NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Jury trial set for Oct. 2 in animal abuse case
• PEORIA – A jury trial is to be held Oct. 2 for a Princeville woman accused of animal abuse.
Stacy R. Mueller, 41, pleaded not guilty during an appearance June 29 in Peoria County Circuit Court. She was charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals and three misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals after a dozen dogs were found locked in a shed in May on her property.
One dog was found dead. Others were covered in feces and flies. In all, 21 living animals were removed from Mueller’s property, according to authorities.
Mueller, a dog groomer, is free on bond and has a public defender. Mueller is to appear in court again Sept. 21. She also has been accused of 10 counts of failure to register a dog or cat and 10 counts of failure to inoculate a dog or cat for rabies. Those are ordinance violations.
Police Reports
• PRINCEVILLE – Neighboring businesses in rural Princeville were the locations of recent thefts, according to the Stark County Sheriff’s Office.
Several farm-equipment items were reported stolen June 21 from Nutrien Ag Solutions, located along County Line Road north of Princeville. Also reported stolen the same day were several unidentified items from Spoon River Valley Farms, also located along County Line Road.
Both incidents are under investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.
• FARMINGTON – A Henderson County woman was cited for possessing alcohol and cannabis in her vehicle.
Kaitlyn J. Wooters, 26, was driving a 2018 Kia when Farmington police stopped her at 3 a.m. June 17 at Barlow Road and West Street because a rear registration light was out, according to a report.
Inside the vehicle were found an opened 200-milliliter bottle of Paul Masson brandy, a roach clip and a marijuana cigarette. In Wooters’ purse was a container of pot. Total weight was 16.6 grams.
Wooters was accused of illegal transportation of alcohol, possession of adult-use cannabis in a vehicle by a driver and no rear-registration light. She received a notice to appear July 21 in Fulton County Circuit Court in Lewistown.
• PEORIA – A Hanna City man avoided injury in a two-vehicle accident in Limestone Township.
At 12:30 p.m. June 11, Cash D. VanDyke was driving a 2004 Pontiac east in the 5400 block of W. Farmington Rd. when the vehicle rear-ended a 2008 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck. Its driver was Joshuah L. Ziegenhorn of Peoria.
Ziegenhorn had slowed to turn left, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. VanDyke said his vehicle slid on wet pavement. Ziegenhorn reported no injuries, and neither vehicle was towed.
• BRIMFIELD – A residential garage in Brimfield was burglarized, according to authorities.
Several hundred dollars in tools were reported stolen June 26 from the garage in the 200 block of E. Knoxville St., according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
No other information was available. The sheriff’s office cited an ongoing investigation in refusing to release a copy of the incident report.
• ELMWOOD – Shortly after 7:30 a.m. June 14, Elise M. Mefford of Elmwood was driving an eastbound 2014 Jeep Cherokee on Illinois Route 8 near Bell School Road when the vehicle struck a deer. Mefford reported no injuries, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. Her vehicle sustained extensive front-right-bumper damage. A deputy followed Mefford as she drove it to her residence.
• HANNA CITY – At 2 p.m. June 8, Dane A. Hitchcock of Trivoli was driving an eastbound 2013 Dodge Avenger on Illinois Route 116 near Greengold Road east of Hanna City when the vehicle struck a deer. Hitchcock reported no injuries, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle sustained unspecified damage of more than $1,500 and was towed.
• BRIMFIELD – Damone Chandler, 28, of Brimfield was arrested at 1 a.m. July 1 and accused of unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a stolen firearm and resisting a peace officer, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. Chandler also was being held for the Illinois Department of Corrections.
• ELMWOOD – John E. Johnson Jr., 54, of Elmwood was arrested at 9 p.m. June 30 and was being held for another law-enforcement agency, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• EDWARDS – Audie L. Huff Jr., 51, of Edwards was arrested shortly before 2 a.m. June 29 and accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• TRIVOLI – Erick C. Luncsford, 33, of Trivoli was arrested about 10:30 a.m. June 28 and was being held for another law-enforcement agency, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• GALESBURG – These were among calls to which the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded between June 18-24: stray dog, Dahinda; fight, Dahinda; well-being check, Dahinda; grass fire, Williamsfield; harassment, Yates City; fraud, Dahinda; damage, Dahinda; threats, Yates City; road hazard, Williamsfield.
