NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Police reports
• EDWARDS – An Edwards man was accused of criminal damage to property in connection with an apparent domestic dispute.
Christopher E. Schmidt III, 28, was arrested about 3:45 a.m. July 20 at a residence in the 8800 block of Illinois Route 8, according to a heavily redacted Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. A deputy had been dispatched there to check on the welfare of an unidentified female.
The incident involved a firearm and a 2022 Buick Encore sport-utility vehicle, the report indicated. Schmidt received a notice to appear in Peoria County Circuit Court.
• EDWARDS – An Edwards man was arrested for his sixth drunken-driving offense, according to authorities.
Illinois State Police stopped Eric C. Cuevas, 50, for a traffic violation as he was driving shortly before 8 p.m. July 19 in the 5000 block of N. Kickapoo-Edwards Rd. An ensuing investigation led to Cuevas being transported to the Peoria County Jail, according to the state police.
Cuevas was cited for three counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol – sixth violation, license revoked and no insurance. Cuevas also was accused of disobeying a stop sign, driving on a revoked license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and illegal transportation of alcohol.
• DAHINDA – A Dahinda-area man accused a Williamsfield woman of stealing money from him and vandalizing his residence.
The 41-year-old victim summoned a Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputy about 2:45 p.m. July 18 to the 2000 block of Knox Road 1400 North. The victim said he returned from work to find a damaged entry door, gouges in a family-room hutch and a crack in a bedroom door.
Cough medicine, ketchup and mustard were sprayed all over the floor, cabinets and walls, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report. Total amount of damage was estimated at about $350. Between $60 and $70 in cash also was missing. The deputy had not been able to interview the 40-year-old suspect.
• FARMINGTON – A Farmington woman was accused of hitting her son in the face while he was washing dishes, according to authorities.
The 17-year-old boy and his 31-year-old stepmother implicated Christina K. Munstedt, 38. The stepmother completed a custody exchange about 3 p.m. July 16 when she noticed a red scratch mark on the boy’s left cheek, according to a Farmington police report.
Munstedt admitted she hit her son at a residence in the 100 block of W. Pearl St., but accounts differ as to what precipitated that. Munstedt was charged with domestic battery. Police notified the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
• PRINCEVILLE – A 4-year-old girl escaped serious injury when a vehicle knocked over a wagon in which she was riding at a Princeville intersection.
The accident happened shortly after 2:30 p.m. July 16 at South Street and Tremont Avenue, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report.
Janita M. Robbins of Princeville was driving a 2018 Nissan Rogue west on Tremont Avenue and preparing to turn onto southbound South Street when her vehicle struck a wagon pulled by Bernabe Moran of Princeville. Moran was attempting to cross the street with his daughter in the wagon.
The wagon tipped over and the girl struck her head and face on the curb. Robbins said a trailer parked at the intersection distracted her, the report stated. Her vehicle was traveling about 8 mph at the time.
Medical personnel evaluated the child, who sustained a bump and a scrape on her face. She was transported to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria as a precaution. The vehicle was undamaged. The wagon sustained a small dent.
• FARMINGTON – A Farmington man was accused of pulling down his pants in front of a doorbell camera at a local residence.
Video footage revealed Jeffrey L. Sale, 53, mooned the Ring camera in the 100 block of W. Pearl St., according to a Farmington Police Department report. The incident happened shortly after 9:30 p.m. July 14.
Sale was cited for disorderly conduct and received a notice to appear in Fulton County Circuit Court in Lewistown.
• ELMWOOD – No injuries were reported following a two-vehicle accident at an Elmwood intersection.
At 6 p.m. July 12, Clayton M. Moechnig, 20, of Elmwood was driving a 1993 Ford Ranger pickup truck south on Lilac Street when his vehicle collided with a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox sport-utility vehicle headed west on Hawthorne Street. Margot A. Duval, 64, of rural Elmwood was the other driver.
Duval obeyed a stop sign before she proceeded through the intersection, an Elmwood Police Department report stated. She said she didn’t see Moechnig’s vehicle because of the sun. There was no stop sign on southbound Lilac Street.
• HANNA CITY – A fish feeder apparently was vandalized at a residence north of Hanna City. The incident reported about 3:45 p.m. July 11 in the 3100 block of N. McAllister Rd. resulted in damage to a Texas Hunter feeder valued at $400, per a heavily redacted Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. The nature of the vandalism wasn’t listed.
• EDELSTEIN – At 11:45 p.m. July 20, Michael S. Purdy of Castleton was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck north on Illinois Route 40 near Santa Fe Road when the vehicle struck a deer that emerged from the west. No injuries to Purdy were reported, although the deer was killed, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated. The vehicle sustained driver’s-side front quarter-panel and bumper damage.
• EDWARDS – George W. Morefield, 55, of Edwards was arrested shortly before 9:45 a.m. July 25 and accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• FARMINGTON – Farmington Police Chief Chris Darsham reported the following activity for the department in July: 355 business checks, 4,800 building checks, three crashes handled, two property crimes, 18 traffic tickets issued, 16 ordinance violations, four crimes against people, 15 miscellaneous, 48 traffic stops, 11 arrests, 391 calls and 18 assists to other police departments.
• GALESBURG – These were among calls to which the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded between July 21-27: Stray dog, La Fayette; two domestic disputes, Yates City; two suspicious incidents, Williamsfield; disturbance, Williamsfield.
Correction
• A 2-year-old girl almost drowned in a pond on private property south of Dahinda. This was misreported in a Public Record item published Aug. 1. The newspaper erred.
12-19-24
12-20-24
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