapon – No FOID (Class 4 Felony)
Smith was transported to the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago for a detention hearing, where a judge ordered him detained until his next court appearance, scheduled for July 15, 2025, at 9:00 AM at the Cook County 3rd District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows, Room 108.
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Kenneth Smith was connected to previous accusations of alleged street robberies in Palatine in 2012 and a hotel robbery in Skokie in 2015.
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