Court Call: A roundup of some of this week’s Sauk Valley court cases
HOMICIDE CASE: Byron E. Adams, 54, of Chicago; charged with three counts of first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and criminal trespass to a vehicle, a misdemeanor. Police say he suffocated Margaret Atherton, 35, on Sept. 11, 2009, in her Dixon home.
On the docket: Jury selection.
Wednesday
BATTERY TO A CHILD CASE: Tiffany D. Fassler, 36, of Dixon; charged with first-degree murder and four counts of aggravated battery of a child. Police say she kicked her 6-year-old stepson in the chest on Dec. 6, 2010; he hit his head on a bathroom vanity, suffered serious brain damage and died nearly a year later.
On the docket: Status hearing.
MARIJUANA/PARAPHERNALIA CASE: Dustin L. Jones, 30, of Dixon; charged with possession with intent to deliver between 500 and 2,000 grams of marijuana, possession of between 500 and 2,000 grams of marijuana, and two misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. Police say a raid of his Chicago Avenue home on Oct. 21 turned up nearly 3 pounds of marijuana, smoking pipes, and guns.
On the docket: Status hearing.
ROBBERY/BATTERY CASE: Patrick M. Linscott, 23, of Dixon; charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated battery. Police say Linscott and three others hit a drug dealer and struck him with a car.
On the docket: Status hearing.
BATTERY CASE: Christopher C. Owens, 20, of Dixon; charged with aggravated battery. Police say Owens beat up a Dixon man outside of an apartment building on Sept. 20. A fire later broke out at the apartment building; Owens is a “person of interest” in the fire but has not been charged.
On the docket: Status hearing.
Thursday
SEX ABUSE/EXPLOITATION CASE: Christopher S. Brown, 19, of Amboy; charged with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of sexual exploitation. Police say that Brown engaged in many sexual acts with a 13-year-old girl between May and July, and that at least two of the acts happened in front of an 11-year-old girl.
He also is charged with two counts of tattooing the body of a minor, a misdemeanor, in an unrelated case. Police say he gave tattoos to two 16-year-old girls on Aug. 17.
On the docket: Pretrial conference in both cases.
ARMED ROBBERY CASE: Jacob N. Cecil, 33, of Dixon; charged with armed robbery, carrying/possessing a concealed gun, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a stolen firearm, and unlawful use of weapons. Police say Cecil, masked and armed with a sawed-off shotgun, robbed two convenience stores in June 2006. He was sentenced to 60 years in 2008, but was granted the right to a new trial in October 2011. He chose to plead guilty.
On the docket: Sentencing. He faces 20 to 60 years in prison.
CHILD BATTERY CASE: Eric L. Ellis, 28, of Dixon; charged with aggravated battery of a child and aggravated domestic battery. Police say Ellis punched a 2-year-old girl he was baby-sitting in the stomach on Aug. 2; surgery was required to repair damage to her bowel.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
SEX ASSAULT CASE: Russell A. Frey, 36, of Dixon; charged with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault. Police say Frey had sex with a 12-year-old girl in late January and again in February.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
BATTERY/INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER CASE: Charles T. George, 34, of Dixon; charged with two counts of aggravated battery of a child, aggravated domestic battery, and involuntary manslaughter. Police say George shook his 3-month-old daughter, Tamari, in September 2010. The girl died several days later from blunt-force trauma to the head.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
ARMED ROBBERY CASE: Donte Myles, 25, of Chicago; charged with armed robbery. Police say Myles robbed a woman at knifepoint April 2 and took more than $1,000.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
SEX ABUSE CASE: Ignacio Sarabia Jr., 49, of Amboy; charged with five counts of predatory sexual abuse of a child. Police say Sarabia molested two girls, ages 10 and 12, between December 2008 and August 2009.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
CREDIT CARD CASE: Holly E. Sheley, 34, of Oregon; charged with unlawful use of a credit card. Police say Sheley stole a credit card in September and used it to buy items in local stores and online.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
DOMESTIC BATTERY CASE: Moses D. Spears, 28, of Dixon; charged with aggravated domestic battery, felony and misdemeanor domestic battery, and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence, also a misdemeanor. Police say Spears hit and choked his girlfriend on March 1, and when she tried to call police, he grabbed the phone away.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
MURDER CASE: Matthew W. Welling , 32, of Amboy; charged with first-degree murder and two counts of home invasion. Police say Welling pushed his way into the home of Delmar Leroy Daniels, 79, and killed him during a struggle.
On the docket: Pretrial conference.
WHITESIDE COUNTY
Wednesday
ARSON/BATTERY CASE: Ronald Halgren, 71, of Rock Falls; charged with arson and aggravated battery of a peace officer.
Police say Halgren set fire to his Avenue A home on July 16, and while in the Whiteside County Jail, he threw a food tray at a correctional officer.
On the docket: Arraignment.
