Author: Paul Stukel

An Aurora man has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for robbing a store in Montgomery while wearing a “Santa hat.” Quintez Smith- Stewart was sentenced to 5 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections earlier this month by Judge Judy Gleason for Aggravated Robbery for charges resulting from events that took place in December of 2022 when members of the Montgomery Police Department were dispatched to a robbery taking place at a retail establishment on Douglas Road in Montgomery. A cashier had been approached by a man, later identified as Smith- Stewart, wearing a Santa hat pulled over…

By Choose Chicago (See Part I: Holiday Lights here.) There’s truly no time like the holidays in Chicago. Each winter, the city is full of bustling excitement and seasonal celebrations. You can admire twinkling light displays, go ice skating with skyline views, shop for gifts in a charming neighborhood boutique or pop-up market, catch a holiday show in a stunning downtown theatre, and so much more. Explore Charming Holiday Markets Experience the magic of an authentic German Christmas market during Christkindlmarket. This annual, free-admission event in the heart of downtown features rows of charming wooden huts where vendors display beautiful glass ornaments, wooden…

An Aurora man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the fentanyl-related death of a young woman. Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis announced Tiuesday that Macros Salas was sentenced to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections by the Honorable Jody Gleason for Drug Induced Homicide on Monday. Salas had entered a plea of guilty to the offense back in October of 2024. In July 2021, Kendall County Sheriff’s officers were called to an address in the Boulder Hill subdivision by a report that a young female who had passed away unexpectantly. When…

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Oak Brook Chief of Police Brian Strockis have announced that three women, including a 22-year-old woman from Naperville, and a juvenile have been charged with stealing merchandise from the Oak Brook Nordstrom Rack last Friday evening. Two 18-year-old female suspects from Chicago and the Naperville suspect appeared at First Appearance Court yesterday charged with one count of Burglary (a Class 2 Felony) and one count of Retail Theft (a Class 3 Felony). In addition, one of the 18-year-olds is also facing one count of Aggravated Battery to a Police Officer, a Class 2…

Three men are in custody after Naperville police spotted them in a vehile that allegedly had been stolen in a carjacking an hour earlier. At approximately 7:11pm on Saturday, Naperville police officers were dispatched to the 1800 block of South Washington Street in an attempt to locate a black GMC Acadia that was allegedly taken an hour earlier in a vehicular carjacking from another suburb.  Officers arrived on scene and located the Acadia running and backed into a parking space in an apartment complex.  Officers successfully used their squad cars to pin the Acadia and prevent it from leaving the…

A 43-year-old Aurora man is in custody after allegedly luring a young West Viginia woman to Aurora and involving her in prostitution. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Aurora Chief of Police Keith Cross announced Saturday that Judge Alex McGimpsey has granted the State’s motion to deny pre-trial release for the suspect, who has been charged with one count of Trafficking in Persons (a Class 1 Felony); two counts of Involuntary Servitude (one a Class 3 Felony and one Class 4 Felony); and one count of Promoting Prostitution (a Class 4 Felony). The charges stem from an investigation by…

A 36-year-old Elgin man was sentenced to 49 years in prison for sexually assaulting a child over a nineteen-month period beginning in the fall of 2021. Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser announced today that Judge D.J. Tegeler has sentenced Ernesto Velasquez-Jimenez to 49 years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Velasquez-Jimenez was convicted in October of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a child, class X felony (3 counts) and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse of a child, class 2 felony (7 counts) According to evidence presened at trial, between the dates of October 1, 2021 and June 3, 2023,…

The second fire this month at Elgin’s so-called “Tent City” Thursday evening destroyed three stuctures and killed a dog, authorities say. According to the Elgin Fire Department, firefighters responded to a fire at the homeless encampment near State and Wing Streets at 11:49pm on Thursday, where they found three structures fully engulfed in flames. While crews faced subzero temperatures and a 500-foot hose stretch, the fires were extinguished within 30 minutes. Nearby Metra trains were halted for safety reasons. There were no injuries reported among residents or firefighters. During a search of the area affected, firefighters discovered the remains of…

An Elgin man has been charged with First Degree Murder in the stabbing death of a woman in Elgin early Saturday morning. Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser and Elgin Chief of Police Ana Lalley announce that the 36-year-old subject has charged with two counts of First Degree Murder, a class M felony, after allegedly stabbing Dreanna D. Booker multiple times with a knife, causing her death. Prosecutors assert that the suspect intended to kill her and knew his actions created a strong probability of her death. On Saturday, December 7, around 1am, Elgin police responded to the suspect’s residence…

Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser just released a statement regarding the accusations made by the Illinois Secretary of State detailed in the story below. Here is her statement in its entirety. “The Illinois Secretary of State issued a letter last week to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regarding actions taken by my Office in 2021 involving a 2020 criminal case against Nathan Sweeney. “Contrary to the allegations made in that letter, the decisions regarding the case were based upon a number of factors that were unrelated to his Commercial Driver’s License. “We welcome any review or audit of…