Chase of vehicle thief passed through area

By NICK VLAHOS
For the Weekly Post

An Iowa man stole multiple vehicles and led a multi-county high-speed police chase that included the Farmington and Hanna City areas, according to authorities. The chase ended when the suspect jumped in a pond.

The Woodford County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Elijah I. Sack, 20, from West Des Moines. He was arrested following the incident Oct. 25 and transported to the Woodford County Jail in Eureka.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Farmington police officers were pursuing Sack, who apparently was driving a stolen 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The vehicle was reported missing about 7:30 a.m. from an address near Middlegrove, according to a Farmington police report.

Officers tracked the vehicle north of Farmington on Knox Road 2300 East at speeds of more than 100 mph. The vehicle then headed east on Knox Road 550 North. The driver disobeyed multiple stop signs and passed three vehicles in a no-passing zone on Illinois Route 8, the report stated.

Peoria County Sheriff’s Office deputies found the vehicle abandoned in the 2800 block of N. Taylor Rd. east of Hanna City. After that, Sack is alleged to have stolen another vehicle from that area. According to WEEK-TV in Peoria, that vehicle was stolen at knifepoint.

Deputies located Sack and the vehicle and tried to stop it, but he drove away, according to a news release.

Eventually, Sack stopped the vehicle on a road near Goodfield and fled on foot. Authorities pursued him as far as the pond, in which he jumped and remained for about 20 minutes. Deputies were able to talk him out of the water, but once in custody, Sack refused to talk to investigators or identify himself.
According to the Peoria sheriff, Sack is alleged to have stolen a vehicle the previous day in Iowa.

Sack appeared Monday in Woodford County Circuit Court, where he was accused of possession of a stolen vehicle, obstructing a police officer, aggravated fleeing and eluding and trespassing. The first charge is a felony. The others are misdemeanors.

An arraignment for Sack was scheduled for Dec. 3. It isn’t clear when Sack might appear in Peoria County Circuit Court. Expected Peoria County charges against Sack include motor-vehicle theft, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and aggravated fleeing and eluding.
Charges against Sack also are expected to be filed in Fulton County.