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Attempt to recover impounded car lands suspect in jail

Dartayous Moore

BY JENNIFER A. BOWEN

News-Democrat

An East St. Louis man is in jail in connection with the attempted theft of radiators, car batteries and CD players from cars on a Cahokia car lot.

Dartayous Moore, 29, of 2902 Waverly, Apt. 308, has been charged by the St. Clair County State's Attorney with felony theft in connection with the attempted theft at the American Motors at 3001 Camp Jackson Road in Cahokia Sept. 7.

A night watchman at the car lot saw a vehicle pull into the car lot about 2:30 a.m. and watched as a man got out of the car and started stealing things from the lot and loading them into his car. The man managed to get his hands on two aluminum radiators, 25 car batteries and six compact disk players before the night watchman could run over from his post and stop the theft in progress, according to St. Clair County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Johnson.

The night watchman ordered the man to stop loading the stolen goods into his car and informed him 9-1-1 had been called and police were on their way. When the suspect tried to climb into his car to get away, the watchman wasn't sure if he was going for a weapon so he pulled his gun and fired a shot into the air, according to the police report.

The suspect took off running, leaving his car and all the stolen goods behind. Evidence in the car was traced back to Moore and the car towed to the county's impound lot.

On Sept. 10, Moore called the sheriff's department to try to get his car out of the impound lot. Investigator Scott Toth, the investigator assigned to the case, took the call from Moore. Toth told Moore he could come on by the department to get the car out of impound and on Monday, Moore showed up at the department and was arrested.

Moore remains in the St. Clair County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.

Contact reporter Jennifer A. Bowen at jbowen@bnd.com or 239-2667

Bring pot to the courthouse? Go directly to jail

BY JENNIFER A. BOWEN

News-Democrat

Three people are accused of trying to get through the St. Clair County Building metal detectors with pot in their pockets this week.

"It's hard to even fathom that someone would come to a courthouse on a court date and, knowing you have to go through a metal detector, bring drugs with you," said Capt. Steve Johnson, chief investigator with the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department. "When you show up carrying an illegal substance, you are going to go to jail. Lately we've been finding pocket knives and even some controlled substances outside of the courthouse in the shrubbery where people are ditching it before they come in to the courthouse."

Auntorio W. Roby, 26, of 5617 Church Road in Centreville arrived at the courthouse Monday and failed to empty his pockets when he passed through the metal detector on the first floor of the courthouse. St. Clair County Bailiff Aaron Johnson stopped Roby and patted him down. While searching Roby, the bailiff discovered a plastic bag containing a green, leafy substance in the front pocket of Roby's pants. Roby was arrested and the substance confiscated. He posted bond and was released the same day.

On Wednesday morning Nathan J. Baker, 23, of 74 Mont Clair St. in Fairview Heights, set off the metal detector and was searched by bailiffs. Aaron Johnson discovered a plastic bag filled with a green leafy substance in Baker's pocket and, believing it to be marijuana, arrested him.

Baker posted bond and was released later that day.

Jacson D. Baker, 23, of 1534 Piggott Ave. in East St. Louis, was at the courthouse Wednesday afternoon to surrender on an outstanding traffic warrant. But first he was required to remove everything from his pockets and walk through the metal detector.

When the metal detector sounded, he was searched by Johnson. Johnson felt something in Jacson Baker's pocket and asked him to remove it, according to the police report. Baker, who is not related to Nathan Baker, removed a plastic bag, dropped it on the floor and stepped on it.

Johnson picked up the plastic bag filled with a green leafy substance and arrested Jacson Baker. He posted bond and was released the same day.

All three men were charged with the unlawful possession of marijuana.

Contact reporter Jennifer A. Bowen at jbowen@bnd.com or 239-2667

Homeless sex offender jailed for failing to report change of address

News-Democrat

A homeless man is now calling the St. Clair County Jail home for failing to report a change of address as a sex offender.

Rufus Brown, 28, no known address, was arrested Sept. 4 by East St. Louis Police for a probation violation for failing to report a change of address as a sex offender.

He was charged with two counts of felony failure to notify a change of address Sept. 10 by the St. Clair County State's Attorney.

Keeping track of homeless sex offenders is a challenge for the sheriff's department, said St. Clair County Sheriff's Department Chief Investigator Capt. Steve Johnson.

"It's difficult," he said. "We have several of them out there. By law, they have to come in at least every seven days and register with us."

Brown was supposed to be living at his last registered address at 1115 St. Bartholomew in Cahokia, Johnson said. Since his 2000 conviction of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, Brown is required to remain registered with the county and must notify them of every address change.

His bail was set at $25,000 for the two charges. His total bond is $76,000, which includes the probation violation and an outstanding traffic warrant.

Brown remains in custody in the St. Clair County Jail.

Suspect charged in Home Invasion near Belleville

Suspect charged in Home Invasion near Belleville

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On September 12^th, 2008 at about 1045 AM the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call of two subjects shot in the head during a home invasion at 48A Aaron in unincorporated Belleville. Deputies responded and upon their arrival found one subject in the front yard bleeding from the head. A second subject was in the house lying down and was also bleeding from the head. Medstar ambulance arrived and transported both to a local hospital. It turned out later neither victims were shot in the head. While they were being beat in the head with pistols one of the guns went off and shot into the floor.

Investigators from the Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Tactical Unit responded to the scene. Illinois State Police Crime Scene processed the scene for evidence. Belleville Police Detectives also assisted in the investigation. Information was initially obtained that a possible suspect with a nick name of “poo” was involved in the home invasion and armed robbery. Poo drives a white Chrysler and frequents the Town House Motel in Belleville. He also had a cursive tattoo on his neck. Investigators set up a surveillance on the Town House Motel and at about 200 PM saw a white Chrysler pull out of the parking lot. The vehicle was stopped on West A Street near 3^rd Street in Belleville. The driver matched the description and was transported to the Sheriff’s Department for interviewing. Subsequent to the interview additional information was obtained and along with other evidence a second suspect was identified. Investigators went to the 1600 block of Central Avenue in E. St. Louis and arrested the second suspect. A sawed off shot gun was also located in the residence.

Today the case investigation was presented to the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office for warrant review. The below subject was charged with HOME INVASION and ARMED ROBBERY.

Both counts are Class X felonies. Judge Randall Kelly issued a $150,000.00 bond on the suspect. The second suspect was released pending further investigation and crime lab analysis from evidence found at the scene. The suspect who was charged remains in the St. Clair County Jail.

One victim was released from the hospital later in the first day but the second victim remains in the hospital due to head injuries.

This case was only solved as fast as it was due to the close working relationship and professionalism of the Sheriff’s Department, Drug Tactical Unit and Belleville Police Department.

All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Captain Steve Johnson

Chief Investigator, Criminal Investigation Section

St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, 618-277-3505 x5715

Two men pistol-whipped near Belleville

News-Democrat
Two men were smacked in the head with a pistol by two masked men who broke into their house around noon today near Belleville.

Drugs were likely involved based on the investigation so far, said St. Clair County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Johnson.

"We're investigating if the victims knew who they were. There's possibly some indication of an association," said Johnson, who is head of investigations.

The attacks were at 48A Aaron Drive near Belleville. The house sits behind another at that address and is a rental property off Illinois 158 just southwest of Belleville.

Both victims were taken to the hospital, but their injuries were not life threatening. The gun accidentially fired as they were being beaten with it, but no one was hurt by the bullet, Johnson said.

Police are seeking two males who fled in a 1990s vintage white Chrysler, box-type sedan. They work handkerchiefs over their faces during the attacks.

Illinois State Police crime scene investigators, the sheriff's drug tactical unit and Belleville police are assisting in the investigation, Johnson said.

Non-compliant sex offenders

Can you help us find these sex offenders?

If you have any information please call Sgt. Dan Stockett at

618-277-3505 ext 5734

 

David Martin was due to register on 2/26/2008 and cannot be found.  The only picture of him is from his Missouri driver license

 

Grover Page was due to register on 8/28/2008.  His most recent picture was taken at his last registration on 8-28-2007.  

Police mull how to enforce new child sex offender law

BY GEORGE PAWLACZYK AND BETH HUNDSDORFER

News-Democrat

Enforcing Illinois' new law prohibiting a child sex offender from living within 500 feet of a state licensed in-home day care will require research and manpower, said top metro-east police officials.

The measure has been signed into law by Gov. Rod Blagojevich. It resulted from News-Democrat stories in February reporting that hundreds of child sex offenders lived too close to home day cares and that a 2006 statute designed to protect the day cares was defective.

Law enforcement agencies say that while the law allows them to arrest child sex offenders living within 500 feet, locating home day cares and determining which are operational will take the cooperation of the licensing agency: the Department of Children and Family Services.

"We would like to know where all the day care homes are, for a lot of reasons, not just because of sex offenders," Collinsville Police Chief Scott Williams said. The city recently passed a new ordinance requiring child sex offenders to live at least 1,500 feet from a day care or school.

"If DCFS would let us know, we would put them on our map; it's as simple as that," Williams said. "We can't take them into consideration if we don't know where they are."

One solution might be to required day care operators to register their addresses with police, Williams said.

Jimmie Whitelow, a spokesman for DCFS, said Monday that his agency is "not ready at this time" to answer a variety of questions about how state staffers will help law enforcement implement the new law. DCFS is not responsible for enforcing the statute.

"It's really getting very time-consuming to check on all these people," St. Clair County Sheriff Mearl Justus said. "Our people have been telling me that. We are really spending a lot of time on this, and I know it's important. But it's time consuming."

Justus said that while studies show child sex offenders often assault children they know and that laws restricting where they can live may be ineffective, the law is still important.

"I think it's important because there are very, very few of those cases where people like these offenders are helped through counseling," he said. "The medical profession believes that there is damn near no effective way to help those people.... The recidivism rate has just gotta be sky high."

O'Fallon Police Chief John Betten said his department also will have find out just where the operating in home day cares are located.

"What we're going to have to do is take a look at where it is that we have conflicts and see how we should follow-up from there," he said.

"We're sort of in the enviable position here of having a relatively low number of these sex offenders," he added. "But at the same time, when you start looking at 500-foot circles around day cares, and thousand-foot circles around schools, suddenly we really start to really see our circles beginning to overlap, making it increasingly difficult to enforce but also important to enforce."

Madison County sheriff's Maj. John Lakin said the key to enforcing the new law lies with DCFS and an updated list of day cares.

"Shouldn't we be able to get a list from the state?" Lakin asked. "Then we will have to determine where these day cares are and make sure they are operational. And then check if there are any child sex offenders living nearby."

Contact reporter George Pawlaczyk at gpawlaczyk@bnd.com and 239-2625. Contact reporter Beth Hundsdorfer at bhundsdorfer@bnd.com and 239-2570.

Small-Town Cops Go Big Time

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008

Small-Town Cops Go Big Time

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
by Jessica Taylor

St. Paul police officers are getting a little help this week from their friends -- other cops who have traveled from near and far to assist with the massive task of securing the convention. Add in federal officers, National Guard members, and state police, and an array of uniforms from the East Coast to the West is on display at the Xcel Energy Center.

Among the states that have sent officers to help are neighboring Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin; as well as Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Texas, according to Cmdr. Doug Holtz of the St. Paul Police Department. Another officer told Convention Daily that approximately 5,000 police officers from around the country have been deployed to assist the 600-strong St. Paul force.

Deputy Chief Robert Springer of the Winnebago County, Ill., Sheriff's Office said that his contingent learned that it would be deployed to the convention about a month ago. Minnesota requested the additional forces from Illinois under a joint-powers agreement that gives nonlocal officers authority in other jurisdictions and covers other legal issues.

"The benefit to the officers from Illinois is that we are able to participate in a national security event," Springer said. "They don't happen that often."

Although the Illinois cops did assist with security for Monday's anti-war march, Springer said that their "purpose here is not to necessarily be hands-on with the crowd." He said that they were trained in mobile field force and crowd control techniques, similar to the ways that the St. Paul police officers trained for the convention. He called it "a great learning and training experience that we can take back to Illinois" and draw upon if their state holds a comparable event.

So far, cops from out of state said that their deployment has been pleasant; many have been securing the convention perimeter and working indoor venues rather than engaging in violent clashes with angry protesters. "For the team, it's been the first national security event we've been deployed to, and it's been successful so far," said Sgt. George Mokriakow with the St. Clair, Ill., Sheriff's Department.

Still, if you're a lost delegate or reporter looking for directions, many of these cops may be as unfamiliar with the territory as you are. "They've given us a makeshift map," Mokriakow said. "We've tried to stumble through it."

Copyright ©2008 by National Journal Group Inc. The Watergate 600

Local first responders help out at GOP convention

Tim Vizer/BND

St. Clair County Sheriff's Department Lt. Dominic Lauko (white shirt, center) speaks to area law enforcement officers who are members of the Metro East Emergency Response Team and will be traveling to Minneapolis/St. Paul to provide additional security for the Republican National Convention.

Defend against biohazard threats

BY JENNIFER A. BOWEN

News--Democrat

Members of the Metro East Emergency Response Team are in Minnesota to help provide security for the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The convention begins today and continues through Thursday. The team at the convention is comprised of 14 officers from 19 police agencies in Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, ordered the cancellation of all but the essential first-day activities of the convention as Hurricane Gustav churned toward the Gulf Coast. President Bush and Vice President Cheney decided not to address the convention today and devote much of their attention to overseeing the emergency response to Hurricane Gustav.

The Metro East Emergency Response Team was started about two years ago as part of the federal Homeland Security Act. Illinois has seven similar teams that are part of the Homeland Security/Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) Mobile Field Force and is funded by Homeland Security. The main objective of the teams are to protect the stockpiles of medication necessary if there is a terrorist or biological attack that requires the use of the medication.

A total of 100 members of the teams throughout Illinois will provide security at the convention.

"We can provide site security, we provide the needed protection if there is a biological attack," said team commander Lt. Dominic Lauko of the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department. "We are there to administer the secured medications that are stockpiled and we have the responsibility to get those safely to the public. Our main duty is to protect local residents in our local counties."

A total of 70 officers from police agencies in the metro-east are part of the team and train on a monthly basis to respond in a state emergency. They also can be deployed to other states to provide security if necessary.

St. Paul received $50 million in federal grant money to pay for additional security. After the convention, Minnesota will pay Illinois for the teams' services. Illinois, in turn, will send the funds to the teams that participated in providing security at the convention. The funds will be used to pay for equipment, extra staffing and training. City officials at the convention site in Minneapolis-St. Paul are expecting 25,000 to 50,000 protesters at the convention.

"We are there to provide protection services, if needed," Lauko said. "If riots do break out and start causing a disturbance, we are bringing our riot gear. We may go up there and everything will go fine and it will be an uneventful situation. Just the show of numbers may keep the peace up there."

The team has been training together for all kinds of situations for almost two years. The team trains as a whole every other month and other members of the team receive specialized training on the off month. The cost of training the team is picked up by the state or federal government.

"This is the biggest national security event we've been deployed to," Lauko said. "We are all pretty excited about it, and we are prepared for it. We believe this event will give us valuable experience and help us be better trained so we can bring that experience back here to protect our homefront."

Members of the team who are in Minneapolis/St. Paul are:

• Commander Dominic Lauko -- St. Clair County Sheriff's Department

• Deputy Commander George Mokriakow -- St. Clair County Sheriff's Department

• Deputy Commander Dan Hoffarth -- Fairview Heights Police Department

• Platoon Leader Charles Bremer -- Granite City Police Department

• Squad Leader Daniel Murphy -- SIUE Police Department

• Assistant Squad Leader Dan Voegele Sr. -- Mascoutah Police Department

• Team Specialist Eric Schindler -- SIUE Police Department

• Team Specialist Matthew Blomberg -- Swansea Police Department

• Team Specialist Paul Brault -- Swansea Police Department

• Team Specialist Josh Bayer -- Columbia Police Department

• Team Specialist Brandon Dugger -- Millstadt Police Department

• Team Specialist Ray Rowland -- Collinsville Police Department

• Team Specialist Todd Husky -- Troy Police Department

• Team Specialist Patrick Feldhake -- O'Fallon Police Department

Law enforcement agencies that participate in the Metro East Emergency Response Team are:

St. Clair County Sheriff's Department

Monroe County Sheriff's Department

Belleville Police Department

O'Fallon Police Department

Granite City Police Department

Fairview Heights Police Department

Southwestern Illinois College Public Safety Police

Cahokia Police Department

Collinsville Police Department

Mascoutah Police Department

Waterloo Police Department

Smithton Police Department

Troy Police Department

Swansea Police Department

Columbia Police Department

Maryville Police Department

SIUE Police Department

Millstadt Police Department

Sauget Police Department

Contact reporter Jennifer A. Bowen at jbowen@bnd.com or 239-2667.