Joliet police, others accused of raiding wrong home in federal lawsuit

A federal lawsuit accused Joliet police officers and other law enforcement agents of entering the wrong home to arrest a man charged with a 2021 shooting and then keeping the family detained inside the home for hours.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday on behalf of Adela Carrasco, 63, and several other members of her family who lived at 228 Comstock Street in Joliet, as well as plaintiffs who reside at 226 Comstock Street.

Several Joliet police officers, Will County sheriff’s deputies and deputy U.S. Marshals were named as defendants in the lawsuit. The Joliet Police Department declined to comment. A call left with the U.S. Marshals was not immediately returned.

Kathy Hoffmeyer, sheriff’s office spokeswoman, said their office did not play a role in the incident “except for the fact that the [sheriff’s deputies] mentioned are from our Felony Warrants Division and are also members of the [U.S. Marshal’s] Task Force.”

The lawsuit claimed an arrest warrant for Elian Raya was wrongfully executed on Nov. 2, 2021 at the residence at 228 Comstock Street, when Raya lived at 226 Comstock Street.

Raya was charged on Aug. 19, 2021 with shooting at a vehicle occupied by two people. He was not apprehended until Nov. 2, 2021.

The lawsuit alleged officers used the warrant for Raya’s arrest as a “false pretext” to search 228 Comstock Street.

A Joliet police detective had a “hunch” that either Elian Raya or his brother, who lived at 228 Comstock Street, might be connected to the Oct. 31, 2021 mass shooting in Joliet Township that left three people dead and several others wounded, the lawsuit alleged.

Joskar Ramos and brothers Thomas Lopez and Jeremy Lopez have been the only defendants charged with the murder of the three victims in that incident.

When officers executed the arrest warrant on Nov. 2 at 228 Comstock Street, they banged on the door, waking up Carrasco and announced they were searching for “Elliot Reyes,” instead of Elian Raya, the lawsuit alleged. The officers then threatened to break down the door.

After Carrasco opened the door, the officers pointed loaded firearms directly at her, leaving her consumed with shock and fear, the lawsuit alleged. When she said there was no “Elliot Reyes” in her home, the officers then pushed her aside and searched the residence with guns drawn, the lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit accused the officers of aggressively waking up the teens inside, pointing firearms at them and shouting commands at them, such as, “Don’t move [expletive]!!! Put your [expletive] hands up!!!”

The lawsuit claimed other officers who were outside had executed an arrest warrant at 226 Comstock Street, shouted verbal threats at a woman inside and used excessive force on her.

Officers found Raya inside the house and arrested him but they kept the other people at both Comstock Street residence detained for six hours, the lawsuit alleged.