Latest news with #IllinoisSAFE-TAct
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Kewanee man arrested after string of vehicle burglaries
Police in Kewanee have made an arrest in a series of vehicle burglaries in the city. A news release from the Kewanee Police Department say the department investigated a series of vehicle burglaries between May 14th and May 30. After an investigation, officers identified and arrested Zachary Huffman, age 21 of Kewanee, in connection with the crimes. Huffman was issued a Notice to Appear (NTA) under the provisions of the Illinois SAFE-T Act and released from custody. He is accused of committing another vehicle burglary while awaiting a hearing. Kewanee officers found him in connection with a new incident on May 30. During that contact and investigation, Huffman was found with a firearm. Since he was on pretrial release conditions at the time, the Henry County State's Attorney's Office approved taking him into custody and he was taken to the Henry County Jail. Huffman has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm without a valid FOID card, a Class A misdemeanor and burglary without causing damage, a Class 3 felony. Additional charges are pending. A Class 3 felony in Illinois carries a possible sentence of two to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. He has a preliminary hearing in Henry County Court in Cambridge on June 9. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Two Rock Falls residents charged in Lee County with burglary, drug offenses
Mar. 20—DIXON — Two Rock Falls residents have been charged in connection with a burglary in rural Dixon. The Lee County Sheriff's Office was alerted to a burglary in progress Saturday, March 15, in the area of U.S. 30 and Walton Road in rural Dixon. There were two individuals seen on the property going in and out of a garage, according to a news release. Lee County deputies arrived on scene and arrested Thomas E. Ulve, 46, and Mariann C. Poff, 30. Ulve is charged with felony burglary, possession of burglary tools and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, according to court documents. Ulve was also held in custody for an arrest warrant in DeKalb County for retail theft and for a contempt of court warrant out of Lee County, according to the release. According to the release, Ulve is out of custody on pending matters that include a theft case in Winnebago County. Poff also was charged with felony burglary, possession of burglary tools, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, according to court documents. Poff was held in custody for an arrest warrant in DuPage County for failing to appear for retail theft and for retail theft in DeKalb County. In accordance with provisions of the Illinois SAFE-T Act, Ulve and Poff were given a court date and released from custody, according to the release. Ulve's next court appearance is a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. April 2 in Lee County Circuit Court. He also will appear at that time in a separate case filed March 17 that accuses him of attempting to elude officers on March 7 and for a third case, filed March 14, that accuses him of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia on Feb. 27. Poff's preliminary hearing also is set for 8:30 a.m. April 2 in Lee County Circuit Court. Both Ulve and Poff are represented by the Lee County Public Defender's Office. Both are demanding a speedy trial.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Yahoo
Alleged fentanyl-smuggling immigrants lead police on dangerous cornfield chase
New exclusive video obtained by Fox News reveals intense moments from a high-speed vehicle chase as law enforcement pursued two illegal immigrants suspected of carrying fentanyl through a cornfield in Grundy County, Illinois, late last year. A Grundy County official told Fox News that Illinois sanctuary state policies allowed the two Honduran illegal immigrants to travel through the county unchecked. Grundy is a primarily rural county northwest of Chicago. The footage, taken Oct. 24, shows the two immigrants, Roybin Barahona, 18, and Cristhian Anahel Erazo Velasquez, 23, swerving in a vehicle through the cornfield, and authorities rammed a vehicle into their car to get them to stop. After their car was rammed, the two men fled their sedan, and officers continued their pursuit. Activists In Mexico Report Flow Of Migrants Has 'Enormously Decreased' One Month Into Trump Admin Footage taken later shows law enforcement discovering a deadly payload of seven pounds of fentanyl in the immigrants' burned-out vehicle. Both were charged with controlled substance trafficking, possession with intent to deliver fentanyl and resisting arrest, according to local outlet WSPY News. Read On The Fox News App Due to the Illinois SAFE-T Act, which abolished Illinois' cash bail system in 2023, Barahona was released without bail, after which he allegedly fled to California. Click Here For More Immigration Coverage Velasquez, meanwhile, remains in custody, and the Department of Homeland Security has filed a detainer against him. Despite the detainer, Illinois sanctuary laws continue to prevent local law enforcement from sharing information with federal immigration officials about Velasquez. Speaking with Fox News, Grundy County Board Chairman Drew Muffler voiced his frustration with the Illinois sanctuary law. He said that "because we are a sanctuary state, it allowed for illegal bad actors to be traveling with seven pounds of fentanyl through our county. President Trump: Founding Fathers 'Spinning In Their Graves' Because Of Birthright Citizenship Abuse "I don't agree with putting handcuffs on law enforcement and preventing them from working effectively with federal authorities," he said. "By restricting law enforcement's ability to enforce the law, we are undermining public safety." Grundy County was the first of several dozen counties in Illinois that defied the state by enacting a non-sanctuary ordinance. This comes after an influx of over 51,000 immigrants were bussed to Chicago since the summer of 2022. During the migrant crisis, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has doubled down on the city's sanctuary policies, saying in a recent ABC 7 Chicago interview, "We will always remain a welcoming and sanctuary space." Johnson vowed to resist the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration and called the decision to allow ICE to carry out enforcement and removal operations on church and school properties "unconscionable and reprehensible."Original article source: Alleged fentanyl-smuggling immigrants lead police on dangerous cornfield chase
Fox News
21-02-2025
- Fox News
Alleged fentanyl-smuggling immigrants lead police on dangerous cornfield chase
New exclusive video obtained by Fox News reveals intense moments from a high-speed vehicle chase as law enforcement pursued two illegal immigrants suspected of carrying fentanyl through a cornfield in Grundy County, Illinois, late last year. A Grundy County official told Fox News that Illinois sanctuary state policies allowed the two Honduran illegal immigrants to travel through the county unchecked. Grundy is a primarily rural county northwest of Chicago. The footage, taken Oct. 24, shows the two immigrants, Roybin Barahona, 18, and Cristhian Anahel Erazo Velasquez, 23, swerving in a vehicle through the cornfield, and authorities rammed a vehicle into their car to get them to stop. After their car was rammed, the two men fled their sedan, and officers continued their pursuit. Footage taken later shows law enforcement discovering a deadly payload of seven pounds of fentanyl in the immigrants' burned-out vehicle. Both were charged with controlled substance trafficking, possession with intent to deliver fentanyl and resisting arrest, according to local outlet WSPY News. Due to the Illinois SAFE-T Act, which abolished Illinois' cash bail system in 2023, Barahona was released without bail, after which he allegedly fled to California. Velasquez, meanwhile, remains in custody, and the Department of Homeland Security has filed a detainer against him. Despite the detainer, Illinois sanctuary laws continue to prevent local law enforcement from sharing information with federal immigration officials about Velasquez. Speaking with Fox News, Grundy County Board Chairman Drew Muffler voiced his frustration with the Illinois sanctuary law. He said that "because we are a sanctuary state, it allowed for illegal bad actors to be traveling with seven pounds of fentanyl through our county. "I don't agree with putting handcuffs on law enforcement and preventing them from working effectively with federal authorities," he said. "By restricting law enforcement's ability to enforce the law, we are undermining public safety." Grundy County was the first of several dozen counties in Illinois that defied the state by enacting a non-sanctuary ordinance. This comes after an influx of over 51,000 immigrants were bussed to Chicago since the summer of 2022. During the migrant crisis, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has doubled down on the city's sanctuary policies, saying in a recent ABC 7 Chicago interview, "We will always remain a welcoming and sanctuary space." Johnson vowed to resist the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration and called the decision to allow ICE to carry out enforcement and removal operations on church and school properties "unconscionable and reprehensible."
