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Three St. Clair County Jail inmates accused of beating another inmate because he refused to join a gang

BY JENNIFER A. BOWEN - News-Democrat

Three St. Clair County Jail inmates are accused of severely beating another inmate because that inmate refused to join a gang, a sheriff's department sergeant said.

The victim remains in the medical unit at the jail and has not regained vision in one eye.

The charges were filed Tuesday by St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly after an investigation conducted by a special intelligence unit within the sheriff's department assigned to investigating crimes committed within the jail.

 

"This unit is only the second of its kind in Illinois for a county sheriff's department," said Sgt. Thomas Trice. Trice leads the intelligence unit. "This is the first time this has happened since the intelligence office started, that inmates in jail get more charges while in jail and that's thanks to the state's attorney for being so aggressive on this."

Law Enforcement Task Force in East St. Louis Making a Difference

 

EAST ST. LOUIS, IL (KTVI - FOX2now.com) - A violent crime task force crack down is paying off in East St. Louis. The task force, called WAVE, "Working Against Violent Elements" is made up of members of the United States Marshal's Service, the East St. Louis Police Department, the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department. WAVE made three more arrests Tuesday night in 800 block of 71st while coming under gunfire; just the latest arrests in a dramatic three month turn-around in East St. Louis crime since WAVE started its work.

Terror in the projects: East St. Louis residents live a life under siege

 

By CAROLYN P. SMITH - News-Democrat

EAST ST. LOUIS -- Being a Mom is challenging enough, but imagine having to warn your kids to get away from the windows during gunfire.

Welcome to East St. Louis.

Some mothers say people are being robbed at gunpoint with regularity for $5, $10, or $20 -- basically all the money they have -- as they leave their residences to walk to a nearby grocery store.

Clusters of gun-wielding young men wearing baggy pants and oversized T-shirts and hoodies crowd the entrances to the complexes and strike fear in many of the residents.

Residents like Kimberly Rosebud say they're pleased that help has come their way.

They said the violence in the East St. Louis area had gotten out of hand and, by itself, the East St. Louis Police Department could not handle the crime.