Law enforcement

The pre-trial detention hearing for Alexa Balen, the Homer Glen woman accused of child endangerment after the death of her 2-year-old daughter, has been postponed to give Balen more time to find an attorney.

Forensic pathologist says Jackson Kradle, a teenager whose body was found in the early morning hours of July 28 on a highway north of Mount Carroll, died as the result of a motor vehicle-pedestrian crash.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office said it has been informed that residents have received calls claiming they missed jury duty or have a warrant out for their arrest. This is a scam.

A Lockport man was arrested after he was accused of committing sex crimes against multiple teens from the states of New York, Washington and Illinois. Police also recovered 17 firearms from his home.

Grundy County Sheriff Ken Briley and State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, are seeking reforms to the SAFE-T Act after police arrested two during a traffic stop the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 24 after finding three kilograms of fentanyl.

Sept. 14 crash among 58 investigations aided by license plate reader cameras installed in August in Lee County.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is urging motorists to commit to sober driving, buckling up and following traffic laws this Halloween, as children and their families walk through neighborhoods after dark for candy and spooky fun.

More than 30 amateur, professional and commercial cooks will serve samples of their appetizers, entrees, side dishes or desserts for attendees to judge at the event in Joliet.

Will County sheriff’s deputies had guns drawn and shields up as they searched abandoned properties near Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm in Crest Hill and arrested two men on burglary charges.

Kendrick Pullen, 21, Chicago, was arrested Friday by Joliet police and charged in connection with the Oct. 5 shooting death of Everett Cole in the 800 block of Wenberg Street, according to Joliet police.

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Police Chief David Pederson has been elected president of the DuPage Chiefs of Police Association, a role he will hold through September 2025.

Officers responded to reports of shots fired in the area of West Jefferson Street and Reed Street at about 3:06 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Joliet police.

A 17-year-old student from Lockport has been charged after the FBI detected a threat made against Providence Catholic High School on Snapchat on Wednesday.

Ogle County Sheriff’s Lt. Jason Ketter, shot in the face during a June 12 standoff at a rural Dixon residence, has undergone multiple surgeries and attended support group meetings in the four months since he was shot. He returned to work Tuesday.

The decision, issued by the Winnebago State’s Attorney’s Office, comes after a review of the events leading up to a June 12 gunfire exchange between the Ogle County Emergency Response Team and Jonathon Gounaris, a Lost Lake resident.

School Resource Officer Chris Cox will be retiring after serving 16 years at the Dixon Police Department. His last day at the high school will be Oct. 4. Taking over the position is Officer Matt Coffey, who will begin Monday, Sept. 30.

Pre-teen is charged with making a terrorist threat and disorderly conduct, is released from custody after Friday court hearing.

Jonathon Gounaris, 32, is charged with 4 counts of attempted first-degree murder, 3 counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, 3 counts of aggravated battery and 2 counts of possession of a firearm without a firearm owner’s identification card.

Several Dixon Police Department marked squad vehicles and officers will be at Madison Elementary, Reagan Middle School and Dixon High School in response to potentially threatening Snapchat messages that surfaced last week, according to a police department Facebook post.

The Sterling Police Department has extended the date that it will accept applications for this year’s Citizen Police Academy until Monday, Sept. 9.

Illinois State Police Troop 3 Commander Capt. Patrick Manno announced the results of roadside safety checks held in Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will counties

Sterling police say a vehicle, later abandoned in Jefferson school's parking lot, damaged a fence at Sterling High School during a police pursuit early Tuesday morning. Class schedules were not disrupted and students were not in danger from the overnight events, police said.

Lee County sheriff’s deputies arrested Jerry W. Juzwiak Jr., 35, after a traffic stop around 6:15 p.m. Monday on U.S. Route 52 near Searls Road, south of Amboy, according to a news release issued by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Correctional officer sent to hospital; prison on lockdown until further notice.

At around 12:29 a.m. Monday, Joliet police responded to the area of Hunter Avenue and Darcy Avenue for a disturbance. Upon arrival, an officer encountered an adult male holding a knife, according to police.

The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police presented Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow with the award on Aug. 22 at the ILACP executive board meeting at the Midwest Security & Police Conference/Expo in Tinley Park.

The Joliet Police Department is conducting a traffic safety campaign aimed at reducing impaired driving and other hazardous driving behaviors now through Sept. 3.

Dixon police shut down a portion of South Galena Avenue for about two hours Thursday morning while responding to a call alleging domestic violence, but led to no arrests, according to a news release from the Dixon Police Department.

Buckwalter's hiring follows the resignation of Sgt. Tad Dominski, who took a position with the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office in August after 10 years with Oregon.

Illinois State Police special agent trained at the FBI Academy for a year and then worked in forensics for five years before retiring

Bethe Hughes used her artistic skills to help solve crimes and on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, she shared those skills, mixed with some of her own memories, during a forensic art presentation at the Coliseum Museum of Art, Antiques and Americana. Hughes, a Dixon resident, was a special agent with the Illinois State Police for 20 years and worked five years as a forensic artist. She said memories from victims or witnesses are essential in creating an accurate drawing of the perpetrator that police investigators can then use to solve a crime.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Gun Violence Prevention Initiative was honored to host faculty members and researchers from the Johns Hopkins Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center in Lake County and led trainings to local law enforcement.

At Tuesday’s presentation, Armor Research Company, a law enforcement equipment manufacturer based in Las Vegas, presented a new shield to replace one that took rounds during a June 12 gunfire exchange at Lost Lake.

100-mile ride included stop at Ogle County Brewery and Bad Ash Cigars.

Marquel Jimerson of Joliet was found guilty on five felony counts August 19 in the robbery and assault of his ex-girlfriend.

Deiontae McMillan convicted in murder of woman whose body was found by hunter near Joliet.

Joliet police are investigating a shooting that left multiple vehicles damaged at the dealership owned by Mayor Terry D'Arcy.

After serving as the city’s deputy chief for a year and interim chief for 44 days, Matt Kalnins was unanimously hired as Oregon's police chief Tuesday night.

The Illinois State Police will be focusing on distracted driving laws to prevent traffic deaths and crashes with serious injuries.

Mt. Morris’ first-ever National Night Out drew community members to the village’s downtown to meet with law enforcement and other first responders. The event ran from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, near the Mt. Morris College Campus in the village’s downtown.

A fitness evaluation determines if a defendant has the mental capacity to participate in their defense during court proceedings.

The speed enforcement effort was conducted by the Will County Sheriff’s Office and other state and local law enforcement agencies across Illinois.

Burr Ridge Police Chief John Madden will retire on Aug. 24

Adrian Jimenez Jr., 23, of Joliet was arrested Friday on several charges related to drugs and weapons possession.

The Illinois State Police will conduct Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement patrols in Cook, Will, DuPage and Kane counties during August.

A DuPage County man was found guilty Wednesday of multiple felonies stemming from the sale of unserialized firearms and a machine gun conversion device to an undercover investigator, prosecutors said.

The investigation of a Channahon sex crime was conducted by the Channahon Police Department, the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, the Bolingbrook Police Department and the Illinois State Police Forensic Science Laboratory.

More than 40 shots were fired in a Wednesday shooting that caused damage to a residence and a vehicle in the 1400 block of North Center Street in Joliet, police said.

Jayden Velazquez-Garcia, 19, of Plainfield, was identified as the man who died from the shooting on Wednesday, according to the Will County Coroner’s Office.

Downtown Joliet was the site for local and Illinois police as well as state department of transportation officials to promote a traffic safety campaign along the famed roadway on Tuesday.