Thursday, April 18, 2013
Terry and Victoria Smith asked the judge to appoint a public defender to their case.
The couple accused of keeping their 6-year-old son in a makeshift cage in the basement of their O'Fallon home were back in court Tuesday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. READ MORE: O'Fallon Couple Charged With Keeping Autistic Child in Cage Victoria Smith, 42, and Terry Smith, 43, were charged in March this year with felony endangerment of a child. They were released on their own recognizance. In court, the Smiths asked Judge Matthew Thornhill for a public defender. The Post-Dispatch reported that the couple said they could not afford to hire an attorney. A counsel status hearing is set for May 7 in St. Charles Circuit Court. The couple lived on Half Moon Drive in O'Fallon in 2010 when the alleged abuse took place, but Missouri …
Thursday, February 7, 2013
John Scott Thomas III received nine 30-year concurrent sentences, the longest of the three convicted child molesters.
The judge set the final sentence yesterday in a case that was described by law enforcement officials as "the most horrific" child abuse case they'd ever seen, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The sexual assaults took place at the Tee Kay Mobile Manor off I-64 in unincorporated St. Charles County in 2011. Three girls, ages 7 months, 3 years and 5 years old, were sexualy assaulted by three neighbors who were babysitting. READ MORE: In this last sentencing, John Scott Thomas III, who pleaded guilty to eight counts of statutory sodomy and one count of statutory rape, received nine 30-year prison sentences, which will be served concurrently. Thomas' girlfriend, Rebecca Sue Russell, received a 10-year prison sentence; Billy Joe Bunch Jr. is…
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Check out recent police activity in O'Fallon.
If you missed anything earlier this week, here's a round-up of this week's crime news. Sign up for the O'Fallon Patch newsletter to get news, blogs and more sent directly to your email!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Police said that Terri Cronin broke a six-week-old baby's arm, and five weeks later fractured the child's skull, causing a brain injury.
- POLICE & FIRE
- Joe Scott
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Tuesday, October 30, 2012
A former St. Charles County foster parent was indicted by a St. Charles County grand jury Friday on two counts of child abuse. Terri Cronin, 48, was indicted on two counts of child abuse. She alternatively has been indicted on two counts of second-degree assault. Cronin's address now is listed as being in Oklahoma. St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department detectives said Cronin fractured a six-week-old baby’s arm while caring for the child as a foster parent in the 3600 block of Meadowsglen Court in the Harvester area. Cronin told police she slipped while carrying the baby down some stairs. A St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department statement indicated the injury is incompatible with falling down steps, but is “highly specific for inflicted …
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Child suffered multiple broken bones, skull fracture and brain injuries as an infant in 2009.
- POLICE & FIRE
- Joe Scott
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Wednesday, April 11, 2012
A former St. Charles County foster parent has been charged with two counts each of child abuse and assault. A statement from the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s office reads that Terri Cronin, 48, of St. Charles, “knowingly inflicted cruel and inhuman punishment” on a child who was six weeks and 11 weeks old at the time. A court document reads that on April 12, 2009, Cronin caused a spiral fracture to Shakur Casanova Knight’s arm. He was six weeks old at the time. Cronin told police the injury occurred when she slipped while carrying the baby down some steps in her home in the 3600 block of Meadowsglen Court in the Harvester area. A St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department statement indicated the injury is incompatible with …
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Juan Serbando Rangel-Acosta to serve three years in prison.
A 36-year-old O'Fallon man was given three years in prison on Tuesday after admitting to having an inappropriate relationship with two teenage girls last year, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Juan Serbando Rangel-Acosta, of the 400 block of Mar Ton Estates Drive, faced felony statutory sodomy, attempted statutory sodomy and endangering the life of a child charges, among other offences. Rangel-Acosta, according to the St. Charles Circuit Court website, also went by the name of Juan Ponce. According to the Post-Dispatch, he supplied the teens with liquor before having sexual contact with them in June and October. St. Charles County Circuit Judge Lucy D. Rauch delivered the sentence.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.
When a child becomes the victim of abuse or witnesses a violent crime, their world is shaken to the core. They need to someone to care for them, to guide them through the chaos of the legal system and take care of their mental and physical health. In St. Charles and 13 surrounding counties, that someone comes from The Child Center, a child advocacy center based in Wentzville. The center's services are available free of charge to all children who need them. In addition to the Wentzville location, the center also has satellite offices in Hannibal and Memphis, MO. The Hannibal location serves Marion, Ralls, Monroe, Shelby, Lewis and Clark counties. The Memphis location, opened in late 2010, aids children in Scotland, Schuyler and Knox …
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Wakefield family is hosting a trivia night at the Trigg Banquet Center this Friday.
It was was an ordinary day in the Wakefield home. On October 26, 2007, Caprina, a busy mom, was headed out to work and dad, Aaron, had a few hours before he had to go to work himself. He fed his 4-month-old son, Kaleb and 2-year-old daughter, Ayden breakfast, then spent the rest of the morning playing with the children. After lunch, Aaron left for work and entrusted his precious children to be cared for by Rebecca Lynn Harris. This was their new routine after Caprina returned to work full time on October 1, 2007. Harris, formerly of O’Fallon, was hired by the Wakefield’s as an in-home caregiver. At 4:57 p.m., Caprina received a phone call from Harris, telling her that Kaleb wasn’t breathing and that paramedics were transporting him to …
Samantha
3:23 pm on Friday, April 19, 2013
The additional heart break is that this woman has around 10 or more other kids. God help them. more ›