Category Archives: Crime

Crime

Bradley student commits suicide (UPDATED)

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This is the only information I have currently. It’s a press release from the Peoria Police Department:

On Sunday, December 02, 2012, at approximately 1137hrs, the Peoria Police Department responded to a report of a possible suicide of a Bradley University student at [address redacted for family’s privacy].

As officers were responding they were advised by the caller that their roommate had killed himself. Upon officer’s arrival, a 22 year old male victim was found shot inside his locked bedroom. The male had been shot one time. At this time the investigation indicates that there was no indication of foul play and this does appear to be a suicide.

UPDATE: Bradley University President Joanne Glasser has released a statement to the “Campus Community”:

Dear Campus Community,

It is with a heavy heart that I share with you news of the passing of Bradley University senior John Battistoni. John passed away Sunday morning at a residence [near campus]. The cause of death is being investigated; there is no indication of foul play.

John was a construction major in the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction and a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. He was from LaGrange, Illinois.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to John’s parents, Richard and Grace; his entire family; his fraternity brothers and all of his friends at this most difficult time. A date and time for his funeral and memorial service have not been established. We will share those details when they become available.

Counseling Services are available for students who need assistance at 309-677-2700 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. After 4:30 p.m. and on weekends, please call 309-677-3200 for any assistance.

With deepest sympathy and prayers,

Joanne K. Glasser

City Council, Crime

Councilman Irving charged with three felony counts

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Here’s what we know so far:

[From the Journal Star:]

Peoria 5th District City Councilman Dan Irving was charged Thursday with patronizing a prostitute, a felony that could send him to prison for up to three years.

Irving, 43, of 10708 Alex Drive faces three felony counts accusing him of engaging in sexual activity with an 18-year-old whose alias is Jazzie Summers, “a person not his spouse, for money or anything of value.” […]

A $5,000 arrest warrant was issued for the felony counts and a $2,500 warrant was issued for the petition to revoke Irving’s probation. In all, he must post $750 to get out of jail plus any fee imposed by the sheriff.

[From WEEK-TV 25:]

We have learned the councilman will be in jail as early as tonight.

The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office began conducting an investigation into the councilman last week.

Each felony count carries a possible sentence of probation to three years in prison.

If convicted of any felony charge, Irving would be automatically removed from the Peoria City Council.

Irving is the 5th District council representative. He was elected in April 2009 with 80% of the vote against Gloria Cassel-Fitzgerald. His term expires in 2013, or when he resigns, or if/when he’s convicted of a felony, whichever comes first.

I wonder if his mugshot will appear on the City’s Prostitution and Related Offenses page, where they post the mugshots of those accused of prostitution and solicitation with a disclaimer that says, “The following individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.” It will be interesting to see if any favoritism is shown.

City of Peoria, Crime

Police are busy finding criminals in Peoria

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No, not the criminals that are shooting at buses or committing armed robbery. The police are busy finding the real, hardened criminals in Peoria: Smokers.

Yes, when I survey the crime being committed in Peoria, I would have to put “smoking in bars” at the top of my list. How can city residents have any peace of mind knowing that some Joe down at Duffys Tap is puffing on a cigarette? I mean, really!

Fortunately for our fair city, the police are on it:

SMOKING VIOLATIONS. The Police Department has completed an unannounced inspection of bars in Peoria for potential smoking violations. The inspections took place over 4 separate occasions, for a total of 90 man hours. A complete list of establishments that were inspected is attached. A total of 8 citations were issued at 3 different locations, as follows:

  1. Cheers and Beers (4201 SW Adams), 2 citations for smokers, 1 citation to the bar for allowing smoking
  2. Duffys Tap (1900 W. Antoinette), 1 citation for a smoker, 1 citation to the bar for allowing smoking
  3. Behmer’s Dugout (2422 N. Knoxville), 2 citations for smokers, 1 citation to the bar for allowing smoking

Prior to the officers departure from each location, officers identified themselves to staff and informed them of their purpose and the outcome of the visit. This operation was possible due to Sheriff McCoy’s $5,000 sharing of a grant which he had been awarded for this purpose.

(Source: Issues Update 7/22/2011.) That’s right — 90 man hours and $5,000 in tax money (don’t let the “grant” language fool you — that just means it’s coming out of your left pocket instead of your right pocket). I’m glad we’re spending our time and money on ferreting out these scofflaws. Don’t you feel safer?

Crime, North Valley

Fire destroys what may have been oldest standing house in Peoria

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The house that burned down Monday in the North Valley wasn’t any ordinary house, a reader tells me:

517 Green street was torched early [Monday] morning by some cowardly arsonists. Everyone should know that this wasn’t just any random abandoned house. It was believed by many to have been the oldest standing house in Peoria, dating back to 1837 and challenged in that claim only by the Flanigan house on Glen Oak. It has been passed down generation to generation through the same Peoria family since the late 1800s. It was left un-attended last year (temporarily) because the owner had some medical issues to deal with and has been staying with family out of state. In the time since he left, it has been raided by hooligans and bums, squatting there and wreaking havoc with no regard to the age and historic value of the structure. In recent months, with the help of the owner’s family, Councilman Weaver, the Peoria Historic Society, Northside Housing Services and some local preservationists, I’ve been working on getting it preserved and turned into a public museum for everyone in Peoria to enjoy. I guess that wasn’t meant to be. I just wanted you to know that there was more to the story of this house than the PJStar knew to report today.

The house will likely be demolished because it now poses a safety hazard, according to published reports.

City of Peoria, Crime, Peoria Police

Task force sees early success

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Click above for larger image (PDF)

Peoria Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard recently updated City officials on the results of his efforts to quell gun violence. So far, it’s going well:

[P]lease see attached hot spot maps relative to our current task force initiative. We are 14 days into the task force so I conducted an analysis comparing the 14 days prior to launching the task force versus 14 days afterward. City wide we had a 25% reduction in people being hit by gunfire and a 25% reduction in confirmed gun discharges.

The attached maps demonstrate the before and after picture for the combination of murders and gun discharge incidents. The red hot spot areas are gone which is very good news. I would temper the good news however by stating that 14 days is a very small sample size and we need to keep up our efforts.

I also would note that the hot spot maps include all instances where someone was killed, someone was shot, or simply where we had a confirmed gun discharged. This does not include reports of shots being heard with no witness and no physical evidence. We must have had someone who was willing to stat they saw it happen, or we found shell casings, or someone or something was hit, etc. The criteria is identical for both “before” and “after” to ensure apples to apples comparison.

City of Peoria, Crime, Peoria Police

Another murder, but immediate arrests

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The Peoria Police Department issued the following press release last night:

RELEASED BY: Lieutenant Vincent C. Wieland – Criminal Investigations Division 673-4521
DATE: July 17, 2010
SUBJECT: Homicide & Arrests –– 10-17329

At 0958 hours, on Sunday July 18, 2010, the Peoria Police Department responded to 1215 N. Frink on a reported shooting. Upon arrival officers found three gunshot victims (43 YO male, 28 YO male, and a 40 YO female). All three were immediately transported to OSF Medical Center.

As officers responded, witnesses described to dispatch the suspect vehicle and its direction of travel. This information was broadcasted to responding officers and officers observed the vehicle travelling down Main St. hill at a high rate of speed. A vehicle pursuit ensued and the suspect vehicle then turned from Main St onto Perry and continued on Perry until the driver lost control and crashed at Lincoln Middle School. At that time two suspects bailed from the car and were shortly thereafter apprehended. A handgun was recovered.

Both suspects, Skyler Jordan (24 YOA) and Taurean C Gregory (24 YOA) were brought to the Peoria Police Department where they were interviewed by detectives. Jordan was arrested for First Degree Murder, 2 counts Attempted Murder, Unlawful Use of Weapons, Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm, and Criminal Defacement of a Firearm. Gregory was arrested for First Degree Murder and two counts of Attempted Murder.

The 43 YO shooting victim died in surgery and the other two shooting victims sustained non-life threatening injuries. A crime scene was located in the 1200 Blk. N Frink and police are continuing to attempt to locate witnesses.

This case remains under investigation and the Peoria Police Department urges anyone possessing any knowledge of this incident to contact the Peoria Police Department at 673-4521 or Crime Stoppers at 673-9000.

Crime, Peoria Public Schools

McArdle’s Revenge: Mary Davis busted

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Via the Journal Star:

Mary C. Davis, principal at Charles Lindbergh Middle School for five years before moving into central administration in 2008 to head up all the district’s principals, was charged Friday with 16 felony counts of official misconduct and theft. … If convicted, she faces up to seven years in prison. Davis was ordered to appear in court on May 19.

She’s not convicted yet, of course, but the State’s Attorney has certainly been taking his time building his case. The prosecutor’s office began investigating her last fall after Lindbergh principal Julie McArdle was fired. McArdle alleged that she was fired out of retaliation for blowing the whistle on Davis. She subsequently sued the district over it. That suit also makes allegations against other district officials; it will be interesting to see what effect the outcome of Davis’s case has on McArdle’s.

City of Peoria, Crime

2010 Homicide #1: Stabbing at Adams and Wayne

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From the Journal Star:

A 38-year-old Peoria woman was pronounced dead at 6:45 p.m. at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center after she was found about 45 minutes earlier next to a vehicle parked in the 800 block of Northeast Adams Street near Wayne Street.

Police said the victim, who suffered multiple stab wounds to her upper body and arms, was unresponsive when they arrived.

Police are calling it a domestic disturbance, and there’s a suspect already in custody.

Crime, Peoria Police

Torched house was Drug Nuisance Property

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The Journal Star reports that 1533 W. Butler St. was set ablaze around 1:20 p.m. by an arsonist who poured gasoline on both floors. Here’s what the paper doesn’t say: this is a known Drug Nuisance Property according to the Peoria Police Department. The website explains that “[n]uisance letters are sent to landlords, tenants and/or homeowners where illegal drug activity has occurred.”

When a landlord or homeowner receives a nuisance letter they are required to abate the nuisance up to and including eviction. By using this website, you will be able to view public records of individuals related to the nuisance letter who were arrested for narcotics possession or other offenses during search warrants or other illegal activity.
For those who are struggling with drug addiction and do not know how to recover from this illness at this page you will find online treatment and professional doctors that will be able to assist you.
The following individuals were arrested for various offenses at the listed addresses.

The listing for August shows:

Butler (1533 W.)     Beasley Jr., Charles W.
Brittine, Dexter
Burse, Ricky R.
Fitzpatrick, Allen S.
Yarbrough, Aerial D.

I’d say that’s a good start to a suspect list.