Highland area police briefs for May 11-17
Editor’s note: The following incidents were listed among the official reports of local law enforcement agencies and court clerks. Readers are reminded that an arrest or charge does not constitute a finding of guilt. Only a court of law can make that determination.
Clinton County coroner IDs man found in submerged truck
Rescue workers found a body Tuesday of last week in a submerged vehicle near Damiansville.
Clinton County Sheriff Doug Maue said the department was called to the scene near the intersection of Billhartz and Airport roads at 5:39 a.m. on May 12. The vehicle was submerged in a flooded area, likely swept away by water moving across the roadway.
The body Gustavo Sotelo-Andrade, 28, of New Memphis, Ill., was recovered, according to Clinton County Coroner Phillip Moss.
Clin-Clair Fire Chief Brian Hubert said a nearby resident saw the vehicle, a 1999 GMC Sierra extended cab truck, go into the water. Hubert said rescuers had trouble getting to the vehicle, and eventually had to use a trackhoe to get to it.
“We couldn’t see anything because the vehicle was submerged under water,” Hubert said. “A rescue team spotted the car using a boat, but at that point we couldn’t tell if there were any people in there or not. We had to bring in an excavator.
He added, “The boat stayed with the vehicle, so we knew where it was, and and we sent in a dive team to hook a cable and chains to the vehicle to be excavated.”
The vehicle was found in water about 8 feet deep, roughly 50 to 75 yards from where it went in.
According to Belleville Fire Chief Tom Pour, who sent four firefighters and a boat to the scene as part of the St. Clair County Special Emergency Services team’s rescue effort, a sign posted beside the road warned drivers not to attempt to navigate the flooded road.
Teen charged with felony property damage
Highland police charged Ryan M. Unger, 19, of Highland on May 13 with two counts of felony damage. The first count alleges he damaged to property in the 2100 block of St. Michael Court on May 6; no further information was available on that charge. The other count alleges he damage a Pontiac vehicle in the 1200 block of 9th Street on May 8.
Unger was also wanted on a felony warrant for violation of bail bond conditions.
HPD misdemeanor warrant arrests
▪ Jennifer M. Overturf, 34, of Granite City was arrested on May 11 on a warrant for failure to appear in court on a retail theft charge.
▪ A juvenile, 17, of Alhambra was arrested on May 13 on a warrant for failure to appear in court on a battery charge.
▪ David J.Boomershine, 27, of Alton was arrested on May 13 on a warrant for failure to appear in court on a theft charge.
▪ Robert T. Blair, 49, of Highland was arrested on May 15 on two warrants, both from Bond County for probation violation.
HPD citations, misdemeanors
May 11
▪ Donald E. Weder, 67, of Highland was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. In the same incident, Daniel W. Tucker, 42, of Highland was charged with operation of an uninsured motor vehicle and driving while having a suspended/revoked license.
▪ A juvenile, 17, of Highland was charged with possession of cannabis, possession of drug equipment and a possession of a tobacco product by a minor. In the same incident, another juvenile, 15, of Highland was charged with curfew violation and possession of tobacco product by a minor
▪ Sandra J. Denning, 36, of Dierks, Ark., was charged with driving while having a suspended/revoked license and operation of an uninsured motor vehicle.
▪ Victor N. Lorusso, 63, of Edwardsville was charged with having an expired vehicle registration.
May 12
▪ Marcus A. Ware, 23, of Highland was charged with domestic battery and disorderly conduct. Police allege Ware pushed a female victim and slammed a door on her foot. The disorderly conduct charge alleges Ware took the victim’s cell phone when she was trying to call 911.
May 13
▪ A juvenile, 15, of Collinsville was charged with driving without a valid license and having an expired vehicle registration.
May 14
▪ No tickets issued.
May 15
▪ No tickets issued.
May 16
▪ Athena M. Voda, 35, of Swansea was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding.
▪ Brenda I. Sparks, 58, of Smithboro was charged with driving while having a suspended/revoked license and operation of an uninsured motor vehicle.
▪ Elsa D. Ramirez, 28, Hernandez of Trenton was charged with driving without a valid license.
May 17
▪ No tickets issued.
Correction
Due to inaccurate information provided to the News Leader, a charge in last week’s Police Briefs was incorrect. It was incorrectly reported that Tyler J. Rehkemper, 22, of Highland was charged on May 4 with driving under the influence of drugs. The correct charge should have been driving under the influence of alcohol. The News Leader and Highland Police Department regret the error.
This story was originally published May 20, 2015 at 10:45 AM with the headline "Highland area police briefs for May 11-17."