Crime Brief | Illinois Valley
A La Salle County grand jury convened Tuesday and returned the following indictments.
Blair appeared Tuesday in La Salle County Circuit Court and, through his lawyer, asked Circuit Judge Michelle A. Vescogni to give him another crack at pre-trial release.
A Joliet man faces up to 14 years in prison if convicted of driving under the influence during a May accident near Ottawa that killed a woman.
Prosecutors allege he tossed a “brick” of cocaine out his car window, sped from the cops, “side-swiped” a truck and then fled on foot. That was too much for a judge Thursday to let Ruemy Duarte Castenada out of La Salle County Jail.
As La Salle County begins a new calendar year, a theme is emerging among the murder suspects: So far, nobody has pleaded guilty. Three were convicted in 2025 at trial and Joe Navarro anticipates having to bring the remaining suspects to trial.
A Mendota man said he shot in self-defense. Prosecutors said the Mendota incident was a drive-by shooting. A La Salle County jury will have to settle that.
A La Salle County grand jury convened Tuesday and returned the following indictments.
A Streator man who set fire to the New Brite Spot in Ottawa in 2023 was sentenced Monday to a pair of four years for violating his probation for arson and for theft.
A La Salle man faces up to five years in prison if convicted of damaging eight La Salle police squad cars and an officer’s personal vehicle.
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