NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Police Reports
• ELMORE – Fire destroyed a vacant house in Elmore, according to authorities.
Personnel from the Williamsfield Fire Protection District reported early June 9 to 21909 Main St. The house was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, according to the Facebook page of the Central Illinois Fire Society.
The house was a total loss, social-media posts indicated. The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office cited an ongoing investigation in declining to release a report about the fire. Repeated requests of Williamsfield fire officials for more information were unsuccessful.
Firefighters from Brimfield, Elmwood and Yates City also responded, according to the fire society.
• BRIMFIELD – A Pekin couple was arrested following a domestic dispute inside a camper at Jubilee College State Park.
Peoria County Sheriff’s Office deputies were summoned about 12:30 a.m. June 4 to the Brimfield-area park regarding a woman reportedly having trouble with her husband. Joel T. Swearingen, 38, and Stefanie K. Swearingen, 48, admitted they hit each other, according to a sheriff’s-office report.
Joel Swearingen was transported to the Peoria County Jail, where he was booked for domestic battery.
Stefanie Swearingen also was accused of domestic battery. She was given a notice to appear in Peoria County Circuit Court.
• FARMINGTON – An accidental emergency cellphone call in a Farmington fast-food restaurant resulted in a Texas man’s arrest on outstanding warrants.
Farmington police reported about 3:45 p.m. May 23 to McDonald’s, 1008 E. Fort St., regarding someone who made a 9-1-1 call but disconnected it. An officer was directed to the restroom, from which Dylan R. Switzer, 30, of Irving, Texas, was emerging.
Switzer said his phone was in his pocket and he was OK, according to a police report. The officer checked Switzer’s identification and found Switzer was wanted in Fulton County for unlawful violation of an order of protection and for failure to stop after an accident that involved personal injury or death.
The officer transported Switzer to the Fulton County Jail in Lewistown. Total bail was $22,000. Switzer needed to post 10 percent to be released.
• WEST PEORIA – A Hanna City woman required hospital attention following a one-vehicle accident near West Peoria.
Shortly before 1 p.m. May 25, Jeanette L. Luschen was driving an eastbound 2009 Hyundai Accent in the 3900 block of W. Farmington Rd. when the vehicle veered into a south-side ditch. A witness said it appeared a strut or bearing broke, which resulted in a bent driver’s-side wheel.
Luschen complained of pain in her abdomen and left ankle and also had a seat-belt burn mark on the left side of her neck, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated. She was transported to Carle Health Methodist Hospital in Peoria. The vehicle leaked a large amount of fuel and was towed.
• FARMINGTON – Almost $300 in money and merchandise were reported stolen from a Farmington storage unit.
About 3:30 p.m. June 1, an Elmwood-area woman who rented the unit at Simple Self Storage, 425 E. Vernon St., told Farmington police the lock was missing and contents were strewn. Also missing were a roaster oven valued at $120, an air fryer valued at $80 and a jar that contained about $80 in coins.
• KNOXVILLE – No injuries were reported in a traffic accident that involved four people from Williamsfield.
The accident happened shortly before 6 p.m. May 25 at Broad and Main streets in Knoxville, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
Donald H. Pool, 52, of Williamsfield was driving a 2014 Dodge Journey westbound on Main Street and turning south onto Broad Street when his vehicle collided with a 2003 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck. Its driver was Kenneth L. Ashby, 85, of Knoxville.
Ashby said he was attempting to turn west onto Main Street and did not see Pool turning south. The pickup struck the driver’s-side rear door of the Dodge. Pool had three passengers – a 51-year-old woman, a 29-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy. Both vehicles were driven from the scene.
• FARMINGTON – A video-game console valued at $250 was reported stolen from a Farmington residence.
No signs of forced entry were found at the residence in the 100 block of W. Pearl St., where the theft of the black Nintendo Switch console was alleged to have happened between 5-8 p.m. on May 18. According to a Farmington police report, one of the residents said the door was left unlocked.
Also missing was a house key valued at $5. Police advised the residents to change the door lock and invest in a security system.
• OAK HILL – A pickup truck was reported stolen from a residence west of Oak Hill. The 1995 black Dodge Ram 2500 was taken overnight May 27 in the 8500 block of N. Pulsifer Rd., according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
No other information was available. The sheriff’s office cited an ongoing investigation in not releasing a report.
• FARMINGTON – Ronald D. Anderson, 52, of Farmington was taken into police custody about 9 p.m. May 21 in the 300 block of E. Prairie St. on a Knox County warrant for driving with a suspended license. After Anderson paid $330 in bond and fees, he was released with a notice to appear June 21 in Knox County Circuit Court in Galesburg, according to a Farmington police report.
• PRINCEVILLE – Justin J. Juarez, 33, of Princeville was arrested about 5:15 a.m. June 8 and accused of manufacturing/delivering 10-30 grams of methamphetamine, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a firearm without a valid FOID card and failure to appear in court, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• LAURA – Serenity M. Lopeman, 19, of Laura was arrested at 3 p.m. June 5 and accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, operating an uninsured motor vehicle/bodily harm, reckless driving, disregarding a stop sign, failure to reduce speed, failure to wear a seat belt, unlicensed driving and illegal transportation of alcohol, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• FARMINGTON – Farmington Police Chief Chris Darsham reported the following activity for his department in May: 4,587 building checks, 416 business checks, 2 crashes handled, 4 property crimes, 43 ordinance violations/traffic tickets, 2 crimes against people, 6 miscellaneous, 67 traffic stops, 5 arrests, 19 reports, 268 calls and 11 assists to other police departments.
• ELMWOOD – Chief Aaron Bean reported the following Elmwood Police Department activity for May: 1 arrest, 5 traffic stops, 5 warnings, 21 reports, 1 open door and 4 ordinance violations.
• GALESBURG – These were among calls to which the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded between May 28-June 3: damage complaint, Dahinda; burglar alarm, Yates City; open door, Yates City; burglary, Yates City; custody dispute, Williamsfield; noise complaint, Williamsfield.
