Rock Falls man faces attempted murder charge in May shooting

MORRISON – One count of attempted murder has been added to the list of charges faced by a Rock Falls man in connection with a May shooting in Sterling.

Daveon H. Lucas, 24, of Rock Falls, is accused of shooting a 28-year-old man at 9:12 p.m. May 28 in the 2200 block of East Lincolnway, Sterling. Police said the man had been taken by private vehicle to CGH Medical Center and later was transferred to Javon Bea Hospital–Riverside in Rockford in serious condition.

Sterling police announced the next day that an arrest warrant had been issued for Lucas. He was arrested in Markham, in Cook County, on June 21 on charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm. The attempted murder charge was filed July 24, according to Whiteside County court records.

He has been held in the Whiteside County Jail since his arrest. During a July 8 court hearing, Lucas sought to be released from jail ahead of his trial but, according to court records, his request was denied based on his admission to shooting the victim and fleeing the scene as well as his history of fighting.

A pretrial conference is set for 9 a.m. Aug. 21 at the Whiteside County Courthouse, with a jury trial scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 10.

Lucas also is involved in two other cases in Whiteside County. According to court records, Lucas appeared in Whiteside County court May 15 on four felony drug charges – possession of methamphetamine, possession of meth with the intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. He was formally charged Jan. 2 and was granted pretrial release in that case. His next court appearance is a pretrial conference set for 9 a.m. Aug. 21.

He also was charged June 18 with one count each of residential burglary, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass to a residence, with that incident alleged to have occurred April 26 in Whiteside County. His next court appearance in that case also is a pretrial conference set for 9 a.m. Aug. 21. That case, as well as the drug case, also are set for trial Sept. 10.