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Homeowner's carport cams lead to arrest in Millstadt burglary

BY JENNIFER A. BOWEN - News-Democrat

A few hours after security camera photographs were posted online, the calls started coming in to the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department.

Before midnight Friday, a man wanted for stealing items from the carport of a rural Millstadt resident was in the St. Clair County Jail.

Todd M. Pinta, 31, of 13 W. Pheasantwood Drive, Apt. A, Belleville, was arrested about 11 p.m. Friday. He was charged with burglary with bond set at $100,000.

The suspect was caught on several motion-activated cameras the homeowner placed in his carport. - Provided/BND

St. Clair County Sheriff's Investigator Matt Jany was interviewing the resident of the home where the burglary happened when the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department started receiving calls from people who said they recognized Pinta as the man depicted in photographs on the Belleville News-Democrat's website, bnd.com.

Eye spy: High-tech specs land East St. Louis man in jail, police say

News-Democrat

An East St. Louis man needed to polish up his 007 skills if he hoped get past watchful eyes at the St. Clair County Building.

On Tuesday Francis N. Thomas, 37, was in a St. Clair County courtroom for an order of protection hearing wearing an unusual pair of glasses. The woman he was at the hearing with noticed the glasses were not of his usual style and pointed them out to the bailiff, according to St. Clair County Sheriff's Investigator Sgt. Dan Stockett.

An investigation of the eyewear revealed a pair of high-tech peepers hiding a miniature video camera that had been recording the entire courtroom proceeding complete with sound. Video taping by the public is prohibited in Illinois courts.

When the bailiff confirmed the glasses were of the James Bond variety, he confiscated them and arrested Thomas.

On Wednesday Thomas was charged with eavesdropping, a felony. Thomas remains in custody in the St. Clair County Jail in lieu of a $30,000 bail.

St. Clair County Jail gets new fingerprint system to prevent the wrong inmate from being released on bond

BY BETH HUNDSDORFER - News-Democrat

It all started with a T-shirt.

It ended with a $17,000 fingerprint system, added security measures for the St. Clair County Jail, an injured Texas trooper, a 30-day suspension for a corrections officer and a three-year prison sentence for the T-shirt's owner.

Darryln K. Byrd, 44, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to aiding the escape of a relative, Elijah Muhammad, who was in the St. Clair County Jail on home invasion and aggravated assault charges. Byrd gave Muhammad his "Curt Smith" T-shirt, police said, then posed as Byrd when someone posted his $100 bond and walked out of jail.