The Weekly Post public record for 4-11-24

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Police reports
• ELMWOOD – A Pekin man was accused of drunken driving after his vehicle crashed into a residence south of Elmwood.
Owen N. Emert was driving a northbound 1996 Dodge Dakota pickup truck about 2 a.m. April 2 in the 1900 block of N. Cramer Rd. when he failed to negotiate a curve. The truck left the roadway and crashed through a metal-wire fence before it struck the residence, per a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report.

The front end of the truck came to rest in a sitting area inside the residence, whose owner was asleep in a bedroom. He did not appear to be injured. An ambulance transported Emert to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria after he refused to answer questions about possible injuries, the report stated.
Also damaged were the residence yard and the truck’s front end. Emert was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. He is to appear May 3 in Peoria County Circuit Court.

• FARMINGTON – A North Pekin man accused of a traffic violation in Farmington had not had a valid driver’s license in more than 10 years. He also was wanted on drugs charges.
Dennis C. Kingsley, 60, was driving a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was towing a trailer when a Farmington police officer stopped him at 7 p.m. March 24 at Cone and Fort streets. The trailer did not have illuminated taillights or registration lights, a Farmington police report stated.

The officer discovered Kingsley’s license was revoked in August 2013. Also discovered was an outstanding no-bond warrant in Knox County for Kingsley, who was accused of possessing less than 5 grams of methamphetamine.

Kingsley was arrested and transported to the Fulton County Jail in Lewistown. As a result of the traffic stop, he was accused of driving while his license was revoked and of driving a trailer without taillights.

• KICKAPOO – No injuries were reported following a two-vehicle accident south of Kickapoo.

About 12:15 p.m. March 19, Robert C. Pearson of Washington was driving a 2000 Sterling TK dump truck north on Kickapoo-Edwards Road at Grimm Lane when the vehicle’s rear axle broke, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report.

Both rear tires flew off the broken axle. One tire struck a southbound 2013 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Ronald A. Yattoni of Edwards. The pickup truck, which had a male passenger, sustained minor rear-fender damage and was drivable. The dump truck was repaired on the side of the road.

• PRINCEVILLE – A two-vehicle accident in the parking lot of Princeville Junior-Senior High School resulted in no reported injuries.

Hank W. Daugherty of Edelstein was driving a 1997 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck out of the lot shortly before 2:30 p.m. March 18 when that vehicle rear-ended a 2005 Audi A6, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated. Ethan B. Cunningham of Laura was the other driver.

Cunningham said he had just backed out of a parking space, and Daugherty said he looked away momentarily and didn’t have time to react. His vehicle sustained damage to its front driver’s-side headlight. The Audi rear bumper sustained a large dent.

• FARMINGTON – An apparent attempted burglary in Farmington was futile, according to authorities.

Occupants of a residence along Elmwood Road just north of Fort Street reported a broken open window at their garage shortly after 4:30 p.m. March 16. A screen was found on the ground outside the garage, a Farmington police report stated.
It wasn’t clear how long the window had been broken.

Nothing from the garage was reported missing. No suspect information was available.

• OAK HILL – No injuries were reported after two vehicles struck the same deer east of Oak Hill.

The accident happened shortly before 8 p.m. March 19 in the 14500 block of Illinois Route 8.

According to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report, Tess D. Crowe of Trivoli was driving a westbound 2016 Nissan Versa that hit a deer that was crossing the roadway. The impact sent the deer into the eastbound lane, where a 2015 GMC Canyon hit it. James S. Chambers of Peoria was the other driver.

Crowe’s vehicle sustained disabling damage to its driver’s-side fender, bumper, grille and hood. Chambers’ vehicle sustained damage to its driver’s-side fender, hood, light and grille. Both vehicles were towed. The accident killed the deer, according to Chambers.

• FARMINGTON – A traffic stop in Farmington resulted in a Lincoln woman being cited for driving with a suspended license.

Ashlee R. Miller, 23, was driving a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse when a Farmington police officer stopped it about 9 p.m. March 12 at Fort and West streets. The vehicle’s registration lights were out, according to a police report.

The officer checked Miller’s license and found it had been suspended for financial reasons since May 2023. Miller said she didn’t know her license was suspended.

Miller also was cited for driving a motor vehicle with no rear registration lights. She received a notice to appear May 10 in Fulton County Circuit Court in Lewistown.

• OAK HILL – Shortly before 9 a.m. March 18, Philip J. Reed of Elmwood was driving an eastbound 2002 Dodge Dakota pickup truck in the 15100 block of Illinois Route 8 east of Oak Hill when the vehicle struck a deer.

There were no injuries, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. The vehicle sustained front-end damage and was parked on the side of the road when a sheriff’s-office deputy arrived.

Reed said he would move the vehicle elsewhere.

• LAURA – Zachary D. Robertson, 35, of Laura was arrested at 9 a.m. April 3 and accused of criminal trespass to land and aggravated assault, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.

• HANNA CITY – Adama N. Diakite, 21, of Hanna City was arrested shortly after 6:30 p.m. April 2 and accused of aggravated battery and domestic battery/bodily harm, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.

• EDELSTEIN – Stacey A. Cooke, 50, of Edelstein was arrested about 3:45 a.m. March 29 and accused of unlawful possession of less than 5 grams of methamphetamine, operating an uninsured motor vehicle/bodily harm and operating a vehicle with canceled/revoked/suspended registration, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.

• ELMWOOD – Chief Aaron Bean reported the following Elmwood Police Department activity for March: three stops, three warnings and eight reports.

• GALESBURG – These were among calls to which the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded between March 24-30: burglar alarm, Dahinda; structure fire, Dahinda; domestic dispute, Yates City; automobile theft, Yates City; lost article, Yates City; burglary, Yates City.