Trouble brews as drunks menace local gas station
by Elizabeth Zeman
Police reporterEarly Tuesday morning at about 5 a.m., a report of a disorderly customer brought Champaign Police to the gas station at 601 N. Neil Street.
According to a Champaign Police report, a man entered the gas station under the influence of alcohol. After he was unable to pay for an item he was purchasing, the suspect argued with the cashier and ultimately threatened her.
After officers arrived at the scene, the man was apprehended in a vehicle. A second man in the vehicle resisted the officer and was also arrested, the report said.
Police officers then discovered that the first arrestee was unable to present a valid form of identification as well.
Rodney Lee Williams, 26, of 1206 N. Hickory St., Champaign, and Charles A. Williams, 37, of 1305 Hedge St., Champaign, were arrested in connection with the incident.
Between 6 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. Monday, a bench was burned outside Hopkins Hall, according to a University Police report.
The bench was located near the northwest corner of the building. Officers determined that someone apparently placed denim material on top of the bench and then lit the material on fire, which caused the cloth to melt to the surface of the bench, the report said.
According to the report, the cost of repairing and cleaning the bench is estimated at $200.
A bicycle was stolen from the residence on the 300 block of W. White Street, according to a Champaign Police report. The bicycle, a white, 26-inch, 15-speed mountain bike, was last seen in the basement of the residence on August 24. The owners noticed that it was missing on Thursday, the report said.
After questioning family members, officers discovered that the family returned home on August 24 to find the front door of their home open. According to the report, the owners told officers they had locked the door before leaving, but there were no signs of a forced entry.
No suspect information is available at this time.
According to a Champaign Police report, a lost black leather "fanny pack" may have been stolen from the parking lot at 2004 W. Springfield Ave between 11:00 p.m. Saturday and 8:00 a.m. Sunday.
The owner remembered last seeing the "fanny pack" in the parking lot as she left the store, and she suspects that her daughter may have accidentally left it on the ground there, according to the report.
The owner realized that her fanny pack was missing the next morning, but it could not be found in the parking lot. The fanny pack contained a checkbook, billfold, credit cards, social security cards and other forms of identification. All credit card companies have been notified, the report said.
There is no suspect information connected to the incident.
A scuffle at Chester Street Bar led to some confusion, but no arrests were made, according to Champaign Police report.
Late Monday night, a male flagged down a Champaign Police officer in the station’s north parking lot, saying that he had been battered at Chester Street Bar, 63 E. Chester St., Champaign. The report said officers spoke to the victim, a suspect and witnesses but were not able to determine exactly what happened.
No arrests were made.
Two wheel covers were stolen from a car in the parking lot of Beverly Cinema while the victim was inside enjoying a movie, according to a Champaign Police report.
The car was parked in the lot at 910 Meijer Drive, Champaign on Friday evening. An unknown suspect removed the two front wheel covers on the 1991 red Cadillac, the report said.
No estimate was available for the price of the wheel covers, and no suspect information was available at the time of the report.
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