During the evenings and early morning hours of both December 6 and December 7, 2024, the Springfield Police Department responded to numerous reports of burglary and theft of motor vehicles.
On the morning of December 8, 2024, the SPD noted that officers observed two of the stolen vehicles chasing each other in the area of South Grand Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive.
Subsequently, a traffic stop resulted in the apprehension of two suspects. A suspect is said to have fled on foot from the other stolen vehicle, but he was soon taken into custody when neighbors alerted police to his location.
In total, three juveniles were arrested in this incident, and a loaded firearm was recovered from one of the vehicles. All three juvenile males met the criteria for incarceration; however, there was only sufficient bed space statewide to house one. This juvenile was transported to the juvenile detention center in Peoria. The other two were placed on electronic monitoring and released to guardians.
Additionally, one of the juveniles arrested was already wearing an electronic monitoring device and is now
facing additional charges for the following: Aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a stolen
firearm, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm and firearm ammunition,
possession of a firearm-no FOID, and violation of bail bond-failure to surrender.
The Springfield Police Department urges anyone with information about this incident to call the SPD at 217.788.8311 and/or Sangamon/Menard County Crime Stoppers at 217.788.8427.
