Farrakhan's son arrested in Crete a second time

Daily Southtown/May 30, 2003
By Alice Hohl

Louis E. Farrakhan Jr., one of the sons of the Nation of Islam leader, has been arrested again at his home in Crete, this time for hitting his daughter, police said.

Farrakhan Jr. was sentenced to a term of probation in May 2000 after he pleaded guilty to domestic battery for hitting his pregnant wife.

Crete Police said Farrakhan Jr. now stands accused of hitting his 17-year-old daughter several times with a broom handle.

Crete Police Chief Paul VanDeraa said police are cooperating with Will County prosecutors to decide whether misdemeanor domestic battery will be the only charge considering Farrakhan Jr.'s history.

"That's what we're working out and looking into," VanDeraa said.

Farrakhan Jr.'s probation for the 2000 domestic battery would have ended in November 2001 if he completed it successfully without violating the rules by missing a meeting or committing a new crime.

Court records did not show whether he successfully completed the probation, a court spokesman said.

Calls to the Will County adult probation department Thursday afternoon were not answered.

Crete police said they arrested Farrakhan Jr., 45, after officers were called to the family home at 4:20 p.m. May 23.

Police said the daughter did not suffer serious injuries.

Farrakhan Jr. was charged and held in Will County Jail.

He appeared in court the next day, where the weekend court judge found there was probable cause for his arrest and set a $15,000 bail, according to court records.

Farrakhan Jr. posted $1,500 bond Monday and was released from custody, according to a jail spokeswoman, but he is forbidden to have contact with his daughter or to go to the house in the 3500 block of Ronald Road.

The case was heard again Tuesday, after the holiday weekend, where it was assigned to Will County Associate Judge Thomas A. Dunn.

Berve Power, a Chicago lawyer, is representing Farrakhan Jr.

"I can't really say much about this case," he said Thursday.

Court officials said the next court date has been set, but it was not available in public records Thursday, since the date had not been entered into the court's computer system.

When Farrakhan Jr. was arrested in 2000, it was his teenage daughter who called police to say he hit his wife Lesil, who was 8 month pregnant, with a serving tray. It is unclear if the same daughter is the one who complained he hit her with a broomstick.

Louis Farrakhan Jr. is not the only one of Louis Farrakhan's nine sons to make headlines.

Nasir H. Farrakhan of Chicago was arrested earlier this month in Indiana after a hit-and-run accident in which police said Nasir Farrakhan was driving drunk. Joshua Farrakhan was shot in both legs in August 2001 on Chicago's South Side.