Imagine this… it’s 8am, you’ve just dropped your 8 year old off at school and picked up your 22 year old daughter for breakfast. While your daughter goes inside a restaurant to correct the breakfast order your wife, in the seat beside you, notices a woman waiving her arms as if in distress. So you roll down the window to see if she needs help and she leans her head into your car and offers her “services”.
Then, to add injury to insult, a few seconds later a bunch of cops rush your car, drag you out of it, and handcuff you for soliciting a prostitute. Meanwhile your wife is freaking out, and your daughter, returning to the car, screams!
Well, that is exactly what happened to Erasmo and Rocio Palacious in Chicago recently:
The Palacioses, of Chicago, claim the woman approached their car, parked outside Manolo’s restaurant, leaned in to the passenger side where Rocio was sitting and asked Erasmo if he wanted oral sex for $20 or sex for $25. The couple laughed, realizing this wasn’t a woman in distress after all.
But within seconds, Chicago police swarmed the family car, hauling Erasmo Palacios out in handcuffs. He was charged with solicitation of a prostitute. His daughter, who had just run in to exchange her coffee for a hot chocolate, screamed, while his wife cried in fear.
Eight hours later, Palacios, who has no criminal record, was released from custody. And weeks later, charges against him were dropped.
Oh, but that’s not all. During the illegal event the family’s 1983 Mercedes was impounded and his wife and daughter were left stranded and even threatened with arrest as they tried to stop police from taking it. And now the city wants $4,700 in towing and storage fees!
Outrageous, huh?
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
That is just outrageous. I, for one, am not opposed to the cops trying to clean up the streets of would-be sex mongers before they possibly hurt someone. But they have to be careful. And they have to get the right guy!
There are a number of such sting operations that take place everyday and people are compelled to suffer in silence. Was the operator nuts? The wife was sitting next to the man and she solicits him? In the presence of a witness? I think that the cops owe them an apology and must be made ot pay damages instead of claiming towing and storage fees.
Insane, I hope this guy will own Chicago Police after this crap, I qwish him all he best in the law suit.
Kim:)
This is just not done. Its ok for the police to clean up the streets but this is a cruel way and one man can’t just be punished for no fault of there own.
Poor fellow it must have hurt him a lot
As for the person he must have a apology letter as well as a good compensation for the mental and physical trauma he and his family went through.
Can I be the lawyer in this case? Those cops need to go back to Entrapment 101, if they are going to do the job right, arrest the wife and daughter as accomplices. :D
“It was my wife! SHE wanted the prostitute! Take HER! Take HER!”
That is just awful! I’ve been searching and searching, but, I can’t find any updates about their situation. I sure would like to know what’s happening with the case, though.
wow, and I’m going to Chicago next month, I’ll be sure not to try and help anyone..lol
I imagine folks just get so caught up doing this that they don’t think about these things.
I’ve been watching The Wire on HBO recently (only up to season 2), and it’s actually a great show to get into the mind of cops. On Netflix, a few cops chimed in and said as much. I bet adrenaline just ends up taking over rational thought.
Shame too because we’re going to end up paying for this =/ Well at least the locals are.
The saddest thing about all this to me is that the cops went to this length over the relatively trivial offence of soliciting on the street to begin with. There’s bound to be more to this case than what’s been said/printed.
Or at least get the wrong guy in the right situation not the wrong guy in the right situation. Is entrapment really that hard? :D
That’s cops for you. Cops like to entrap people instead of picking up real criminals.
Nice post thanks sharing
Guy you are lucky your wife was there to witness it , otherwise you would have had a tough time convincing her of your innocence. This could have ended your mariage and ruin your life.
Be thankful and get a good lawyer , it could have been a lot worse.
Cops are the the worst, seems they always revert to the badge as their authority to act like jack booted thugs…worked for the storm troopers too.
he should have gotten the bj, that’s cheap
I was also wrongly accused and falsely arrested for robbery with a firearm.
Years later in a Civil Suit, I was awarded damages and an apology from the arresting authorities dept.
A life changing and chilling story to say the least
Just another example of having to prove you innocent when you are accused of a cop for anything. Glad he had witnesses or he would be found guilty which Illinois now has a bill to make this a felony. It is on the governors desk waiting his signature. If passed assault will carry a lighter sentence.