Alleged armed robbery of a cash store under investigation in Peru

Police are looking for a black man who allegedly held up the Check into Cash Store on Shooting Park Road in Peru.

Police were called around 11:15 this morning for a 5’6, skinny built black man who allegedly robbed the cash store with a silver handgun. He was also said to be wearing sunglasses, a black and white bandana and jeans.

The man left the scene and was last seen heading east through the McDonald’s parking lot.

It’s unknown if the robbery is related to the June 5 robbery at the Illinois Valley Credit Union.

If you have any information, contact the Peru Police Department or Illinois Valley Crime Stoppers.

All entrances and trails are now open at Starved Rock

It should be easier Monday getting in and out of Starved Rock State Park than it was over Father’s Day weekend.

The park entrance’s from Route 71 and 178 are back open. They were closed over the weekend because of flood water.

All hiking trails at Starved Rock are open even though the visitor’s center main parking lot, boat ramp and picnic areas are still closed.

At Matthiessen State Park, multi-use trails and the lower canyon trails at the Dells Area are closed.
If you’re going hiking, keep in mind that most if not all trails are wet and muddy.

Varna murder defendant makes initial court appearance

Bond has been set at two million dollars for a Varna man accused of using a bow and arrow to murder a man in Oglesby.

According to the NewsTribune, twenty-one-year old Bradley French was in La Salle County Court Monday morning. He allegedly fired an arrow with razor edges at 38-year-old Joshua Scaman while Scaman stood in a parking lot Sunday morning on the campus of Illinois Valley Community College. Scaman who had an Oglesby address but used to live in Ottawa was taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru where he died.

La Salle County State’s Attorney Brian Towne says the men had been arguing over the phone and that led to a confrontation in the college parking lot. Eighteen-year-old Rachel Milton of La Salle and Oglesby was arrested for obstructing justice for her alleged role in the murder.

Towne says she went with French to IVCC and that he allegedly told her to remove and conceal the bow from the crime scene. Prosecutors think Milton stayed in the car during the murder and didn’t have any part in plans to kill Scaman.

Milton is being held on $50,000 bond.

Illinois River on the rise in some spots are weekend rainfall

Weekend rain has slowed the fall of the Illinois River. It’s even caused the stream to go back up in some spots.

The Illinois in La Salle Monday morning is seven feet above flood stage. It’s expected to rise a half foot before cresting again tonight.

In Utica, the Illinois River is still about eight feet above flood stage. It has gone down though almost a half foot in the last 24 hours.

The Illinois in Marseilles is actually back under flood stage but it has gone up over a half foot in the past day.