Friday, November 16, 2018

Theresa A. Plascencia, Waukegan Public School District 60 Superintendent Allegedly Makes False Police Report Against Community Activist Margaret Carrasco




Waukegan police investigated an alleged threatening and harassment complaint reported by Theresa A. Plascencia, the Waukegan Public School District 60 Superintendent against education community activist Margaret Carrasco, which apparently turned out to be false, according to police.

By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

November 16, 2018

Waukegan, Illinois - A Waukegan police life threatening and harassment incident report #18-64522 released to Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) on Friday indicates that Theresa Ann Plascencia, 48, the Waukegan Public School District 60 Superintendent allegedly accused education community activist Margaret Carrasco and her husband Thomas of making life threats and harassing her at the Canoa Restaurant on Wednesday night, which apparently turned out to be a false claim, according to police. Carrasco also released a photo of Waukegan police at her residence investigating Plascencia's allegations, which Carrasco denied Plascencia's accusations and told police that she and her husband did not make any such threats nor harassed Plascencia and her party of four, which included her son and Plascencia's boyfriend, Cyrus McGinnis at the table. Carrasco accused Plascencia of making a false police report.
According to Carrasco, police were ready to arrest her and her husband on Plascencia's allegations, but Carrasco managed to contact the owner of the Canoa Restaurant to get permission for her and police to review the restaurant video surveillance footage inside the restaurant. A Canoa Restaurant manager met police and the Carrascos at the restaurant to review the videos, which showed that the Carrascos never went to Plascencia's table to engage in a threatening or harassing manner towards Plascencia and her companions at the restaurant.
In one video released to HNNUSA, it shows several of Carrasco's female companions taking a photo and in the background you can notice Plascencia's party at a table. On the second video, Thomas in a red jacket went by the Plascencia's table while a person seating with Plascencia with no hair on the lower left side of the video images looks at Thomas and Carrasco including her party leaving their table without going close to Plascencia's table.
Carrasco confirmed to HNNUSA on Friday that she will be filing a complaint against Plascencia for making a false police report with the Illinois State Attorney's Office in Waukegan. Plascencia and the Waukegan Public School Board is facing criticism from Carrasco for raising property taxes and a Board meeting will take place next week to discuss the property tax approved proposal by the school district board.
Last Tuesday, the Waukegan School Board 60 (WSB60) voted 6-1 to raise property taxes with School Board member Miguel Rivera voting not to raise a property tax levy of $63.6M, including a $53.6M for operating expenses. The WSB60 also applied for its $6 3M share from the $50M set aside by the State of Illinois for the new property tax relief grant program. The state will decide in January 2019, which Illinois school districts will receive the tax relief grants.
Plascencia on Thursday filed an Order of Protection (Stalking No Contact Order - SNCO) against Carrasco, but a Waukegan judge denied her filing request, according to court records.
According to the SNCO, case #18OP00002153, Plascencia might have committed perjury because she wrote on the document dated 11/15/2018 and signed it, that the Carrascos had arrived at the Canoa Restaurant after she and her companions did, which inside video surveillance footage from the restaurant indicates that Carrasco had been inside the restaurant at least an hour before Plascencia arrived. Also Plascencia indicated in the SNCO that she had 4 witnesses to the incident including her 8-year-old son who apparently was crying all night and too traumatized to attend school. According to Waukegan Public School sources, Plascencia's son did actually attend school the next day. If Plascencia's witnesses actually verify what she falsely accused the Carrascos of doing, then they too could be facing felony criminal charges as Plascencia for making false allegations to police against the Carrascos.
Plascencia is currently under investigation by the state attorney's office for allegedly using the Waukegan Public School District 60 credit card account for personal purchases.





Update: On Friday, both Thomas Carrasco (police report #2018-64857) and Margaret Carrasco (police report #2018-64859) filed a complaint with Waukegan Police Chief Wayne Walles against Theresa Plascencia, Oscar Zepeda, Cyrus McGinnis and two other individuals in regards of making a false police report #18-64522 accusing Thomas and Margaret Carrasco of harassment and threatening Plascencia at the Canoa Restaurant. Thomas is requesting for Waukegan police to do a full investigation concerning the incident. Thomas wrote in the complaint, "I  request to file a criminal complaint against Waukegan Superintendent Theresa A. Plascencia for HARRASSMENT , FABRICATING EVIDENCE & WITNESSES and FALSIFYING POLICE REPORT #18-64522 on Wednesday November 14, 2018 at La Canoa Restaurant 50 S. Greenbay Road in Waukegan, Il. Plascencia’s allegations are completely false and the 4 security videos of the incident clearly prove this. Plascencia intentially lied to a Waukegan Police officer and should be charged with a criminal Class 3 Felony, be immediately arrested, imprisoned, and fined for illegally allocating City resources for hours. Several Police officers and squad cars were sent to my residence as a result of her false report. Police also stated to me that Plascencia stated she had several witnesses. The video shows Cyrus McGinnis, her son Cyrus McGinnis JR, another man and another women seated with Plascencia and appear to also be collaborating/fabricating the false report with her. If in fact this is true, they also should be charged for making false statements with the purpose to mislead a public official in performing his official function..."
The Carrascos also filed a complaint with the Illinois State Attorney's Office in Waukegan.

Thomas Carrasco included Plascencia's allegations in his filed complaint with the Waukegan Police Department. 



Below are her (Theresa A. Plascencia) accusations against me that she filed in her Order of Protection report :

November 15, 2018 - At 830 p.m., I was in La Canoa Restaurant in Waukegan with my family, and was joined by some co-workers who happened to also be dining at the restaurant. Ms. Carrasco arrived at the restaurant with her husband, and spotted us. While several tables in the restaurant were available, she and her husband I believe intentionally chose to sit directly behind my table, and began taking pictures of us eating. We asked if she would stop photographing us while we ate, but she began insisting loudly she was allowed to take pictures, and could do what I want. In addition to the photos, she began verbally harassing our group, at which time i decided to alert authorities, and contacted Deputy Zupec. Her husband then became'involved, walked over to the table and began staring and standing in close proximity or 4 feet) to the group, prompting my second call to Deputy Zupec, who then sent police over. Following the incident, my child was obviously traumatized, crying alt night, and was too scared to attend school the following day as a direct result of the Carrascos behavior. Filed Police Report #2018-54522

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