(Information in this report is gathered from police agencies, county courts and emergency radio dispatch. The public is reminded that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty and charges may sometimes be dropped or changed as part of the legal process.)

Columbia Police

Dec. 11

Charles R. Taylor, 55, of Columbia, was charged with domestic battery.

Dec. 15

Rasheed J. Taylor, 25, of East St. Louis, was charged with domestic battery.

Dec. 16

Jamal W. Hutchinson, 37, of Belleville, was charged with domestic battery.

Dec. 18

Madelyn G. Rachels, 21, of Waterloo, was charged with domestic battery.

Jan. 3

Joshua D. Redd, 47, of Columbia, and Erin M. Redd, 44, of Columbia, were both cited for allowing truancy involving their 16-year-old daughter.

Jan. 10

Emergency personnel responded about 6:45 p.m. to a two-vehicle crash on Route 3 at South Main Street. A 2009 Jeep Wrangler driven by Timothy Roberts, 56, of Waterloo, was driving west from South Main Street across Route 3 to Gall Road when it was struck by a 2021 Infinity Q50 driven by Grace Fischer, 25, of Columbia, which was traveling north on Route 3. Roberts went to Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis County for evaluation of possible minor injuries. He was cited for disobeying a traffic control device.

Jan. 11

Police assisted school officials in handling a potential threat situation involving a middle school student. A Columbia Middle School eighth grader was reportedly overheard on a school bus making a threat against another student and saying something that could potentially be interpreted as a threat against the school. School officials handled the situation internally and do not believe there was any seriousness to the language used by the student in terms of a threat against the school.

Jan. 14

Shortly after 12:15 a.m., Tyler F. Johnson, 39, of Granite City, was arrested for DUI on Locust Street at Metter Avenue.

Kendra N. Ivory, 36, of Belleville, was arrested for driving while license suspended, expired registration, no insurance and illegal transportation of alcohol on I-255.

Jan. 15

Rueben F. Hairston, 33, of St. Louis, was arrested on a St. Clair County warrant and later charged with possession of a stolen vehicle in the parking lot of Red Roof Liquor & Lottery, 300 Southport Drive. The vehicle, a yellow 2015 Chevrolet Camaro, was reported stolen recently in Florissant, Mo.

Jan. 17

Emergency personnel responded about 11:15 a.m. to a two-vehicle crash on Route 3 at North Main Street. No injuries were reported. Columbia Police Chief Jason Donjon said he is working with the Illinois Department of Transportation and city officials to install a flashing yellow left turn arrow light at this intersection, among other possible changes, as a result of several recent crashes at this busy intersection. Columbia police officers patrol Route 3 regularly for traffic safety, Donjon said. From Dec. 1 through Jan. 13, officers issued 408 traffic citations or warnings along the Route 3 corridor.

Conservation Police

Jan. 3

Andrew R. Christ, 24, of Valmeyer, was cited for unlawful taking of a whitetail deer without a permit in connection with a Nov. 12 incident on family property near Fults.

Illinois State Police

Jan. 14

The Dupo and Prairie du Pont fire departments assisted EMS personnel and ISP in responding shortly after 10 p.m. to a two-vehicle crash with injury on I-255 northbound near milepost 8.3 in St. Clair County. A black 2007 Cadillac Escalade driven by a 17-year-old male from Cahokia Heights struck the rear of a red 2020 Hyundai Elantra driven by Samuel Olsson, 29, of Dupo. Olsson was transported by ambulance to an area hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries. The 17-year-old was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Metro Enforcement Group of SW Illinois

Jan. 6

Jerry H. Kritz, 54, of Waterloo, and Angela M. Kritz, 53, of Waterloo, were both charged with possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl).

Jan. 9

Nicole J. Short, 39, of Dupo, was charged with possession of methamphetamine.

Millstadt Police

Dec. 21

At 6:46 p.m., Michael B. Hargrove, 41, of Belleville, was arrested on a St. Clair County misdemeanor warrant for trespassing at Circle K, 1 W. Washington Street.

Jan. 5

Shortly after 7:05 p.m., police, fire and EMS personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash on Saxtown Road near Douglas Road.  All parties refused EMS. La Donna M. Ebel, 69, of Millstadt, was arrested for DUI, improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Jan. 13

At 4:26 p.m., police responded to a call of door-to-door solicitors from a phone company. Officers located the subjects, confirmed they were soliciting without a permit, and advised them to stop soliciting. At 7:16 p.m., police were called to Gladwyn Drive for solicitors. Officers located the same two subjects from the earlier contact. Elijah B. Zahler, 19, of St. Louis, and Tyler E. Kapusniak, 26, of St. Charles, Mo., were both cited for soliciting without a permit.

Monroe County Sheriff

Jan. 8

Jacob C. Riebeling, 40, of Waterloo, was charged with domestic battery. 

Jan. 12

Jared Franke, 24, of Columbia, was charged with felony aggravated battery following an incident at the Monroe County Jail. Court information states Franke was involved in an altercation with an inmate at the jail. Franke was in custody in connection with a Nov. 17 incident in which several charges were filed – including felony obstruction of justice, armed violence, unlawful possession of a firearm and DUI (drugs).

Jan. 14

A crash occurred about 1:15 a.m. on Kaskaskia Road at Fults Road. A 2015 Ford F150 driven by  Derek M. Smothers, 22, of Waterloo, was traveling northbound on Kaskaskia Road and failed to negotiate the curve, leaving the roadway to the left and striking trees.  Smothers was evaluated by Monroe County EMS for injuries but declined transport.

Jan. 16

Firefighters from Columbia, Valmeyer and Waterloo responded about 1:45 p.m. to a tractor on fire inside a shed on a farm at 2132 Steppig Road southwest of Columbia. Smoke was showing from the shed upon fire department arrival, but the fire was reported to be under control shortly after 2 p.m.

Sheldon S. Fowler, 37, of Florissant, Mo., was arrested on Route 3 at T Road for a Jefferson County warrant (unlawful possession of weapon by a felon). Fowler was also charged with possession of a vehicle title without complete assignment. 

Waterloo Police

Jan. 7

Zachariah P. Van Sant, 21, of Waterloo, was charged with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for alleged incidents that occurred between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2021. Court documents state the female victim was between 13 and 17 years of age at the time and the defendant was at least five years older than the victim when the incidents occurred.

Jan. 10

Trevor C. Orosz, 20, of Dupo, was charged with illegal consumption of liquor by a minor in the 300 block of North Library Street.

Jan. 11

Officers responded just before 4:15 p.m. after a traffic signal was struck by a truck at the intersection of Fourth and South Market streets. A Dollar General delivery vehicle was attempting a right turn onto Fourth Street from S. Market Street when it struck the pole, resulting in the traffic signal coming to rest in the Circle K parking lot. No injuries were reported.

William J. Johnston, 39, of Elkville, was cited for uninvited soliciting within Waterloo city limits without obtaining a permit.

Jan. 12

Bobby J. Yencho, 31, of Burksville, was arrested for  DUI at 11:30 p.m. on Route 3 at S. Library Street.