Afternoon News Update: Thursday, January 15
- An alleged Love's Park car burglar turned himself into police today. 39-year-old Jamie de Leon told officers he saw his photo on social media and has been charged with theft. Authorities urge car owners who had items stolen from their vehicles in the Forest HIlls or Applewood Ln area to contact the Love's Park Police Department.
- A Stateline area man was arrested yesterday and is accused of sexual abuse at his wife's daycare. 51-year-old David Seaton allegedly committed the abuse on or around January 2nd at Pam's Daycare in the 1,000 block of W. Ridge Rd. The Winnebago County State's Attorney's office says he had inappropriate contact with a child under the age of 13. If convicted, he faces a maximum of seven years in prison and must also register for life as a sex offender.
- Rockford Police are looking for a suspect in the city’s third reported shooting in just two days. It happened last night near 15th Street and 23rd Avenue. Officers say an 18-year-old was shot in the face while he was in his car. Police say a driver in another car shot him. His injuries are non-life threatening.
- Rockford Police say that even with the recent spike of violence, crime is actually down overall. Officials say there have been a decrease in violent crime on the west side and “shots fired” incidents are down by more than 20 percent. However seven people were killed between December 21st and this week.
- A former Stateline resident accused of bankruptcy fraud has now been indicted. 54-year-old Robert Yonkee Jr pled guilty in court yesterday to concealment of assets. Yonkee allededly hid his ownership of a business that sells auto parts in the report. He faces up to five years in prison and sentencing is scheduled for April.
- The Workforce Connection is holding a seminar today in Freeport to help unemployed workers in their job search. Topics covered will included career exploration, resume tips, interviewing skills and job training. The day-long event is taking place in the Student Conference Center at Highland Community College. There are three additional planned events in the coming weeks.
- Governor Bruce Rauner is ordering that names of all Illinois political hires be published online. He says the order is a response to hiring at the state transportation department under former Governor Pat Quinn. An investigation found the agency hired more than 200 people without following proper hiring rules.
- Things are getting back to normal on the Illinois State University campus after a water main break cut off water and food service at the Bone Student Center and other buildings this week. ISU has been providing bottled water and bringing in food prepared off-site.
- Pat Quinn's clemency decisions in his final moments as Illinois governor are drawing more criticism. The state's attorney in southwestern Illinois' Madison County considers it appalling that Quinn cut in half the prison term of a woman who fatally set her husband on fire. Quinn offered no explanation for reducing Tammy Englerth's 40-year prison sentence. She's now eligible for parole in 2025.
- University of Illinois trustees have voted to freeze in-state tuition rates at the school's three campuses. The plan announced last week and unanimously approved by trustees will freeze tuition the Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield campuses. State law guarantees first-year students at public universities their tuition won't increase for four years. Tuition will increase by 2 percent for non-Illinois residents.
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