Author: Paul Stukel

The search for a person believed to have fallen into the Fox River while fishing yesterday has now been changed from a rescue mission to a recovery mission, indicating that little hope remains for survival. According to St. Charles officials, at 9:36pm Tuesday evening, the St. Charles Fire Department responded to a call for a person in the water in the Fox River near Ferson Creek in St. Charles. First responders arrived on the scene and immediately initiated a coordinated water rescue operation. Mutual aid from 29 area fire departments was utilized to assist in the search effort, deploying divers…

The Executive Director of the Oswegoland Park District resigned late last week after being charged with a number of felonies related to an alleged attempt to run over a man with his pick-up truck earlier this month. Thomas Betsinger of Montgomery, who has held the position since 2023, tendered his resignation to the Oswegoland Board of Directors, who announced their acceptance on Friday. On Sunday July 13th, at approximately 8:40pm, Yorkville Police were dispatched to a business on the 1500 block of Corneils Road in Yorkville. A witness reported a black Toyota pickup truck crashing into multiple vehicles and reportedly…

A St. Charles teenager, Angelo Bradley, was killed early this morning when his motorcycle collided with an SUV on Randall Road in St. Charles. The Kane County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crash, which occurred at approximately 12:14am this morning at the intersection of Randall Road and Red Gate Road. Preliminary findings indicate that a black 2007 Range Rover was traveling southbound on Randall Road when the driver, 49-year-old Maria Fitz of Chicago, turned eastbound onto Red Gate Road. Fitz reported an impact to the rear of her vehicle, which she initially believed to be a collision with an animal.…

After a nine-month investigation by Sugar Grove police, a 47-year-old Sugar Grove man has been arrested for a fatal hit-and run incident in October 2024 that took the life of a 69-year-old woman. According to police, on the evening of October 12, 2024, both police and fire personnel were dispatched to the area of 1900 Fay’s Lane in Sugar Grove after a report of an accident with injuries. There they found 69-year-old Elaine Zielke of Sugar Grove, who had been hit by an unknown vehicle and was lying in the street. Zielke was taken to a local hospital where she…

A 46-year-old Elgin man is in custody after large amounts of material critical to building explosive devices were discovered in his mother’s home in unincorporated Elgin. Last week, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with multiple law enforcement and emergency response agencies, including the FBI, ATF and DHS, responded to a report of potentially hazardous chemical materials located at a residence in unincorporated Elgin earlier this week. The investigation began after the homeowner identified her son as the individual who had previously shipped Ammonium Nitrate to the residence. The suspect, who no longer resides at the home, was contacted…

A 41-year-old Aurora man has been sentenced to 125 years in prison after being convicted of murdering a man while attempting to burglarize his apartment. Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser announced today that Judge David Kliment has sentenced Michael E. James to a total of 125 years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections after James was convicted in May on charges of First-Degree Murder, a Class S felony (9 counts); Armed Violence, a Class X felony; and Residential Burglary, a Class 1 felony. According to prosecutors, on December 18, 2021, James and a co-defendant attempted a robbery of…

An Oswego man has been arrested on felony gun charges after being stopped for speeding Friday morning. On Friday at approximately 9:49am, Oswego Police arrested stopped the 44-year-old suspect on Collins Road near Buckskin Drive for speeding, traveling 61-mph in a 30-mph zone. During the traffic stop, it was learned the suspect was wanted on a warrant out of Kendall County. Additionally, a loaded firearm was found in his possession. The suspect was arrested, taken into custody, and transported to the Oswego Police Department. The Kendall County State’s Attorney’s approved a felony charge of unlawful possession of a weapon by…

A 51-year-old Des Plaines man was sentenced to 20 years in jail after pleading guilty to drug charges earlier this year. In May, Andrew M. Guca pled guilty to the offense of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, a Class X felony. According to prosecutors, on June 6, 2023, Guca was the driver of a vehicle stopped by an Aurora police officer. Police searched the vehicle and located a bag in the rear cargo area containing approximately 4,000 grams of cocaine with a street value of between $120,000 to $144,000. In accordance with Illinois law, Guca must…

Authorities have identified a man who was killed Sunday morning in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash on Fabyan Parkway on Geneva’s far west side. The Kane County Coroner’s Office has identified the man as 40-year-old Eric Gardner of Sycamore. Geneva Police, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, and the Geneva and Batavia fire departments responded to the crash, which was discovered at 6:37am by passing motorists. The preliminary investigation indicated that a motorcycle traveling west on Fabyan Parkway between Wenmoth and Kaneville Roads veered across the eastbound lanes of traffic and struck an embankment on the south side of the road. The…

A 28-year-old Oswego woman has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to murdering her friend in February 2023. Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis announced that Alexia Telles was sentenced, pursuant to plea agreement, to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for First Degree Murder by Judge Jody Gleason last week. Telles was arrested and charged back in February of 2023, after she arrived at a residence in Oswego with her girlfriend, Annissa Ellen-Williams, suffering from a traumatic wound to the head. Ms. Ellen-Williams was later pronounced dead after medical personal attempted life-saving…