NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Police reports
Week of 5-14-26
• FARMINGTON – A vehicle chase that exceeded 100 mph began in Farmington and ended north of Hanna City following an on-foot pursuit of the driver.
Johnie K. Burton, 25, of Hanna City was driving a 1995 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck a Farmington police officer clocked at 59 mph in a 35-mph zone shortly after 2:30 a.m. April 19 on East Fort Street, according to a report.
The officer pursued Burton into a parking lot. The vehicle began to stop, then accelerated back onto Fort Street, headed through a stop sign at Lightfoot Road and continued out of town on Illinois Route 116.
At Eden Road, the pickup truck turned north, then east at Sommerfield Road before it left the pavement briefly. Another turn north came at Conn Road before the Silverado entered a front yard in the 13800 block of W. Sommerfield Rd. and rolled onto its driver’s side.
Burton exited the vehicle through the passenger side, fled into the back yard and climbed over two fences, with the Farmington officer following him. Eventually, Burton fell and surrendered.
An ambulance transported Burton, who complained about neck and back pain, to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. After that, Burton was transported to the Fulton County Jail in Lewistown.
Burton was accused of speeding between 25 and 26 mph over the limit, speeding more than 35 mph over the limit, aggravated fleeing, disobeying a stop sign, reckless driving, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and operating an uninsured vehicle.
About 28 feet of chain-link fence at the Sommerfield Road address was damaged, as were lawn ornaments and grass. Damage was estimated at about $2,000.
• HANNA CITY – A Hanna City man reported someone threatened on a social-media platform to kill him.
The incident was reported about 4 p.m. April 14, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. The suspect, a Hanna City male, was riding his dirt bike in front of the victim’s residence, in the 5200 block of S. Turbett Rd. The victim told the suspect he was driving recklessly and that he should stop.
Subsequently, the suspect used Snapchat to tell someone else he was going to use a gun to kill the victim, the report stated. The victim obtained the messages and showed them to a sheriff’s-office deputy. The victim was to seek an order of protection against the suspect.
• ELMWOOD – An Elmwood woman transmitted a $500 Apple gift card to an online scammer, authorities stated.
The incident in the 500 block of W. Butternut St. was reported at 5:45 p.m. April 13 but happened March 31, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. Someone hacked into the Microsoft account of the woman’s son, whose computer was infected by a virus.
Following a telephone call with someone who purportedly was a representative of the woman’s bank, the gift card was purchased. Apple agreed to refund the money.
• HANNA CITY – A Hanna City-area female was the victim of identity theft. The incident happened shortly after 1:45 p.m. April 13 in the 14300 block of W. Sommerfield Rd., a heavily redacted Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated. Among the redactions was the name of the suspect and property that was reported stolen.
• TRIVOLI – A Trivoli-area man was swindled out of cash, according to authorities.
The incident happened about 8:30 a.m. April 12 in the 3200 block of S. Stone School Rd., a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated. The amount of missing money was redacted from the report. So was the name of a possible suspect.
• BELLEVUE – An Edwards man reported no injuries following a single-vehicle wreck near Bellevue.
At 6:30 a.m. April 10, Theodore C. Christensen was driving a 2007 Toyota Avalon on the Maxwell Road spur of Interstate 474 when the vehicle hydroplaned after he braked to avoid hitting a deer, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report.
The vehicle left the pavement and struck a tree. The vehicle was towed.
• WILLIAMSFIELD – A Williamsfield-area woman was the victim of attempted apparent computer fraud.
The 65-year-old victim was using her computer about 3:30 p.m. April 7 in the 2000 block of Knox Road 1400 North when a pop-up advised she needed to contact Microsoft support immediately. A phone number was listed, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report.
A woman at that number advised the victim to download software called Awesun Remote, which would allow the woman access to the computer. The victim did not download the software and did not provide the woman with personal information.
• ELMWOOD – Chief Aaron Bean reported the following Elmwood Police Department activity for April: 14 traffic stops, 14 warnings, eight reports and one ordinance violation.
• FARMINGTON – Chief Chris Darsham reported the following Farmington Police Department activity for April: 263 business checks, 2,133 building checks, two crashes handled, two property crimes, 13 traffic tickets, 24 ordinance violations, two crimes against people, seven miscellaneous, 37 traffic stops, three arrests, 13 reports, 251 total calls and 19 calls to assist other police departments.
• WILLIAMSFIELD – Chief James Robertson reported the following Williamsfield Police Department activity for April: one dog-barking complaint, one accidental 911 call and one parking complaint. No citations were issued.
• GALESBURG – These were among calls to which the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded between April 19-25: driving complaint, Dahinda; burglary, Dahinda; alarm, Yates City; harassment, Dahinda.
• KICKAPOO – A Galesburg man was uninjured following a single-vehicle accident on Interstate 74 south of Kickapoo.
Austin L. Thompson was driving a westbound Nissan Altima shortly after 4:30 p.m. April 14 approaching the Kickapoo-Edwards Road exit and was changing lanes when an orange construction cone rolled from under a semi-trailer truck’s tire, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated.
The Altima struck the cone and sustained minor damage but was drivable.
Week of 5-7-26
• PRINCEVILLE – A Peoria man stripped off his clothes and attempted to break into a residence south of Princeville, according to authorities.
Norman C. Gates Jr., 43, was arrested following the incident, which happened shortly after 6 p.m. April 11 in the 10400 block of W. Legion Hall Rd. He attempted to use a tire iron to enter the residence, but people inside confronted him, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
Gates broke numerous windows at the residence and outbuildings. He entered an outbuilding and a recreational vehicle and damaged both. The naked man also ran from deputies and resisted arrest.
Crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia were found on the passenger seat of a 2024 Tesla Cybertruck that Gates left parked in the roadway. Gates was transported to Carle Health Methodist Hospital in Peoria, then to the Peoria County Jail.
Gates was accused of burglary, residential burglary, resisting a peace officer, criminal damage to property, criminal trespass to a residence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. The Akron-Princeville Fire Department responded.
• PRINCEVILLE – A Princeville-area man was arrested in connection with a domestic-battery allegation.
Marco A. Pequeno Jr., 41, was booked April 12 into the Peoria County Jail. The incident happened shortly after 10 p.m. April 10 at a residence in the 6100 block of Illinois Route 90, according to heavily redacted Peoria County Sheriff’s Office reports.
A deputy was dispatched to that address regarding trouble with a male family member who was refusing to leave. The victim was a female from Princeville. Also listed in the report were two witnesses from Princeville, a male and a female.
• HANNA CITY – An animal-abuse case was reported near Hanna City.
Authorities responded shortly before 3:45 p.m. April 9 to a field in the 1100 block of S. Murphy Rd., according to a heavily redacted Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. The report did not state how many animals were involved, nor what kind. The name of a suspect from Hanna City was among redactions.
Peoria County Animal Protection Services was among the responders, as were the Illinois Department of Agriculture and a Princeville-area veterinary service.
• FARMINGTON – Local police arrested a Farmington woman who was wanted in connection with a domestic-battery case.
At 6:15 p.m. April 8, a Farmington officer spotted Amanda K. Myers, 38, exiting a vehicle and entering a residence in the zero block of W. Barlow Rd. A check revealed Myers had an outstanding Fulton County warrant, according to a police report.
Myers said she didn’t have money to pay bond, $500. The officer transported Myers to the Fulton County Jail in Lewistown.
• BARTONVILLE – An Elmwood school-bus driver admitted fault after he sideswiped a mailbox west of Bartonville.
Michael E. Sullivan of Elmwood was driving an eastbound marked 2020 Ford utility bus in the 7800 block of W. Pfeiffer Rd. when the accident happened, at 1 p.m. April 8, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated.
Sullivan was on his way to pick up students at the Special Education Association of Peoria County in Bartonville. He said he attempted to contact the homeowner but was unsuccessful. Sullivan was uninjured. The bus sustained minor damage to a front passenger-side light.
• HANNA CITY – A two-vehicle crash west of Hanna City resulted in no apparent injuries.
Shortly after 5:15 p.m. April 6, Christopher A. Ducharme of Farmington was driving an eastbound 2013 Dodge sedan on Hanna City-Eden Road when at Eden Road it collided with a southbound 2023 Chevrolet sport-utility vehicle, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report.
Abby M. Oedewaldt of Hanna City was the other driver. She said Ducharme’s vehicle pulled in front of hers. Ducharme said he didn’t see Oedewaldt’s vehicle as he was turning. Oedewaldt had two male passengers. Both vehicles were drivable, but the Dodge sustained significant passenger-side damage.
• TRIVOLI – A vehicle and two firerarms were among items reported stolen from a Trivoli-area residence.
The incident happened sometime between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. April 6 in the 2600 block of N. Quarry Rd., a heavily redacted Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated. The missing vehicle was a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. Lawn-and-garden equipment also was reported stolen, as were two firearms.
It wasn’t clear if the firearms and the lawn-and-garden gear were inside the vehicle. A suspect’s name was among the report redactions.
• EDWARDS – At least two vehicles parked near Edwards were burgled, according to authorities.
The incident happened between 1:15 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. April 6 in the 6300 block of N. Kickapoo-Edwards Rd. A heavily redacted Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report indicated two vehicles were involved, a 2008 Toyota Tundra pickup truck and a 2025 Hyundai Tucson sport-utility vehicle.
Purses, handbags and wallets were among the missing items. The names of two suspects were redacted from the report. Also listed and redacted were three victims, a female and two males.
• HANNA CITY – A Hanna City driver who glanced down to grab a cup of coffee rear-ended another driver at the west edge of their hometown.
Marcy G. Warren was behind the wheel of a westbound 2006 Dodge Charger shortly after 8:15 a.m. April 5 on Illinois Route 116 when at McAllister Road the vehicle struck a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report.
Drake T. Stage was the other driver. He said he had slowed to turn north at McAllister Road when the accident happened. Warren said she misjudged her reaction time and slammed on the brakes, to no avail.
Neither driver was injured. Both vehicles were drivable, although the Charger’s bumper became detached and cables were hanging from the car.
• BARTONVILLE – At 10:45 p.m. April 9, Samuel L. Cull of Hanna City was driving a westbound 2013 Nissan Frontier pickup truck in the 9700 block of W. Smithville Rd. west of Bartonville when the vehicle struck a deer. Cull did not require medical attention, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. The vehicle sustained front-right passenger-side damage but was drivable.
• TRIVOLI – Blake M. Johnson, 34, of Trivoli was arrested shortly before 5:45 p.m. April 14 and accused of failure to appear in court, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• GALESBURG – These were among calls to which the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded between April 12-18: two wires down, Williamsfield; unwanted subject, Dahinda; suspicious incident, Williamsfield; harassment, Yates City; order violation, Elmwood.
Week of 4-30-26
• EDWARDS – A fire at a residence east of Edwards resulted in about $30,000 in damage.
The blaze in the 4800 block of N. Koerner Rd. began about 11:30 a.m. April 12, according to the Dunlap Fire Protection District. Smoke was visible from an attached garage. All occupants and pets evacuated before firefighters arrived.
No injuries were reported. The fire cause was undetermined. Akron-Princeville, Brimfield, Chillicothe, Limestone and Logan-Trivoli firefighters assisted. The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
• EDWARDS – Money and a purse were reported stolen from a motor vehicle parked north of Edwards. The apparent theft in the 9700 block of W. Countryside Lane happened sometime between 8 p.m. April 5 and 6 a.m. April 6, according to a heavily redacted Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report.
Among the redactions were the names of the suspect and the victim. The vehicle in question was a 2026 blue Hyundai.
• BRIMFIELD – Part of Interstate 74 was closed for about 10 hours following a semi-trailer-truck crash west of Brimfield.
The westbound truck went off the interstate shortly before 5 a.m. April 5 near mile marker 69, according to the Illinois State Police. The truck struck a guardrail and caught fire.
No injuries were reported. The westbound lanes were closed until shortly before 2:45 p.m.
• PRINCEVILLE – A Stark County man was accused of domestic battery following an incident at a residence northeast of Princeville.
A Peoria County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched shortly after 9:15 p.m. April 4 to the 4500 block of W. County Line Rd. regarding active family trouble, according to a heavily redacted report. Matthew J. Braker, 36, of Camp Grove was transported to the Peoria County Jail.
The report listed a male victim and a female witness, both of Speer.
• BRIMFIELD – A single-vehicle accident southwest of Brimfield resulted in no apparent injury to the driver.
Mandy D. Snyder of Elmwood was behind the wheel of a westbound 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe sport-utility vehicle shortly after 12:15 a.m. April 2 on Shissler Road about one-half mile west of Brimfield Road when she attempted to avoid a small animal in the rain, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated.
The SUV swerved right and entered a ditch, traveled about 30 yards, struck a field entrance and became stuck. The SUV sustained damage and was towed.
• PRINCEVILLE – A Chillicothe woman sustained what appeared to be a minor injury from a single-vehicle wreck east of Princeville.
At 9:30 p.m. April 1, Ricki M. Winters was driving an eastbound 2003 Chrysler sport-utility vehicle in the 4600 block of Illinois Route 90 when in rainy weather it hydroplaned into the ditch, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report.
Winters complained about collarbone pain but declined treatment after Akron-Princeville ambulance staff checked her. The vehicle was towed after it sustained minor front-end damage.
• BELLEVUE – A Hanna City man was arrested for multiple crimes after he apparently fled on a minibike following a traffic stop west of Bellevue.
Robert M. Vandyke, 22, drove the minibike north through fields following the stop, shortly before 3 p.m. March 28 in the 6600 block of W. Plank Rd., a heavily redacted Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated. Eventually, Vandyke was apprehended and transported to the Peoria County Jail.
Vandyke was accused of fleeing and eluding police, obstructing police, reckless driving, driving the wrong way on a divided highway, improper lane use, reckless operation of an all-terrain vehicle, operating an uninsured vehicle, operating a vehicle without registration and violation of his driver’s license.
In addition, Vandyke was wanted in Fulton County for an unspecified offense. The report also suggested Vandyke was transported to Carle Health Methodist Hospital in Peoria before being taken to jail.
• PRINCEVILLE – Someone who stole a vehicle from a Princeville residence backed into a mailbox and damaged it, according to authorities.
The incident was reported shortly after 11:15 a.m. March 28 in the 600 block of W. Main St., a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated. The vehicle was a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck.
No damage estimate was listed. No suspect information was available. The accident happened on a day at least six vehicle-related theft-and-burglary incidents in Princeville were reported.
• HANNA CITY – A Peoria man was accused of aggravated domestic battery regarding an incident at a Hanna City residence.
A Peoria County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched shortly after 12:30 a.m. March 28 to the 12500 block of W. Farmington Rd. regarding a report about a man who hit a female victim in the face.
Reginald T. Duncan II, 34, was arrested shortly after 5:30 a.m. and transported to the Peoria County Jail but was released by court order, according to jail records. The sheriff’s-office report was almost entirely redacted.
• EDWARDS – Damage roughly a mile wide to crops and trees was reported following a brush fire near Edwards.
Public-safety representatives were summoned shortly after 4:15 p.m. March 26 to Illinois Route 8 and Cottonwood Road. There they found a haze of smoke, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report.
The property owner said he was burning papers and didn’t realize how windy it was getting. He also didn’t realize brush was catching fire and it was spreading quickly. No structures or vehicles were damaged, and no injuries were reported.
Firefighters from the Akron-Princeville, Brimfield, Elmwood and Logan-Trivoli departments responded.
• OAK HILL – Shortly before 7:45 a.m. March 30, Kimberly A. McSherry of Peoria was driving a westbound 2014 Cadillac SRX4 in the 16200 block of W. Cottonwood Rd. south of Oak Hill when the vehicle struck a deer that emerged from the south. McSherry wasn’t injured, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. The vehicle sustained minor damage and was drivable.
• EDELSTEIN – Ronnie L.R. Bodtke, 42, of Edelstein was arrested shortly before 3 a.m. April 14 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 April 5-11: barking dog, Williamsfield; fraud, Dahinda.
Week of 4-23-26
• OAK RUN – An argument at Oak Run Public Golf Course turned physical and resulted in a Knoxville man’s arrest.
The incident happened March 25, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report. The victim, a 28-year-old Maquon man, said he and Logan E. Claeys, 27, argued about playing a round of golf for money. Claeys shoved his hand in the victim’s face and cut his lip, then teed off.
A witness corroborated the victim’s account. When Claeys arrived in the parking lot after his round, about 4:30 p.m., he admitted to pushing the victim. Claeys was accused of battery and transported to the Knox County Jail in Galesburg.
• PRINCEVILLE – Following a single-vehicle crash in Princeville, a local woman required hospital attention.
Kathleen M. Martin was driving a westbound 2021 Mazda CX-9 shortly after 2 p.m. March 27 in the 600 block of E. Spring St. when the vehicle left the roadway to the south, struck a culvert, crossed a driveway, struck a tree and rolled onto its side, according to a witness.
Martin told the witness she fell asleep, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated. Akron-Princeville firefighters extricated Martin from the vehicle. An ambulance transported her to Carle Health Methodist Hospital in Peoria. The vehicle sustained disabling damage and was towed.
• BRIMFIELD – A two-vehicle crash west of Brimfield resulted in no apparent injuries.
Larry J. Moore of Kewanee was driving a southbound 2025 Ford F-150 pickup truck shortly before 7:30 a.m. March 27 on Bell School Road at U.S. Route 150 when a 2014 Jeep Cherokee rear-ended it, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated.
Anabelle E. Twomey of Galva was the other driver. Moore said he slowed to make an eastbound turn, but Twomey said she didn’t notice it. The pickup truck sustained a dented rear bumper and a broken right-rear taillight.
The Cherokee sustained significant front-end damage and was towed. Twomey was cited for driving too fast for conditions and for operating an uninsured vehicle.
• DAHINDA – A Galesburg man crashed his vehicle south of Dahinda the same night he was arrested for domestic battery.
Justin C. Potter, 36, admitted he was driving a 2011 Chevrolet sedan a Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputy found damaged and abandoned in a ditch shortly before 11 a.m. March 25 in the 1400 block of Knox Road 1800 East. The deputy located Potter in the Knox County Jail in Galesburg.
According to a sheriff’s-office report, Potter said he left a bar the previous night in Williamsfield, drove to a friend’s house near Dahinda and was driving home when the crash happened.
Potter was cited for leaving the scene of an accident and for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. No information was available about the domestic-battery incident.
• WATAGA – An Oak Run woman was driving 28 mph over the speed limit when a Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped her southwest of Wataga.
Madeline C. Stinger, 30, was behind the wheel of a 2022 Kia that was traveling 83 mph in a 55-mph zone shortly before 4:15 p.m. March 25 in the 1900 block of U.S. Route 34, a sheriff’s-office report stated.
Stinger was cited for speeding and received a notice to appear in Knox County Circuit Court in Galesburg.
• FARMINGTON – A Farmington woman accused her estranged husband of taking things illegally from her property, but he denied it.
The incident was reported shortly after 3:30 p.m. March 24, according to Farmington police. Missing items were a snow blower, a tiller, a lawnmower, a bale saw and some power drills. The 38-year-old woman said a backyard lock was cut and doors to a shed and garage were left open.
An officer contacted the 40-year-old man. He said he had not returned to the residence since Feb. 16, when police told him to stay away until court proceedings were complete. The officer asked the man what items he had taken in February; those tools did not match what was reported missing in March.
• OAK RUN – A controlled burn in Oak Run became out of control and damaged a trailer.
The incident happened shortly before 9 a.m. March 24 in the 200 block of Brookwood Lane, a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report stated. A representative of the Oak Run property owners’ association had been burning a hillside at the Spoon Valley Sewage Treatment area.
Fire spread to a property in the 3200 block of Oak Run Drive, where the 14-foot Doolittle-brand trailer was parked.
• ELMWOOD – No injuries were reported following a single-vehicle accident southwest of Elmwood.
Shortly before 5 p.m. March 23, Hannah M. Stenger, 20, of Farmington was driving a 2012 Ford Edge south on Illinois Route 78 when she made too wide a turn west onto Knox Road 300 North, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report.
The vehicle was unable to stop on the gravel roadway, struck a stop sign and entered a ditch. The vehicle sustained front-end damage. Stenger had one passenger, a 20-year-old Farmington man. Stenger was cited for careless driving.
• OAK HILL – An Elmwood woman said she was uninjured following a single-vehicle accident near Oak Hill.
Shortly after 7:15 a.m. March 23, Colleen M. McFarland was driving east on Illinois Route 8 when at Maher Road she made a left turn and her vehicle, a 2018 Ford Explorer, struck a stop sign. According to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report, the sun blinded McFarland, who overcorrected her turn.
The vehicle sustained moderate damage to its front bumper and driver’s-side headlight but was operable.
• FARMINGTON – Mark A. Kozelichki, 59, of London Mills posted $500 bond shortly after 5:30 p.m. March 31 regarding a Fulton County warrant for operating an uninsured motor vehicle. He received a new date in Fulton County Circuit Court in Lewistown.
• BRIMFIELD – David A. Walbeeser, 38, of Brimfield was arrested shortly after 10 a.m. April 7 and accused of indirect criminal contempt, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• EDELSTEIN – Ronnie L.R. Bodtke, 42, of Edelstein was arrested at 10:15 a.m. April 6 and accused of failure to appear in court, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• GALESBURG – These were among calls to which the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded between March 29-April 4: fire, Dahinda; wire down, La Fayette; two juvenile issues, Williamsfield; suspicious vehicle, Dahinda.
