NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Police reports
• BRIMFIELD – A woman and her teenage daughter were killed in a single-vehicle accident on Interstate 74 west of Brimfield.
Shortly before 4:30 a.m. Dec. 22, a 2005 Toyota Siena XLE left the westbound interstate at Bell School Road, crossed the eastbound lanes, struck a tree and caught fire, according to the Illinois State Police.
Pronounced dead at the scene were Leila Mohamad, 41, and Zilan Sino, 15, the Peoria County Coroner’s Office stated. They were from Columbus, Ohio, and were traveling to Iowa to visit family. The other three occupants sustained serious injuries and were transported in stable condition to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. A 48-year-old man from Des Moines, Iowa, was the driver. The other passengers were 16- and 15-year-old girls from Columbus and Des Moines, respectively.
State Police did not identify the injured nor know why the vehicle left the road. Brimfield firefighters and BYE Ambulance also responded.
• DAHINDA – An Iowa man was arrested following an hour-long standoff with law-enforcement officers at an Interstate 74 rest stop south of Dahinda.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about 4 a.m. Dec. 6 regarding a man who was threatening to shoot someone at the eastbound Spoon River Rest Area, according to a report. Deputies responded and found Johnnie H. Lawver, 61, of Davenport walking in the parking lot.
When deputies told Lawver to stop, he ran behind the rest-area building and entered a 2003 Chevrolet. With guns drawn, the deputies ordered Lawver to emerge from the vehicle, but he refused. Officers repeated the commands via a public-address system and telephone.
After Illinois State Police and Galesburg officers arrived, Lawver exited the vehicle. He was transported to OSF Saint Mary Medical Center in Galesburg for evaluation. Eventually, Lawver was taken to the Knox County Jail in Galesburg.
Lawver was accused of resisting or obstructing a peace officer. He also was wanted in Scott County, Iowa, for a parole violation.
• FARMINGTON – A single-vehicle accident north of Farmington led to an Elmwood man’s arrest on illicit-drug charges. The wreck that involved 37-year-old Matthew D. Crew happened shortly before 10 p.m. Dec. 18 at Illinois Route 78 and Korth Road, according to Peoria County Sheriff’s Office reports.
Crew apparently was driving a 2008 Dodge Ram pickup truck north on Route 78 when he swerved to avoid a deer. The vehicle struck a tree. Farmington police and BYE Ambulance personnel were tending to Crew when a deputy arrived. The pickup truck was about 30-40 feet off the roadway to the west.
A strong raw-cannabis odor was emanating from the vehicle, a report stated. Crew was accused of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. He was taken to the Peoria County Jail.
• OAK RUN – An Oak Run woman reported lost was found asleep behind the wheel of a parked vehicle, according to authorities.
The 44-year-old woman was located not long after 7 p.m. Dec. 10 inside a non-running 2023 Volkswagen Atlas in the driveway of a residence in the 400 block of Greenfield Court, a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report stated.
Williamsfield firefighters and a Galesburg ambulance crew responded, because the woman appeared confused and might have been in a cold vehicle for hours, the report stated. She said she had been cleaning the residence all day and drinking.
• ELMWOOD – A Galva woman appeared to avoid injury from a single-vehicle accident south of Elmwood. Jessica J. Ince, 40, was driving a southbound 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe shortly before 9 a.m. Dec. 10 on Illinois Route 78 when she swerved to avoid a deer north of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway viaduct. The vehicle struck a BNSF-owned guardrail, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report. Ince drove from the scene.
• WEST PEORIA – A Princeville man was accused of damaging at least one vehicle, including a possible punctured tire, according to authorities. Scott E. Garretts, 43, was implicated regarding the incident, which happened shortly before 3 a.m. Dec. 10 in the 2100 block of W. Heading Ave. Garretts was cited for criminal damage to property and harassment through electronic communication. The tire was valued at $186.
• ELMWOOD – An Elmwood woman was accused of helping a Canton man hide from law-enforcement authorities.
About 2:30 p.m. Dec. 9, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office deputy visited a residence in the 300 block of W. Lynn St. in search of 44-year-old Michael J. Roberts. He was wanted in Madison County for attempted child abduction, according to a redacted Peoria County report.
The deputy spoke with Charlesa Christy, 39, who with Roberts was arrested. Both suspects were transported to the Peoria County Jail. Christy was booked for concealing or aiding a fugitive. Roberts also had three outstanding Fulton County warrants, according to jail records.
• WILLIAMSFIELD – A Williamsfield-area man who said the devil was sitting next to him was arrested for failure to appear in court.
About 12:45 a.m. Dec. 9, Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 2000 block of Knox Road 2150 East. There they found 27-year-old Dallas R. Hulse on the porch. He said he wanted to go to a hospital for a mental-health evaluation.
Deputies discovered Hulse was wanted in connection with a domestic-battery case. He was transported to the Knox County Jail in Galesburg. Hulse was to receive the evaluation following his release.
• HANNA CITY – No injuries were reported following a two-vehicle crash in Hanna City. About 11:45 a.m. Dec. 9, Alicia M. Bruketta of Norris was driving a 2016 Chevrolet box truck south on Pekin Lane and was turning east into a lot when a 2020 Chevy Equinox rear-ended it, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. Alexandria J. Welch of Banner was the other driver. Both vehicles sustained minor damage and were drivable.
• PRINCEVILLE – A school bus struck a sport-utility vehicle parked outside a Princeville School District building. No injuries were reported because of the accident, which happened about 8 a.m. Dec. 9 in the 900 block of N. Town Ave. A line of cars dropping off students was outside the district office when Brandon Baer of Edelstein tried to drive a 2025 IC bus out of the parking lot, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated.
The bus hit the front-right side of a 2025 Honda Pilot driven by Cassandra L. McCorkle of Princeville. The bus sustained minor damage. Both vehicles were drivable.
• ELMWOOD – A Yates City teenager required hospital attention following a single-vehicle rollover accident south of Elmwood.
Shortly after 7 a.m. on Dec. 7, the 16-year-old girl was driving a 2002 Honda Civic south on Illinois Route 78 near Knox Road 250 North when she apparently fell asleep, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report. A witness said he heard a loud bang and saw the vehicle flip multiple times.
The vehicle appeared to strike a culvert and a fence and landed on its top. The driver crawled from the vehicle but complained about a sore lower back, the report stated. She was transported to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. She was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Elmwood police also responded, as did BYE Ambulance. The vehicle was towed.
• WILLIAMSFIELD – A vehicle reported stolen in Galesburg was found parked next to a Williamsfield-area residence.
A 56-year-old woman said she noticed the 2008 Honda Civic was on her property, in the 2000 block of Knox Road 2150 East, about 1 p.m. Dec. 4. The vehicle was not there at 1 a.m., she said, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report.
No keys were found inside the vehicle. The vehicle was reported missing from a Galesburg nursing home. The vehicle’s owner was contacted, and she asked for the vehicle to be towed to her residence.
• KICKAPOO – A domestic-battery incident apparently took place at a Kickapoo-area residence.
A Peoria County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched about 12:30 a.m. Nov. 27 to the 9800 block of N. Fox Creek Drive. The report about the incident was heavily redacted, including the name of the suspect, who is from Bartonville; the victim, from Peoria; and another person, from Brimfield. No arrests were made.
• MONICA – Shortly before 6:45 p.m. Dec. 14, Kara S. Kimler of Dahinda was driving a southbound 2016 Chrysler in the 16600 block of N. Beall Rd. south of Monica when the vehicle struck a deer. Kimler did not need medical attention, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. The vehicle sustained front-end damage but was drivable. A deputy dispatched the deer.
• EDWARDS – Shortly before 5:30 p.m. Dec. 9, Erica D. King of Peoria was driving a 2020 Chevrolet Trax sport-utility vehicle south on Kickapoo-Edwards Road just north of Illinois Route 8 when the vehicle struck a deer. A Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report listed no injuries to King. The vehicle was drivable.
• ABINGDON – Shortly before 9:15 a.m. Nov. 26, Michael A. Wilson, 50, of Farmington was driving a 2016 Kenworth Stake truck on Illinois Route 41 near Knox Highway 5 when the vehicle struck a deer. Wilson wasn’t injured, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report. The vehicle sustained more than $1,500 in damage but was drivable.
• BRIMFIELD – Dylan J. Snider, 32, of Brimfield was arrested at 1:15 p.m. Dec. 20 and accused of violating an order of protection, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. Snider also was arrested shortly after 5 p.m. Dec. 9 and accused of possession of a firearm without a valid FOID card.
• HANNA CITY – Laura R. Sullivan, 29, of Hanna City was arrested about 2:15 a.m. Dec. 15 and accused of driving on a revoked license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to appear in court, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• EDWARDS – Jacob G. Stevenson, 36, of Edwards was arrested shortly before 4:30 p.m. Dec. 13 and was being held for another law-enforcement agency, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• EDWARDS – Jacob E. Rynearson, 45, of Edwards was arrested shortly before 10 a.m. Dec. 13 and accused of failure to appear in court, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• YATES CITY – Chief Randy Benson reported the following Yates City Police Department activity for November: nine reports, six traffic stops, three citations, five warnings and one open door.
• GALESBURG – These were among calls to which the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded between Nov. 24-Dec. 14: burglary, Dahinda; disturbance, Galva; trespass, Galva; suspicious incident, Douglas; physical domestic dispute, Williamsfield; three burglar alarms, Dahinda; harassment, Yates City; driving complaint, Williamsfield; domestic dispute with a weapon, Yates City; verbal domestic dispute, Williamsfield; animal complaint, Farmington; burglary, Yates City; burglary, Galva; suspicious vehicle, Williamsfield; stray dog, Williamsfield; suspicious vehicle, Dahinda; stray dog, Dahinda; animal in roadway, Williamsfield; burglar alarm, Williamsfield; dog bite, Dahinda; trespass, Dahinda.
