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DECATUR — Authorities have identified the man who died from a gunshot wound on July 8 in Decatur.
Macon County Coroner Michael E. Day said in a news release that John O. Staley, 63, of Decatur was declared deceased at 6:15 a.m. Monday at 1357 N. Monroe St.
A forensic autopsy was performed Tuesday at the McLean County Coroner's Morgue in Bloomington.
The cause of death was a penetrating gunshot wound to the head, Day stated in the press release.
Neighbor who attacked neighbor gets 2 years
Staley's identity had been withheld to aid in the investigation and to allow for the family to be notified.
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Decatur Police Department said the victim’s body was found just after midnight Monday at a house on North Monroe Street. Staley had bruising to his facial area and a gunshot wound to his lower body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Decatur Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence in the 1400 block of North Monroe Street. A 14-year-old boy was booked on charges of first-degree murder in the killing of Staley. The murder suspect was take to aftercare, a form of juvenile parole for kid offenders.
An inquest is pending.
Suspect eats pot pulled from his rear during arrest
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A parolee has been charged in circuit court with possession of a controlled substance and resisting a peace officer after he was found with crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana, which he removed from his buttocks and tried to swallow.
Gregory D. Green was driving a car in the 1300 block of East Hickory Street about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday when a patrol officer discovered his driver's license was revoked, by checking his license plate in a database.
When officer Adam Siefman conducted a traffic stop, he immediately smelled burnt cannabis, he wrote in an affidavit.
As Siefman searched Green incidental to arrest, he noticed “plastic baggies that contained a green leafy substance in between his buttocks, which had the odor of raw cannabis.”
When Siefman tried to “retrieve the evidence,” Green resisted his efforts, ignored orders to “quit resisting” and moved away from him.
Green then “was able to pull out the baggie of the green leafy substance from his buttocks, along with another clear plastic baggie which contained an off-white rocklike substance,” Siefman wrote.
Siefman then threw Green to the ground to try to take him into custody.
“While attempting to control him, he managed to eat a portion of the green leafy substance and spit out the clear plastic baggie,” Siefman wrote.
When Green expelled the baggie from his mouth, there was “a green tint to his saliva.”
During the struggle, Green pushed “a white object into the ground.” Officers found that object, which tested positive for cocaine, underneath the spot where the struggle occurred.
Green was booked into the Macon County Jail, where he is being held on $31,500 bond.
At the time of his arrest, he was out on bond. He posted $1,500 cash Nov. 22 after his arrest the previous day with about 1½ ounces of marijuana. In that case, police following a tip from parole agents found marijuana in his residence in the 1300 block of East Hickory. Green admitted that the marijuana was his, as well as a digital scale.
Green, who has five prior criminal convictions, was released from the Illinois Department of Corrections Sept. 25, after serving 9½ months of a five-year sentence. In that case, he was originally charged with six felonies, including Class X aggravated vehicular hijacking, robbery and aggravated battery for forcing his grandmother into a car Dec. 7 and driving her to a credit union to draw money from her account.
On April 28, he pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen vehicle as part of a plea deal. He was released early after he was admitted to the impact incarceration program, designed for nonviolent offenders.
Green is due in court for his preliminary hearing in his most recent case Dec. 17.
Woman covers cars in ketchup and mayonnaise
- Tony Reid
DECATUR – Police say a Decatur woman, furious at her two-timing boyfriend and his other girlfriend, covered both of their cars completely in a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise.
Chantil S. Dawson, 22, is also accused of extensively scratching both vehicles, slashing two tires on each and smashing their rear view mirrors. The victims had first seen the damage about 4 a.m March 9 and reported it to police, who arrested Dawson Sunday evening.
She now faces two counts of criminal damage to property, and police have asked the victims for an update on repair costs, which may exceed $10,000.
Sworn statements say the 36-year-old boyfriend had no doubt from the beginning who had done the damage, which he discovered when he went outside to “get a cigar” from his car. He showed patrol officers text messages he had allegedly received from Dawson that said in part: “... But y'all got a surprise when y'all wake up ... she talk about it, but I'm bout it!!!”
When he texted her back and asked her why she had vandalized the cars, she allegedly replied: “Because I can.”
The boyfriend later told police he believed it was an act of revenge because, earlier in the week before the damage was done, Dawson had stayed the night at his home. While they were together, the other girlfriend had stopped by and began knocking on the door and windows, but the boyfriend said he had not answered.
“He advised he believes Dawson damaged the vehicles in retaliation for that incident,” the statements said.
Dawson is free on $10,000 bail with the condition she stay away from her boyfriend and his other girlfriend.
Man accused of trying to kill woman after she ate cookies
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – When Allen M. Hall's 49-year-old female roommate ate three Chips Ahoy cookies, that apparently sent him into a frenzy, which almost resulted in her death.
When Hall, 23, threatened to kill his roommate when he discovered she ate the cookies for breakfast, at first she thought he was joking.
But after repeating the threats Hall attacked her, said an affidavit by Decatur patrol officer Joseph Kish.
The incident occurred about 10:15 a.m. Wednesday in a house on the 400 block of East Garfield Avenue, where Hall and the roommate had separate bedrooms.
The victim said she was dressing in a bathroom when Hall started pounding on the door, threatening to kill her.
Because she didn't take the threat seriously she opened the door and told him: “If you are going to kill me then go ahead,” the victim later told police.
Hall shocked her with his violent response.
“Allen grabbed her around the throat with both of his hands and threw her down into the tub,” she told police, said the affidavit. “She hit the back of her head on the tub and this caused a knot on her head.”
Hall then got on top of her “and strangled her to the point she could not speak and was having difficulty breathing.”
The victim's husband and landlady both arrived on the scene and “had to pull Allen off of her.”
She later told police she believed “Allen would have killed her if (her husband and landlady) had not been there.”
The landlady told police she was in the dining room when she heard “commotion coming from the bathroom.” When she arrived on the scene, Hall was on top of her in the tub, with his hands around her neck “and appeared to be squeezing as hard as he could.”
When the landlady yelled for him to stop, he did not relent, so she grabbed one of his arms. Then she and the victim's husband pulled Hall off of her.
“If she had not been there she believed Allen would have killed (the victim),” the landlady told police.
During a police interview, Hall explained, “(The victim) told him to kill her, so he charged.”
Hall is being held on $75,000 bond in the Macon County Jail on charges of attempted murder and aggravated domestic battery. He is due in circuit court for his arraignment by Thursday.
Woman hits own head with bowling ball to fake robbery
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A 30-year-old employee of Pla-Mor Lanes triggered a massive rapid response from Decatur police when she reported she was knocked unconscious by a robber with a bowling ball who emptied the business' safe.
However, when police looked at the surveillance video, it told a different story.
At 9:25 p.m. Thursday, eight officers responded to the report of the robbery, many of them using their emergency lights and traveling at "an increased rate of speed," said an affidavit by patrol officer James Weddle.
Jamie L. Gordon said "she had been struck in the head with a bowling ball, and all of the money, $2,100, had been stolen out of the safe," Weddle wrote in his statement.
She said she did not see her assailant because she was struck from behind and knocked unconscious.
When a manager arrived at the bowling alley, he granted Weddle permission to view the surveillance video.
"I observed Jamie walk into the office. Jamie walks over to the counter in the office and picks up a red bowling ball with her left hand and a cash drawer with her right hand," the affidavit said. "Jamie proceeds to strike herself twice in the back, left side of her head with the bowling ball."
Gordon then "droppped to the floor," where she remained for 13 minutes, waiting for another employee to discover her.
After informing Gordon that he "just watched her strike herself in the head with a bowling ball twice on video," he asked her where the money was. "Jamie sighed and stated, 'Some of it is in my car.' "
She led the officer to her car "where she pulled out a Hello Kitty brand bag full of money. The bag contained $439."
When asked where the rest of the missing money was, Gordon said she had gambled it away in the bowling alley's slot machines.
During an interview, Gordon said she recently gambled away her paycheck. After that, "she began taking money from the drawers and safe." She said she "already owed Pla-Mor Lanes $250" as a result of the other missing cash.
"Jamie admitted to striking herself in the head with the bowling ball in an attempt to make it look like she had been robbed. Jamie advised she struck herself with the bowling ball so that she would have a knot on her head when police arrived."
Gordon, who has no prior criminal record, was booked into the Macon County Jail, where she was being held on $7,500 bond. She is due in court for her arraignment by Friday.
Why did the chicken cross the road?
- Tony Reid
MOWEAQUA – Question: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Answer: Because he was being stolen.
Such is the sad fate of a 6-foot-tall steel rooster named “Ruben.” He flew the coop during the night of June 23 when he was taken from the front yard of Melanie and Darrell Hall, who farm six miles west of Moweaqua.
This bit of fowl play clearly was well-organized, and there likely was more than one thief: The brightly painted Ruben was anchored to the ground and weighed more than 300 pounds.
The Christian County Sheriff's Office is now hunting for Ruben, and its theft has more than ruffled the feathers of the Hall family.
“My reaction to him being stolen was pretty much disbelief and then irritation,” said Melanie Hall, 57. “I was irritated and upset that somebody would come and take away something that we owned, plus something that everybody enjoyed so much.”
Ruben was a gift 10 months ago from the Halls' 29-year-old daughter LeAnn, who lives out of state, and he quickly became a local landmark with his metallic plumage painted in reds, yellows and greens. Melanie Hall began dressing Ruben in clothes to match the season, and he sported a Central A&M Raiders outfit when the high school in Moweaqua was on its way to the state girls' basketball finals.
“And at Christmas he had a Christmas outfit and for Halloween he became a gladiator,” added Hall. “We had so much fun with it and all of the neighborhood and community had so much fun with it. People have associated him with us, and it seems about everywhere we go we hear 'Oh, we love your rooster.'”
This is not the first time Ruben has been the target of crime. A previous attempt to steal him occurred in the winter, but, no doubt surprised by its weight, the thieves soon chickened out.
“We found him in a ditch about 25 yards away,” Hall said. “And now we want him back again.”
Anyone with information on Ruben's whereabouts should contact the sheriff's office at (217) 824-4961.
Officer declines to do 'super-duper' favor for drunken driver
- H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — A suspected drunken driver was out of luck when he pleaded for mercy from the arresting police officer.
Sworn statements say the 39-year-old Decatur man was pulled over at 12:29 a.m. Sunday after a patrol officer spotted his vehicle being driven erratically on Faries Parkway. The driver, who allegedly had glassy eyes, slurred speech, stank of alcohol and had a half-empty bottle of brandy in his back pocket, then asked the officer if he couldn’t do “a super-duper favor for him since his license is revoked.”
The driver, who failed a breath test, was arrested and booked on a charge of aggravated DUI. Court records show he has two previous DUI convictions.
Man arrested for live television obscenity
- H&R staff report
DECATUR – An 18-year-old Forsyth man was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and battery, for grabbing a microphone from a TV reporter during Decatur Celebration and uttering an obscene phrase on live television.
Sean Streaty was performing a live broadcast for WAND-TV between 10 and 10:30 p.m. Friday near the Stephen Decatur statue, Franklin and William streets, when the teen grabbed his microphone, uttered the phrase, and fled on foot.
“The newscast spread on the Internet,” said Decatur Police Sgt. Shane Brandel. “From that the suspect was identified.”
The suspect was arrested and released on a notice to appear in court. He is due in circuit court for his arraignment Sept. 5.
Couple throw beans at each other in domestic dispute
- Tony Reid
DECATUR —Cold baked beans became a weapon when an estranged Decatur couple got into a row over child custody issues Sunday evening.
Sworn police statements allege a discussion about those issues became heated after Rachel A. Hughes, 32, had visited her husband's home.
“At a point in the argument Rachel and then (her husband) threw cold baked beans at each other,” said a sworn statement from Decatur Police officer Chad Reed.
“Rachel then retrieved a bowl of hot water from the microwave and threw the bowl at her husband's feet.”
The husband told the couple's 11-year-old child to call the police, which further enraged the child's mother. “While (the child) was attempting to call 911 to report domestic violence occurring, Rachel grabbed the child in what was described as a headlock and attempted to take the phone ...” Reed said in his statement.
Reed said he later spoke to the child and could see a “quarter-sized bump” on the rear left side of the child's head, behind the left ear. He said the child told him it happened during the parents' argument. “Rachel advised that she tried to take the phone ... to prevent the child from calling police,” Reed alleged.
Police say the mother did finally leave the house but wasn't done with the argument. It's alleged she picked up a brick and threw it at her husband, with the warning: " 'The next one goes through the window of your car,' " according to the sworn statements.
Reed said he could see a fresh impact mark next to the front door where the thrown brick had struck the house at what corresponded to chest height on the husband.
Hughes was arrested Sunday night and jailed on charges of aggravated battery, domestic battery and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence. Hughes was later released on $10,000 bail with the condition she has no contact with her husband or her child and she is also ordered to stay away from her husband's home.
Deputy kiss contributes to jail date
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A 42-year-old Warrensburg man was arrested early Thursday morning after a series of poor choices including planting a kiss on a deputy's cheek after the vehicle he was driving became stuck on railroad tracks.
Macon County Sheriff's deputies were sent to a railroad crossing near Illinois 48, just south of Forest Crest Drive, at 11:25 p.m. Wednesday.
“Upon arriving on the scene I observed three individuals standing behind the vehicle that was stuck on the railroad tracks,” according to a probable cause affidavit filed by deputy Daniel Carr.
The trio was identified as Stephen L. Ewing, 42, a 44-year-old man and a juvenile.
“I also observed several empty Bud Light cans near the vehicle,” Carr wrote in his statement.
Ewing first told police another person had been driving the vehicle, who walked home from the scene. An officer was sent to that person's address to verify that story.
“While speaking with Ewing there was a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. I observed his eyes to be red, bloodshot and glassy and his speech was slurred and lethargic.”
Smith told Ewing to stay off his phone, as officers investigated who had been driving the vehicle. Ewing said he could be on his phone if he wanted to. Smith told him to stay off or he would have to give the phone to him.
Ewing stepped toward Smith and said he “would like to see Deputy Smith take his phone from him.”
Ewing was placed in handcuffs “for our safety and his” and placed in a police car. As Carr interviewed Ewing's companions, he heard “very loud banging coming from the squad car consistent with someone kicking the door or banging their head.”
When Smith tried to secure Ewing in a seat belt, Ewing “pressed his forehead” against the deputy's forehead. Smith pushed his head away and told him not to touch him again.
“Deputy Smith then attempted to seat-belt Ewing once again at which time I observed Ewing lean into Deputy Smith and kiss him on his left cheek near his lips,” Carr wrote.
The other adult occupant of the vehicle told police Ewing was driving the vehicle at the time it became stuck. He said they were driving from a bar, then Ewing missed the turn to Rock Springs Road. Instead of turning around on Illinois 48, “he decided to attempt to drive through the field.”
Ewing, who struck Carr in the hand as he was reading a report to him in jail, was arrested on charges of aggravated battery of a peace officer and aggravated DUI. He is free after posting $5,000 cash bail, pending arraignment Jan. 26.
Man says neigh to missing court date; arrives on horseback
- Chris Lusvardi
DECATUR — After missing a series of previously scheduled court appearances in Decatur, a Normal man came up with an old-fashioned way to make sure he was there Thursday for his latest one.
Ronald Blalock II rode horseback from LeRoy to arrive with plenty of time to spare for a morning hearing at the Macon County Courts Facility.
The horse waited on the lawn outside while Blalock, 38, went inside for a bond hearing stemming from charges of driving on a suspended driver's license.
Blalock didn't think he would receive a welcome reception while in Decatur with the horse, which is named Rooster, based on a character in a John Wayne movie. However, Blalock said everyone he encountered, from security officers to the judge and assistant state's attorney, were friendly.
“I thought I'd be in trouble,” Blalock said. “Now I know they won't be so hard if you show up.”
With family living out of state and friends from the area at work, Blalock didn't have anyone who could drive him to Decatur. Blalock, who has worked as a truck driver, has been without his driver's license for nearly four months, he said.
So he decided to make the trip from a farm near LeRoy with Rooster, who only has one good eye, which Blalock said raises his other senses, such as hearing.
They set out about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, arriving in Forsyth about 9:45 p.m. for a stop at McDonald's and to rest overnight. While there, Blalock ate a quarter-pounder and Rooster enjoyed munching on the lawn along with some sliced apples from the restaurant.
The journey didn't go entirely smoothly, as the pair encountered heavy rain and lightning. Blalock brought a sack with supplies to protect them from the elements, but he still got wet while pitching a tarp. The Tennessee Walking Horse didn't seem to mind, though, as Blalock said Rooster lay on the ground, tired from the long walk.
Making it through the night and remaining determined to resolve his legal matters, Blalock left Forsyth about 6 a.m. Thursday and walked alongside the horse through town, thinking he needed to be at the courthouse by 8:30 a.m. He found out he was early, as the hearing wasn't supposed to happen until 10 a.m. but it was able to proceed ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, Rooster was drawing attention while tied to a tree on the lawn outside and enjoying a shady spot to eat some of the grass and weeds. Curious courthouse staff and visitors entering the building took photos, with some starting to catch attention on Facebook.
Michael Tarczan, an investigator with the Macon County Public Defender's Office, watched from his office window, waiting for Blalock to return outside. Tarczan told him that the innovative approach to appearing for a court date should be an inspiration to others.
“It can be a lesson,” Tarczan said. “Some guys can't seem to make it, and they live two blocks away.”
Blalock decided to do what was necessary as he tries to get his driver's license back. He still needs to take care of issues in McLean County before he will be able to do so, but he was relieved to have the matter resolved in Macon County.
Blalock was ordered to pay a fine, plus court costs, as the case was closed.
Blalock didn't mind spending the time with Rooster, who he's been riding for three years.
“I trust my horse,” Blalock said. “He's a good old horse. This is like a big dog, my friend.”
The pair planned to return to LeRoy by today, likely spending another night camping out. Blalock looked up at the clearing sky, hopeful that the weather will be better for the return trip.
Bar employee jailed after camera catches him stuffing cash down pants
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A former employee of a northside bar was jailed on a felony theft charge after he was allegedly seen on surveillance video taking money from the bar's cash box.
About 11:45 p.m. March 21, police were sent to Feeling Lucky bar, 3775 N. Woodford St., on the report of a theft.
The manager of the business told police that about 40 minutes earlier Dustin Trusner “was observed on camera taking money from a cash box and running from the building,” said a probable cause affidavit by Decatur patrol officer Aaron Carr.
After employees viewed the video, they discovered that $585 was missing from the cash box. There was also a shortage of $40.91 from Trusner's cash register. The total of stolen funds was $625.91.
Officers viewing the video saw Trusner reach into the cash box, remove money and “place it down the front of his pants.” He then exited the building, before “quickly driving off the lot.”
When Carr reached Trusner by phone, he told the officer “he had already used the money to pay off a debt.” He explained that he wanted to speak with the bar's manager “about not pursuing criminal charges.”
When Carr asked him where he was and told him he wanted to meet with him face-to-face, “Trusner then abruptly ended the conversation.”
The manager told police he did wish to pursue criminal charges against Trusner.
Trusner, 35, was arrested Thursday and booked into the Macon County Jail, where he is being held on $20,000 bond, pending his preliminary hearing April 13. He was arraigned Wednesday on a felony theft count.
Trusner, who has five felony convictions since 1999 and has served four prison terms, is a registered sexual predator.
He was convicted in 2004 of aggravated sexual abuse, as part of a plea deal in a case in which he was initially charged with criminal sexual assault/force of a 16-year-old girl. He was sentenced to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections in that case.
Woman, 74, shoots friend over theft dispute
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – Bernice Griffin, a 74-year-old Decatur woman, is spending the New Year's weekend in jail after she allegedly shot a 47-year-old male friend in the arm, after accusing him of stealing money from her.
The victim, who did not suffer a life-threatening injury, was treated at Decatur Memorial Hospital.
Griffin is being held on a $100,000 bond on preliminary charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated domestic battery. She is due in court for her arraignment by Thursday.
At 12:45 a.m. Thursday, police were sent to a house in the 1300 block of East Walnut Street on the report of a gunshot victim.
When officers arrived, they called for all the occupants to exit from the house, for the safety of the occupants and officers, said a probable cause affidavit by Decatur patrol officer Steve Kennedy.
As Griffin walked from the house, “she appeared angry and yelled, 'He stole my money!,” Kennedy wrote in his statement.
The victim then appeared outside. Blood was visible on his left arm as he told police he had been shot.
“A single gunshot wound was observed on (the victim's) left arm in the bicep area,” the affidavit said. “It appeared the round had traveled through the back of (the victim's) arm.”
Officers found a 5-year-old girl inside a bedroom in the house.
They noticed “copious amounts of blood trailing from the hallway, living room and rear bedroom of the house.”
As the victim was transported by ambulance to the hospital, officers interviewed those who were at the residence at the time of the shooting.
The victim said he did not live at Griffin's house but was staying at her house that night.
He told police “he woke up in Bernice's bed, dressed only in his underwear, with Bernice, about a few feet away pointing a revolver in his face, accusing him of stealing $250.”
When he told her he did not steal any money from her, she ordered him out of her house.
An argument ensued, as he was “going to retrieve his clothing.” The victim said he and Griffin were facing each other in the hallway when she shot him in the arm.
During a police interview at headquarters, Griffin said she knew the victim as a friend. She said she did not have a boyfriend, but he had been visiting her that evening.
She said she had been out of her house since 5 p.m. the previous evening and just as she returned the police were there.
“Bernice stated she did not know anyone had been shot in her house with her at home,” Griffin said during the videotaped interview.
A relative of Griffin's who was in the house at the time of the shooting told police she was in a back bedroom, watching TV with her daughter, when she heard a gunshot in the hallway.
She said she went to the hallway, saw the man had been shot, “and she had secured the gun away from Bernice in the top drawer of a dresser in the back bedroom and called the police,” Kennedy wrote in his statement.
Police found a loaded black-and-silver colored revolver, with two spent shell casings in the cylinder, in the top drawer of the dresser in the back bedroom.
Cashier hits winning lottery numbers from stolen tickets.
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A cashier at a Mount Zion convenience store raked in more than $1,900 in lottery winnings, after he allegedly stole nearly 300 scratch-off tickets at his workplace.
The store manager at Huck's, 150 Spitler Park Drive, told police that after Jordan Frydenger, 22, worked his 7 1/2-hour shift, beginning at 2:45 p.m. Dec. 28, his cash drawer was found to be short $500.
The manager said that when he viewed surveillance video of Frydenger, “he can be seen scratching a large quantity of Illinois Lottery scratch-off tickets without purchasing them first,” said a probable cause affidavit by Mount Zion police officer Corey Janes.
A trash bag located in the Dumpster, which had been near the lottery redeeming machine, was filled with scratch-off tickets.
Janes “counted a total of 286 scratch-off tickets with a face value of $2,850,” the officer wrote in his statement. The manager said most of those had been scratched off by Frydenger.
Police were provided with store records, which showed that $2,541 worth of scratch-off tickets had been rung up, with $1,919 in winnings.
When the officer viewed the surveillance video, he saw Frydenger “appear to be scratching a large quantity” of lottery tickets “without first purchasing them.”
Janes “also observed Frydenger remove an unknown amount of currency from the cash drawer and appear to place it down the front of his pants.”
Frydenger was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Macon County Jail, where he was being held on $7,500 bond on a charge of retail theft over $300.
If he remains in custody, he will be due in court for his arraignment by Thursday.
Mail order ecstasy pills lead to arrest
- Tony Reid
DECATUR – Police say investigators intercepted a shipment of ecstasy pills destined for a Decatur man, and, when undercover detectives completed the delivery Monday, they found the suspect with baked goods laced with cannabis.
Brandon M. Richardson, 19, was arrested at his home and jailed on preliminary charges of possessing illegal drugs with intent to traffic in them.
Sworn statements say Homeland Security investigators intercepted the package of 15 green ecstasy tablets March 24 after a drug-sniffing dog at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport had alerted to the pills, which had been sent from the Netherlands.
Members of the Decatur Police Street Crimes Unit and Macon County Sheriff's Office detectives then “conducted a controlled delivery” of the package at the address where Richardson was at. He was arrested there, and a search was warrant executed.
“Richardson advised that he had ... purchased the ecstasy pills over the Internet from a location in the Netherlands,” the sworn statements note. It's alleged he told police he planned to have the drugs sold to college students.
“Also located inside the residence was approximately 329 grams of suspected cannabis and baked goods containing suspected cannabis,” according to the sworn statements. “The suspected cannabis field-tested positive. A digital scale was located in close proximity to the suspected cannabis. Richardson advised that he sells the cannabis for profit.”
Richardson remained jailed Tuesday night in lieu of posting $150,000 bond. He is due in court April 5.
Fast-food worker allegedly steals day's receipts
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A 23-year-old former Forsyth fast-food restaurant employee was arrested and booked into the Macon County Jail on a felony theft charge, after he allegedly grabbed the deposit envelope with the day's receipts, in an incident that was partly captured on the store's surveillance video.
Macon County sheriff's deputy Shane Cole was sent to Taco Bell, 1400 W. Hickory Point Drive, shortly after midnight Saturday on the report of a missing envelope containing $1,338.30.
A manager told the deputy that the the day's cash receipts are normally placed inside a white envelope, then deposited in the safe, said a probable cause affidavit by Cole.
The manager told Cole she had a video showing Vola Rainey Jr. "taking the deposit from the store," Cole wrote in his statement.
The deputy viewed the video, in which he saw a male manager placing an item on a shelf near the manager's office. That manager pointed out that the item was the cash envelope, which he had placed on the shelf temporarily. He had planned to pick it up later and place it in the safe, he said.
That manager said "he forgot to pick up the envelope and place it in the safe" because he was busy closing the store. Rainey was the employee assigned to help the manager close the store Friday night.
The video showed Rainey "walking past the shelf a few times." As Rainey and the manager walk toward the front of the store, Rainey had "what appeared to be a folded envelope in his left hand," under his phone, Cole wrote.
After Rainey's bond was set at $15,000 on Sunday, he posted $1,500 cash bail and was released. He is due in court for his arraignment Feb. 16.
Rainey has prior criminal convictions for domestic battery/bodily harm, for which he was sentenced to10 days in jail Sept. 5, 2013, and for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon/vehicle in August 2011, for which he was sentenced to 18 months felony probation.
In 2008, he was adjudicated as a juvenile for residential burglary and aggravated discharge of a firearm.
Man picks up trouble by picking up wallet
- HUEY FREEMANH&R Staff Writer
DECATUR – A 48-year-old Decatur man is back in custody after he spent more than $400 on a credit and debit card from a correctional officer's wallet he found while picking up trash near the jail on community service.
Archie D. Bradford's spree ended after jail camera surveillance video showed him in the parking lot shortly after the guard accidentally dropped the wallet near his vehicle.
Surveillance cameras also placed Bradford in two retail stores at the same time the cards were used to make purchases shortly after the wallet turned up missing.
The guard dropped his wallet about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday. When Macon County Sheriff's deputy Justin Pinckard examined surveillance video from that time, he saw a woman and man in the parking lot.
The woman “is observed kneeling down near a vehicle” which the jail guard identified as his, Pinckard wrote in an arrest affidavit. The woman then met with a man at the north end of the lot.
Sgt. Matthew Reynolds identified both of the individuals by name, telling the deputy that they were both fulfilling community service obligations.
Video from the Walgreen's store, 1311 N. Illinois 48, and Family Dollar, 876 W. Grand Ave., showed a man matching Bradford's description making purchases at the times listed on the transaction history of the guard's debit card account.
The woman identified in the parking lot video told police she picked up a wallet, then gave it to Bradford, who “told her he would turn it in.”
After Bradford was arrested, he admitted to police that he committed “all 20 fraudulent transactions” by using the two cards from the wallet.
Bradford is serving an 18-month probation term, after pleading guilty last February to the felony charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with a prior conviction for dealing narcotics. He has 12 convictions in criminal cases since 1992, resulting in six terms in the Illinois Department of Corrections and four jail stints.
He is being held on $30,000 bond, pending his arraignment in Macon County Circuit Court by Friday.
Teen arrested for stealing purse, selling it on Facebook
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – An 18-year-old woman was arrested Sunday on a burglary charge after she allegedly broke the window of a Jeep in a bar parking lot, stole a purse from its front seat and tried to sell the purse on Facebook.
Kathrynn M. Ellis was in Curly's bar, 2683 N. Water St., about 1 a.m. Sunday when the bartender asked her to leave because she was underage, said a probable cause affidavit by Decatur police detective Troy Kretsinger.
Because the woman had been “observed attempting to steal from a patron” in the bar, the bartender decided to follow her outside.
He didn't see her in the parking lot but saw a dark-colored vehicle speeding away and heard an alarm sounding from a Jeep. After the bartender informed the patrons about the alarm, the Jeep owner discovered the broken window.
A purse valued at $400 was missing from the front seat, along with credit cards and other contents.
At 6 p.m. Sunday, police received word that Ellis was selling a Michael Kors brand purse on her Facebook page. The police showed a photo of the purse to its owner, who said it matched the one stolen from her. The bartender identified a profile photo on the page as the woman he asked to leave the bar.
Kretsinger arranged to meet Ellis at a north side restaurant. She arrived at 6:35 in a vehicle, with a purse “in plain view” on the front seat.
“Ellis was asked to hand over the purse, and asked if it was hers,” Kretsinger wrote in his statement. “Ellis claimed it was.”
After Ellis granted the detective consent to search the purse, the first document he removed bore the name of the rightful owner. Ellis was then placed under arrest.
During a police interview Ellis said she found the purse lying on the ground, which appeared to “have been gone through.” She said she went through it, discarded a few things, then left the area with a friend. She told police she later removed some credit cards and discarded them near a north side motel. Two of the victim's credit cards were located at the specified location.
Ellis is being held in the Macon County Jail on $25,000 bond, pending her arraignment.
Big road rage fight in Forsyth intersection
- Tony Reid
FORSYTH – Police had to break up a road rage incident during Sunday lunchtime involving six people from two cars who stopped into the middle of a busy Forsyth intersection and began fighting with each other.
Macon County Sheriff's deputies were alerted at 12:10 p.m to the fight at U.S. 51 and Barnett Avenue as traffic streamed by in all directions.
One 19-year-old Decatur woman was arrested and booked on charges of felony mob action, aggravated battery in a public place and criminal damage.
And a Decatur man, age 35, was arrested on charges of felony mob action and criminal damage to property.
Lt. Jamie Belcher said the incident appeared to have been sparked by people in both cars exchanging verbal abuse as they headed north on U.S. 51 near Walmart. The insults escalated as both vehicles continued north and erupted into violence at the intersection with Barnett Avenue.
“Deputies who investigated found out that one carload of individuals exited their car and started to damage the other vehicle by breaking their mirror off,” Belcheradded. “So the occupants of that vehicle exited and started a fight.”
Four people involved reportedly were in one vehicle and two were in the other. Two of those involved were taken to a hospital to be checked out, but police said the injuries appeared to be confined to bruising.
Belcher said there was room for other bemused drivers to maneuver around the fracas in the middle of the street but he said deputies were on scene quickly to shut the incident down.
He added that road rage incidents are far from rare but it was more unusual for one to involve so many individuals at the same time.
Barbershop allegedly used for drug transactions
- John Reidy
DECATUR – A barbershop allegedly offered more than just a buzz cut, according to Decatur police.
George Allen, 43, was arrested on a prelimary charge of permitting unlawful use of a building after police observed two people leave the barbershop in the 1200 block of North Edward Street with 32 grams of cocaine, according to a sworn statement.
Detectives reported seeing saw two people, later identified as Bernard Norvell, 33, and a 14-year-old, leave the barbershop June 13 and get into a black car. When detectives attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle, they fled. While retracing their route, detectives located 32 grams of cocaine, 84 alprazolam pills (an anxiety medication) and a loaded handgun.
During their investigation, detectives received photographs that allegedly showed Allen next to Norvell as the latter weighed cocaine on a scale. The cocaine was similar to that recovered from the traffic stop.
While in jail, Norvell was recorded during a phone call telling an unknown female that Allen owed him $200 and made several references to the debt being owed due to cooking and packaging crack cocaine. Other recorded calls were made between Norvell and Allen in which the two discuss sitting in the shop prior to the traffic stop and figuring out who took the photos that were later received by detectives.
A detective contacted the owner of the property, who advised that Allen rents on a monthly basis and is in control of the property.
Allen, who was convicted in 2011 for the manufacture and delivery of cannabis, is out on a recognizance bond. Norvell is in Macon County Jail on preliminary charges of armed violence and manufacture and delivery of cocaine.
Woman, 82, shoots at intruder
- HUEY FREEMANH&R Staff Writer
DECATUR – An 82-year-old woman thwarted a burglary attempt when she shot at a man after he kicked in her rear door and entered her near-northside home.
The woman, a resident of the 1900 block of North Edward Street, heard someone knocking on her door at 7:40 a.m. Tuesday.
“She looked out and saw a male she didn't know,” said Decatur Police detective Lt. Shannon Gutierrez Seal. “She chose not to answer her door. She called the police as the person continued to knock on her door for about five mintues.”
As officers were dispatched to her home, she made no indication to the man outside that she was home.
“She retrieved her gun, a .38 special, and waited in her dining room so she'd be ready,” Seal said.
Several minutes later, the man kicked in the back door and entered the house.
“So she shot at him,” Seal said. “The bullet hit a window in her house, but there was no indication that she shot the suspect. When she went to check, he had fled the scene.”
Officers arrived on the scene a minute or two later. They found the woman in a frightened condition.
A search of the area by officers, including a K-9 unit, failed to turn up the suspect.
Police are still looking for the suspect. His description is not being released at this time.
Seal said that what the woman did to protect herself was legal.
“When she felt uneasy she was right in calling 911, calling the police, and taking measures to protect herself,” Seal said.
The woman had a valid Firearm Owner Identification card.
Seal said it is important for residents to realize they are not obligated to open their doors if they feel uneasy about an unknown person who might be on their property.
“Please call the police and ask us to check it out,” Seal said.
20 of the strangest, and most popular, crime stories from the archives
Here are 20 of the "weirdest" crime stories from the Herald & Review. The list is generated from audience response (pageviews) on herald-review.com and is for entertainment purposes only.
As with all of our crime stories, arrest does not imply guilt, and criminal charges are merely accusations. Adefendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty and convicted.
Suspect eats pot pulled from his rear during arrest
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A parolee has been charged in circuit court with possession of a controlled substance and resisting a peace officer after he was found with crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana, which he removed from his buttocks and tried to swallow.
Gregory D. Green was driving a car in the 1300 block of East Hickory Street about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday when a patrol officer discovered his driver's license was revoked, by checking his license plate in a database.
When officer Adam Siefman conducted a traffic stop, he immediately smelled burnt cannabis, he wrote in an affidavit.
As Siefman searched Green incidental to arrest, he noticed “plastic baggies that contained a green leafy substance in between his buttocks, which had the odor of raw cannabis.”
When Siefman tried to “retrieve the evidence,” Green resisted his efforts, ignored orders to “quit resisting” and moved away from him.
Green then “was able to pull out the baggie of the green leafy substance from his buttocks, along with another clear plastic baggie which contained an off-white rocklike substance,” Siefman wrote.
Siefman then threw Green to the ground to try to take him into custody.
“While attempting to control him, he managed to eat a portion of the green leafy substance and spit out the clear plastic baggie,” Siefman wrote.
When Green expelled the baggie from his mouth, there was “a green tint to his saliva.”
During the struggle, Green pushed “a white object into the ground.” Officers found that object, which tested positive for cocaine, underneath the spot where the struggle occurred.
Green was booked into the Macon County Jail, where he is being held on $31,500 bond.
At the time of his arrest, he was out on bond. He posted $1,500 cash Nov. 22 after his arrest the previous day with about 1½ ounces of marijuana. In that case, police following a tip from parole agents found marijuana in his residence in the 1300 block of East Hickory. Green admitted that the marijuana was his, as well as a digital scale.
Green, who has five prior criminal convictions, was released from the Illinois Department of Corrections Sept. 25, after serving 9½ months of a five-year sentence. In that case, he was originally charged with six felonies, including Class X aggravated vehicular hijacking, robbery and aggravated battery for forcing his grandmother into a car Dec. 7 and driving her to a credit union to draw money from her account.
On April 28, he pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen vehicle as part of a plea deal. He was released early after he was admitted to the impact incarceration program, designed for nonviolent offenders.
Green is due in court for his preliminary hearing in his most recent case Dec. 17.
Woman covers cars in ketchup and mayonnaise
- Tony Reid
DECATUR – Police say a Decatur woman, furious at her two-timing boyfriend and his other girlfriend, covered both of their cars completely in a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise.
Chantil S. Dawson, 22, is also accused of extensively scratching both vehicles, slashing two tires on each and smashing their rear view mirrors. The victims had first seen the damage about 4 a.m March 9 and reported it to police, who arrested Dawson Sunday evening.
She now faces two counts of criminal damage to property, and police have asked the victims for an update on repair costs, which may exceed $10,000.
Sworn statements say the 36-year-old boyfriend had no doubt from the beginning who had done the damage, which he discovered when he went outside to “get a cigar” from his car. He showed patrol officers text messages he had allegedly received from Dawson that said in part: “... But y'all got a surprise when y'all wake up ... she talk about it, but I'm bout it!!!”
When he texted her back and asked her why she had vandalized the cars, she allegedly replied: “Because I can.”
The boyfriend later told police he believed it was an act of revenge because, earlier in the week before the damage was done, Dawson had stayed the night at his home. While they were together, the other girlfriend had stopped by and began knocking on the door and windows, but the boyfriend said he had not answered.
“He advised he believes Dawson damaged the vehicles in retaliation for that incident,” the statements said.
Dawson is free on $10,000 bail with the condition she stay away from her boyfriend and his other girlfriend.
Man accused of trying to kill woman after she ate cookies
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – When Allen M. Hall's 49-year-old female roommate ate three Chips Ahoy cookies, that apparently sent him into a frenzy, which almost resulted in her death.
When Hall, 23, threatened to kill his roommate when he discovered she ate the cookies for breakfast, at first she thought he was joking.
But after repeating the threats Hall attacked her, said an affidavit by Decatur patrol officer Joseph Kish.
The incident occurred about 10:15 a.m. Wednesday in a house on the 400 block of East Garfield Avenue, where Hall and the roommate had separate bedrooms.
The victim said she was dressing in a bathroom when Hall started pounding on the door, threatening to kill her.
Because she didn't take the threat seriously she opened the door and told him: “If you are going to kill me then go ahead,” the victim later told police.
Hall shocked her with his violent response.
“Allen grabbed her around the throat with both of his hands and threw her down into the tub,” she told police, said the affidavit. “She hit the back of her head on the tub and this caused a knot on her head.”
Hall then got on top of her “and strangled her to the point she could not speak and was having difficulty breathing.”
The victim's husband and landlady both arrived on the scene and “had to pull Allen off of her.”
She later told police she believed “Allen would have killed her if (her husband and landlady) had not been there.”
The landlady told police she was in the dining room when she heard “commotion coming from the bathroom.” When she arrived on the scene, Hall was on top of her in the tub, with his hands around her neck “and appeared to be squeezing as hard as he could.”
When the landlady yelled for him to stop, he did not relent, so she grabbed one of his arms. Then she and the victim's husband pulled Hall off of her.
“If she had not been there she believed Allen would have killed (the victim),” the landlady told police.
During a police interview, Hall explained, “(The victim) told him to kill her, so he charged.”
Hall is being held on $75,000 bond in the Macon County Jail on charges of attempted murder and aggravated domestic battery. He is due in circuit court for his arraignment by Thursday.
Woman hits own head with bowling ball to fake robbery
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A 30-year-old employee of Pla-Mor Lanes triggered a massive rapid response from Decatur police when she reported she was knocked unconscious by a robber with a bowling ball who emptied the business' safe.
However, when police looked at the surveillance video, it told a different story.
At 9:25 p.m. Thursday, eight officers responded to the report of the robbery, many of them using their emergency lights and traveling at "an increased rate of speed," said an affidavit by patrol officer James Weddle.
Jamie L. Gordon said "she had been struck in the head with a bowling ball, and all of the money, $2,100, had been stolen out of the safe," Weddle wrote in his statement.
She said she did not see her assailant because she was struck from behind and knocked unconscious.
When a manager arrived at the bowling alley, he granted Weddle permission to view the surveillance video.
"I observed Jamie walk into the office. Jamie walks over to the counter in the office and picks up a red bowling ball with her left hand and a cash drawer with her right hand," the affidavit said. "Jamie proceeds to strike herself twice in the back, left side of her head with the bowling ball."
Gordon then "droppped to the floor," where she remained for 13 minutes, waiting for another employee to discover her.
After informing Gordon that he "just watched her strike herself in the head with a bowling ball twice on video," he asked her where the money was. "Jamie sighed and stated, 'Some of it is in my car.' "
She led the officer to her car "where she pulled out a Hello Kitty brand bag full of money. The bag contained $439."
When asked where the rest of the missing money was, Gordon said she had gambled it away in the bowling alley's slot machines.
During an interview, Gordon said she recently gambled away her paycheck. After that, "she began taking money from the drawers and safe." She said she "already owed Pla-Mor Lanes $250" as a result of the other missing cash.
"Jamie admitted to striking herself in the head with the bowling ball in an attempt to make it look like she had been robbed. Jamie advised she struck herself with the bowling ball so that she would have a knot on her head when police arrived."
Gordon, who has no prior criminal record, was booked into the Macon County Jail, where she was being held on $7,500 bond. She is due in court for her arraignment by Friday.
Why did the chicken cross the road?
- Tony Reid
MOWEAQUA – Question: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Answer: Because he was being stolen.
Such is the sad fate of a 6-foot-tall steel rooster named “Ruben.” He flew the coop during the night of June 23 when he was taken from the front yard of Melanie and Darrell Hall, who farm six miles west of Moweaqua.
This bit of fowl play clearly was well-organized, and there likely was more than one thief: The brightly painted Ruben was anchored to the ground and weighed more than 300 pounds.
The Christian County Sheriff's Office is now hunting for Ruben, and its theft has more than ruffled the feathers of the Hall family.
“My reaction to him being stolen was pretty much disbelief and then irritation,” said Melanie Hall, 57. “I was irritated and upset that somebody would come and take away something that we owned, plus something that everybody enjoyed so much.”
Ruben was a gift 10 months ago from the Halls' 29-year-old daughter LeAnn, who lives out of state, and he quickly became a local landmark with his metallic plumage painted in reds, yellows and greens. Melanie Hall began dressing Ruben in clothes to match the season, and he sported a Central A&M Raiders outfit when the high school in Moweaqua was on its way to the state girls' basketball finals.
“And at Christmas he had a Christmas outfit and for Halloween he became a gladiator,” added Hall. “We had so much fun with it and all of the neighborhood and community had so much fun with it. People have associated him with us, and it seems about everywhere we go we hear 'Oh, we love your rooster.'”
This is not the first time Ruben has been the target of crime. A previous attempt to steal him occurred in the winter, but, no doubt surprised by its weight, the thieves soon chickened out.
“We found him in a ditch about 25 yards away,” Hall said. “And now we want him back again.”
Anyone with information on Ruben's whereabouts should contact the sheriff's office at (217) 824-4961.
Officer declines to do 'super-duper' favor for drunken driver
- H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — A suspected drunken driver was out of luck when he pleaded for mercy from the arresting police officer.
Sworn statements say the 39-year-old Decatur man was pulled over at 12:29 a.m. Sunday after a patrol officer spotted his vehicle being driven erratically on Faries Parkway. The driver, who allegedly had glassy eyes, slurred speech, stank of alcohol and had a half-empty bottle of brandy in his back pocket, then asked the officer if he couldn’t do “a super-duper favor for him since his license is revoked.”
The driver, who failed a breath test, was arrested and booked on a charge of aggravated DUI. Court records show he has two previous DUI convictions.
Man arrested for live television obscenity
- H&R staff report
DECATUR – An 18-year-old Forsyth man was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and battery, for grabbing a microphone from a TV reporter during Decatur Celebration and uttering an obscene phrase on live television.
Sean Streaty was performing a live broadcast for WAND-TV between 10 and 10:30 p.m. Friday near the Stephen Decatur statue, Franklin and William streets, when the teen grabbed his microphone, uttered the phrase, and fled on foot.
“The newscast spread on the Internet,” said Decatur Police Sgt. Shane Brandel. “From that the suspect was identified.”
The suspect was arrested and released on a notice to appear in court. He is due in circuit court for his arraignment Sept. 5.
Couple throw beans at each other in domestic dispute
- Tony Reid
DECATUR —Cold baked beans became a weapon when an estranged Decatur couple got into a row over child custody issues Sunday evening.
Sworn police statements allege a discussion about those issues became heated after Rachel A. Hughes, 32, had visited her husband's home.
“At a point in the argument Rachel and then (her husband) threw cold baked beans at each other,” said a sworn statement from Decatur Police officer Chad Reed.
“Rachel then retrieved a bowl of hot water from the microwave and threw the bowl at her husband's feet.”
The husband told the couple's 11-year-old child to call the police, which further enraged the child's mother. “While (the child) was attempting to call 911 to report domestic violence occurring, Rachel grabbed the child in what was described as a headlock and attempted to take the phone ...” Reed said in his statement.
Reed said he later spoke to the child and could see a “quarter-sized bump” on the rear left side of the child's head, behind the left ear. He said the child told him it happened during the parents' argument. “Rachel advised that she tried to take the phone ... to prevent the child from calling police,” Reed alleged.
Police say the mother did finally leave the house but wasn't done with the argument. It's alleged she picked up a brick and threw it at her husband, with the warning: " 'The next one goes through the window of your car,' " according to the sworn statements.
Reed said he could see a fresh impact mark next to the front door where the thrown brick had struck the house at what corresponded to chest height on the husband.
Hughes was arrested Sunday night and jailed on charges of aggravated battery, domestic battery and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence. Hughes was later released on $10,000 bail with the condition she has no contact with her husband or her child and she is also ordered to stay away from her husband's home.
Deputy kiss contributes to jail date
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A 42-year-old Warrensburg man was arrested early Thursday morning after a series of poor choices including planting a kiss on a deputy's cheek after the vehicle he was driving became stuck on railroad tracks.
Macon County Sheriff's deputies were sent to a railroad crossing near Illinois 48, just south of Forest Crest Drive, at 11:25 p.m. Wednesday.
“Upon arriving on the scene I observed three individuals standing behind the vehicle that was stuck on the railroad tracks,” according to a probable cause affidavit filed by deputy Daniel Carr.
The trio was identified as Stephen L. Ewing, 42, a 44-year-old man and a juvenile.
“I also observed several empty Bud Light cans near the vehicle,” Carr wrote in his statement.
Ewing first told police another person had been driving the vehicle, who walked home from the scene. An officer was sent to that person's address to verify that story.
“While speaking with Ewing there was a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. I observed his eyes to be red, bloodshot and glassy and his speech was slurred and lethargic.”
Smith told Ewing to stay off his phone, as officers investigated who had been driving the vehicle. Ewing said he could be on his phone if he wanted to. Smith told him to stay off or he would have to give the phone to him.
Ewing stepped toward Smith and said he “would like to see Deputy Smith take his phone from him.”
Ewing was placed in handcuffs “for our safety and his” and placed in a police car. As Carr interviewed Ewing's companions, he heard “very loud banging coming from the squad car consistent with someone kicking the door or banging their head.”
When Smith tried to secure Ewing in a seat belt, Ewing “pressed his forehead” against the deputy's forehead. Smith pushed his head away and told him not to touch him again.
“Deputy Smith then attempted to seat-belt Ewing once again at which time I observed Ewing lean into Deputy Smith and kiss him on his left cheek near his lips,” Carr wrote.
The other adult occupant of the vehicle told police Ewing was driving the vehicle at the time it became stuck. He said they were driving from a bar, then Ewing missed the turn to Rock Springs Road. Instead of turning around on Illinois 48, “he decided to attempt to drive through the field.”
Ewing, who struck Carr in the hand as he was reading a report to him in jail, was arrested on charges of aggravated battery of a peace officer and aggravated DUI. He is free after posting $5,000 cash bail, pending arraignment Jan. 26.
Man says neigh to missing court date; arrives on horseback
- Chris Lusvardi
DECATUR — After missing a series of previously scheduled court appearances in Decatur, a Normal man came up with an old-fashioned way to make sure he was there Thursday for his latest one.
Ronald Blalock II rode horseback from LeRoy to arrive with plenty of time to spare for a morning hearing at the Macon County Courts Facility.
The horse waited on the lawn outside while Blalock, 38, went inside for a bond hearing stemming from charges of driving on a suspended driver's license.
Blalock didn't think he would receive a welcome reception while in Decatur with the horse, which is named Rooster, based on a character in a John Wayne movie. However, Blalock said everyone he encountered, from security officers to the judge and assistant state's attorney, were friendly.
“I thought I'd be in trouble,” Blalock said. “Now I know they won't be so hard if you show up.”
With family living out of state and friends from the area at work, Blalock didn't have anyone who could drive him to Decatur. Blalock, who has worked as a truck driver, has been without his driver's license for nearly four months, he said.
So he decided to make the trip from a farm near LeRoy with Rooster, who only has one good eye, which Blalock said raises his other senses, such as hearing.
They set out about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, arriving in Forsyth about 9:45 p.m. for a stop at McDonald's and to rest overnight. While there, Blalock ate a quarter-pounder and Rooster enjoyed munching on the lawn along with some sliced apples from the restaurant.
The journey didn't go entirely smoothly, as the pair encountered heavy rain and lightning. Blalock brought a sack with supplies to protect them from the elements, but he still got wet while pitching a tarp. The Tennessee Walking Horse didn't seem to mind, though, as Blalock said Rooster lay on the ground, tired from the long walk.
Making it through the night and remaining determined to resolve his legal matters, Blalock left Forsyth about 6 a.m. Thursday and walked alongside the horse through town, thinking he needed to be at the courthouse by 8:30 a.m. He found out he was early, as the hearing wasn't supposed to happen until 10 a.m. but it was able to proceed ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, Rooster was drawing attention while tied to a tree on the lawn outside and enjoying a shady spot to eat some of the grass and weeds. Curious courthouse staff and visitors entering the building took photos, with some starting to catch attention on Facebook.
Michael Tarczan, an investigator with the Macon County Public Defender's Office, watched from his office window, waiting for Blalock to return outside. Tarczan told him that the innovative approach to appearing for a court date should be an inspiration to others.
“It can be a lesson,” Tarczan said. “Some guys can't seem to make it, and they live two blocks away.”
Blalock decided to do what was necessary as he tries to get his driver's license back. He still needs to take care of issues in McLean County before he will be able to do so, but he was relieved to have the matter resolved in Macon County.
Blalock was ordered to pay a fine, plus court costs, as the case was closed.
Blalock didn't mind spending the time with Rooster, who he's been riding for three years.
“I trust my horse,” Blalock said. “He's a good old horse. This is like a big dog, my friend.”
The pair planned to return to LeRoy by today, likely spending another night camping out. Blalock looked up at the clearing sky, hopeful that the weather will be better for the return trip.
Bar employee jailed after camera catches him stuffing cash down pants
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A former employee of a northside bar was jailed on a felony theft charge after he was allegedly seen on surveillance video taking money from the bar's cash box.
About 11:45 p.m. March 21, police were sent to Feeling Lucky bar, 3775 N. Woodford St., on the report of a theft.
The manager of the business told police that about 40 minutes earlier Dustin Trusner “was observed on camera taking money from a cash box and running from the building,” said a probable cause affidavit by Decatur patrol officer Aaron Carr.
After employees viewed the video, they discovered that $585 was missing from the cash box. There was also a shortage of $40.91 from Trusner's cash register. The total of stolen funds was $625.91.
Officers viewing the video saw Trusner reach into the cash box, remove money and “place it down the front of his pants.” He then exited the building, before “quickly driving off the lot.”
When Carr reached Trusner by phone, he told the officer “he had already used the money to pay off a debt.” He explained that he wanted to speak with the bar's manager “about not pursuing criminal charges.”
When Carr asked him where he was and told him he wanted to meet with him face-to-face, “Trusner then abruptly ended the conversation.”
The manager told police he did wish to pursue criminal charges against Trusner.
Trusner, 35, was arrested Thursday and booked into the Macon County Jail, where he is being held on $20,000 bond, pending his preliminary hearing April 13. He was arraigned Wednesday on a felony theft count.
Trusner, who has five felony convictions since 1999 and has served four prison terms, is a registered sexual predator.
He was convicted in 2004 of aggravated sexual abuse, as part of a plea deal in a case in which he was initially charged with criminal sexual assault/force of a 16-year-old girl. He was sentenced to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections in that case.
Woman, 74, shoots friend over theft dispute
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – Bernice Griffin, a 74-year-old Decatur woman, is spending the New Year's weekend in jail after she allegedly shot a 47-year-old male friend in the arm, after accusing him of stealing money from her.
The victim, who did not suffer a life-threatening injury, was treated at Decatur Memorial Hospital.
Griffin is being held on a $100,000 bond on preliminary charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated domestic battery. She is due in court for her arraignment by Thursday.
At 12:45 a.m. Thursday, police were sent to a house in the 1300 block of East Walnut Street on the report of a gunshot victim.
When officers arrived, they called for all the occupants to exit from the house, for the safety of the occupants and officers, said a probable cause affidavit by Decatur patrol officer Steve Kennedy.
As Griffin walked from the house, “she appeared angry and yelled, 'He stole my money!,” Kennedy wrote in his statement.
The victim then appeared outside. Blood was visible on his left arm as he told police he had been shot.
“A single gunshot wound was observed on (the victim's) left arm in the bicep area,” the affidavit said. “It appeared the round had traveled through the back of (the victim's) arm.”
Officers found a 5-year-old girl inside a bedroom in the house.
They noticed “copious amounts of blood trailing from the hallway, living room and rear bedroom of the house.”
As the victim was transported by ambulance to the hospital, officers interviewed those who were at the residence at the time of the shooting.
The victim said he did not live at Griffin's house but was staying at her house that night.
He told police “he woke up in Bernice's bed, dressed only in his underwear, with Bernice, about a few feet away pointing a revolver in his face, accusing him of stealing $250.”
When he told her he did not steal any money from her, she ordered him out of her house.
An argument ensued, as he was “going to retrieve his clothing.” The victim said he and Griffin were facing each other in the hallway when she shot him in the arm.
During a police interview at headquarters, Griffin said she knew the victim as a friend. She said she did not have a boyfriend, but he had been visiting her that evening.
She said she had been out of her house since 5 p.m. the previous evening and just as she returned the police were there.
“Bernice stated she did not know anyone had been shot in her house with her at home,” Griffin said during the videotaped interview.
A relative of Griffin's who was in the house at the time of the shooting told police she was in a back bedroom, watching TV with her daughter, when she heard a gunshot in the hallway.
She said she went to the hallway, saw the man had been shot, “and she had secured the gun away from Bernice in the top drawer of a dresser in the back bedroom and called the police,” Kennedy wrote in his statement.
Police found a loaded black-and-silver colored revolver, with two spent shell casings in the cylinder, in the top drawer of the dresser in the back bedroom.
Cashier hits winning lottery numbers from stolen tickets.
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A cashier at a Mount Zion convenience store raked in more than $1,900 in lottery winnings, after he allegedly stole nearly 300 scratch-off tickets at his workplace.
The store manager at Huck's, 150 Spitler Park Drive, told police that after Jordan Frydenger, 22, worked his 7 1/2-hour shift, beginning at 2:45 p.m. Dec. 28, his cash drawer was found to be short $500.
The manager said that when he viewed surveillance video of Frydenger, “he can be seen scratching a large quantity of Illinois Lottery scratch-off tickets without purchasing them first,” said a probable cause affidavit by Mount Zion police officer Corey Janes.
A trash bag located in the Dumpster, which had been near the lottery redeeming machine, was filled with scratch-off tickets.
Janes “counted a total of 286 scratch-off tickets with a face value of $2,850,” the officer wrote in his statement. The manager said most of those had been scratched off by Frydenger.
Police were provided with store records, which showed that $2,541 worth of scratch-off tickets had been rung up, with $1,919 in winnings.
When the officer viewed the surveillance video, he saw Frydenger “appear to be scratching a large quantity” of lottery tickets “without first purchasing them.”
Janes “also observed Frydenger remove an unknown amount of currency from the cash drawer and appear to place it down the front of his pants.”
Frydenger was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Macon County Jail, where he was being held on $7,500 bond on a charge of retail theft over $300.
If he remains in custody, he will be due in court for his arraignment by Thursday.
Mail order ecstasy pills lead to arrest
- Tony Reid
DECATUR – Police say investigators intercepted a shipment of ecstasy pills destined for a Decatur man, and, when undercover detectives completed the delivery Monday, they found the suspect with baked goods laced with cannabis.
Brandon M. Richardson, 19, was arrested at his home and jailed on preliminary charges of possessing illegal drugs with intent to traffic in them.
Sworn statements say Homeland Security investigators intercepted the package of 15 green ecstasy tablets March 24 after a drug-sniffing dog at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport had alerted to the pills, which had been sent from the Netherlands.
Members of the Decatur Police Street Crimes Unit and Macon County Sheriff's Office detectives then “conducted a controlled delivery” of the package at the address where Richardson was at. He was arrested there, and a search was warrant executed.
“Richardson advised that he had ... purchased the ecstasy pills over the Internet from a location in the Netherlands,” the sworn statements note. It's alleged he told police he planned to have the drugs sold to college students.
“Also located inside the residence was approximately 329 grams of suspected cannabis and baked goods containing suspected cannabis,” according to the sworn statements. “The suspected cannabis field-tested positive. A digital scale was located in close proximity to the suspected cannabis. Richardson advised that he sells the cannabis for profit.”
Richardson remained jailed Tuesday night in lieu of posting $150,000 bond. He is due in court April 5.
Fast-food worker allegedly steals day's receipts
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – A 23-year-old former Forsyth fast-food restaurant employee was arrested and booked into the Macon County Jail on a felony theft charge, after he allegedly grabbed the deposit envelope with the day's receipts, in an incident that was partly captured on the store's surveillance video.
Macon County sheriff's deputy Shane Cole was sent to Taco Bell, 1400 W. Hickory Point Drive, shortly after midnight Saturday on the report of a missing envelope containing $1,338.30.
A manager told the deputy that the the day's cash receipts are normally placed inside a white envelope, then deposited in the safe, said a probable cause affidavit by Cole.
The manager told Cole she had a video showing Vola Rainey Jr. "taking the deposit from the store," Cole wrote in his statement.
The deputy viewed the video, in which he saw a male manager placing an item on a shelf near the manager's office. That manager pointed out that the item was the cash envelope, which he had placed on the shelf temporarily. He had planned to pick it up later and place it in the safe, he said.
That manager said "he forgot to pick up the envelope and place it in the safe" because he was busy closing the store. Rainey was the employee assigned to help the manager close the store Friday night.
The video showed Rainey "walking past the shelf a few times." As Rainey and the manager walk toward the front of the store, Rainey had "what appeared to be a folded envelope in his left hand," under his phone, Cole wrote.
After Rainey's bond was set at $15,000 on Sunday, he posted $1,500 cash bail and was released. He is due in court for his arraignment Feb. 16.
Rainey has prior criminal convictions for domestic battery/bodily harm, for which he was sentenced to10 days in jail Sept. 5, 2013, and for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon/vehicle in August 2011, for which he was sentenced to 18 months felony probation.
In 2008, he was adjudicated as a juvenile for residential burglary and aggravated discharge of a firearm.
Man picks up trouble by picking up wallet
- HUEY FREEMANH&R Staff Writer
DECATUR – A 48-year-old Decatur man is back in custody after he spent more than $400 on a credit and debit card from a correctional officer's wallet he found while picking up trash near the jail on community service.
Archie D. Bradford's spree ended after jail camera surveillance video showed him in the parking lot shortly after the guard accidentally dropped the wallet near his vehicle.
Surveillance cameras also placed Bradford in two retail stores at the same time the cards were used to make purchases shortly after the wallet turned up missing.
The guard dropped his wallet about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday. When Macon County Sheriff's deputy Justin Pinckard examined surveillance video from that time, he saw a woman and man in the parking lot.
The woman “is observed kneeling down near a vehicle” which the jail guard identified as his, Pinckard wrote in an arrest affidavit. The woman then met with a man at the north end of the lot.
Sgt. Matthew Reynolds identified both of the individuals by name, telling the deputy that they were both fulfilling community service obligations.
Video from the Walgreen's store, 1311 N. Illinois 48, and Family Dollar, 876 W. Grand Ave., showed a man matching Bradford's description making purchases at the times listed on the transaction history of the guard's debit card account.
The woman identified in the parking lot video told police she picked up a wallet, then gave it to Bradford, who “told her he would turn it in.”
After Bradford was arrested, he admitted to police that he committed “all 20 fraudulent transactions” by using the two cards from the wallet.
Bradford is serving an 18-month probation term, after pleading guilty last February to the felony charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with a prior conviction for dealing narcotics. He has 12 convictions in criminal cases since 1992, resulting in six terms in the Illinois Department of Corrections and four jail stints.
He is being held on $30,000 bond, pending his arraignment in Macon County Circuit Court by Friday.
Teen arrested for stealing purse, selling it on Facebook
- Huey Freeman
DECATUR – An 18-year-old woman was arrested Sunday on a burglary charge after she allegedly broke the window of a Jeep in a bar parking lot, stole a purse from its front seat and tried to sell the purse on Facebook.
Kathrynn M. Ellis was in Curly's bar, 2683 N. Water St., about 1 a.m. Sunday when the bartender asked her to leave because she was underage, said a probable cause affidavit by Decatur police detective Troy Kretsinger.
Because the woman had been “observed attempting to steal from a patron” in the bar, the bartender decided to follow her outside.
He didn't see her in the parking lot but saw a dark-colored vehicle speeding away and heard an alarm sounding from a Jeep. After the bartender informed the patrons about the alarm, the Jeep owner discovered the broken window.
A purse valued at $400 was missing from the front seat, along with credit cards and other contents.
At 6 p.m. Sunday, police received word that Ellis was selling a Michael Kors brand purse on her Facebook page. The police showed a photo of the purse to its owner, who said it matched the one stolen from her. The bartender identified a profile photo on the page as the woman he asked to leave the bar.
Kretsinger arranged to meet Ellis at a north side restaurant. She arrived at 6:35 in a vehicle, with a purse “in plain view” on the front seat.
“Ellis was asked to hand over the purse, and asked if it was hers,” Kretsinger wrote in his statement. “Ellis claimed it was.”
After Ellis granted the detective consent to search the purse, the first document he removed bore the name of the rightful owner. Ellis was then placed under arrest.
During a police interview Ellis said she found the purse lying on the ground, which appeared to “have been gone through.” She said she went through it, discarded a few things, then left the area with a friend. She told police she later removed some credit cards and discarded them near a north side motel. Two of the victim's credit cards were located at the specified location.
Ellis is being held in the Macon County Jail on $25,000 bond, pending her arraignment.
Big road rage fight in Forsyth intersection
- Tony Reid
FORSYTH – Police had to break up a road rage incident during Sunday lunchtime involving six people from two cars who stopped into the middle of a busy Forsyth intersection and began fighting with each other.
Macon County Sheriff's deputies were alerted at 12:10 p.m to the fight at U.S. 51 and Barnett Avenue as traffic streamed by in all directions.
One 19-year-old Decatur woman was arrested and booked on charges of felony mob action, aggravated battery in a public place and criminal damage.
And a Decatur man, age 35, was arrested on charges of felony mob action and criminal damage to property.
Lt. Jamie Belcher said the incident appeared to have been sparked by people in both cars exchanging verbal abuse as they headed north on U.S. 51 near Walmart. The insults escalated as both vehicles continued north and erupted into violence at the intersection with Barnett Avenue.
“Deputies who investigated found out that one carload of individuals exited their car and started to damage the other vehicle by breaking their mirror off,” Belcheradded. “So the occupants of that vehicle exited and started a fight.”
Four people involved reportedly were in one vehicle and two were in the other. Two of those involved were taken to a hospital to be checked out, but police said the injuries appeared to be confined to bruising.
Belcher said there was room for other bemused drivers to maneuver around the fracas in the middle of the street but he said deputies were on scene quickly to shut the incident down.
He added that road rage incidents are far from rare but it was more unusual for one to involve so many individuals at the same time.
Barbershop allegedly used for drug transactions
- John Reidy
DECATUR – A barbershop allegedly offered more than just a buzz cut, according to Decatur police.
George Allen, 43, was arrested on a prelimary charge of permitting unlawful use of a building after police observed two people leave the barbershop in the 1200 block of North Edward Street with 32 grams of cocaine, according to a sworn statement.
Detectives reported seeing saw two people, later identified as Bernard Norvell, 33, and a 14-year-old, leave the barbershop June 13 and get into a black car. When detectives attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle, they fled. While retracing their route, detectives located 32 grams of cocaine, 84 alprazolam pills (an anxiety medication) and a loaded handgun.
During their investigation, detectives received photographs that allegedly showed Allen next to Norvell as the latter weighed cocaine on a scale. The cocaine was similar to that recovered from the traffic stop.
While in jail, Norvell was recorded during a phone call telling an unknown female that Allen owed him $200 and made several references to the debt being owed due to cooking and packaging crack cocaine. Other recorded calls were made between Norvell and Allen in which the two discuss sitting in the shop prior to the traffic stop and figuring out who took the photos that were later received by detectives.
A detective contacted the owner of the property, who advised that Allen rents on a monthly basis and is in control of the property.
Allen, who was convicted in 2011 for the manufacture and delivery of cannabis, is out on a recognizance bond. Norvell is in Macon County Jail on preliminary charges of armed violence and manufacture and delivery of cocaine.
Woman, 82, shoots at intruder
- HUEY FREEMANH&R Staff Writer
DECATUR – An 82-year-old woman thwarted a burglary attempt when she shot at a man after he kicked in her rear door and entered her near-northside home.
The woman, a resident of the 1900 block of North Edward Street, heard someone knocking on her door at 7:40 a.m. Tuesday.
“She looked out and saw a male she didn't know,” said Decatur Police detective Lt. Shannon Gutierrez Seal. “She chose not to answer her door. She called the police as the person continued to knock on her door for about five mintues.”
As officers were dispatched to her home, she made no indication to the man outside that she was home.
“She retrieved her gun, a .38 special, and waited in her dining room so she'd be ready,” Seal said.
Several minutes later, the man kicked in the back door and entered the house.
“So she shot at him,” Seal said. “The bullet hit a window in her house, but there was no indication that she shot the suspect. When she went to check, he had fled the scene.”
Officers arrived on the scene a minute or two later. They found the woman in a frightened condition.
A search of the area by officers, including a K-9 unit, failed to turn up the suspect.
Police are still looking for the suspect. His description is not being released at this time.
Seal said that what the woman did to protect herself was legal.
“When she felt uneasy she was right in calling 911, calling the police, and taking measures to protect herself,” Seal said.
The woman had a valid Firearm Owner Identification card.
Seal said it is important for residents to realize they are not obligated to open their doors if they feel uneasy about an unknown person who might be on their property.
“Please call the police and ask us to check it out,” Seal said.
Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR
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Donnette Beckett
"Together Decatur" Columnist and Food/Drink Reporter
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