HIV Positive Man Arrested On Charges Of Infecting Woman

An East St. Louis man who has the virus that causes AIDS has been arrested almost nine months after being charged with intentionally infecting a woman.

For months, police have been looking for 36-year-old Zachary Forest and they arrested him at a St. Louis home shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Forest has been on the run since he was charged March 2.

Forest fled East St. Louis and hid in St. Louis until the U.S. Marshals Service of Southern Illinois developed information that he was at a St. Louis residence. They along with members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department set up surveillance at the spot where they had learned he frequented. When he showed up, he was arrested without incident.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Violent Offender's unit worked jointly with the marshals from Illinois.

Forest was arrested in the 3400 block of Linton Avenue in St. Louis. The arrest warrant shows he is charged with criminal transmission of HIV. He is being detained in a St. Louis jail on $700,000 bail.

"We're very pleased to have him in custody," St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly said. "And, anyone who has had sexual contact with him should seek medical attention and contact law enforcement."

This is the second criminal case in the metro-east this month involving the transmission of HIV.

Patrick Wayne Gregory, 26, was charged with one count of criminal transmission of HIV in Madison County. He also faces three counts of the same felony charge in St. Louis, from occurrences dating back to March 2010.

In order to be charged with criminal transmission in Illinois, the person must know he or she is infected with HIV and has intimate contact or fluid transfer with another person without informing them of the danger.

A victim doesn't actually have to contract AIDS for someone to be charged in this type of case, according to Illinois law.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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