1/3/23
It was reported that someone had stolen a wallet overnight Dec. 21-22 from an unlocked vehicle parked in a garage in the 900 block of South First Street, Champaign. Unauthorized purchases totaling $246 were later made on a credit card that was in the stolen wallet.
A U. of I. student reported that his jacket was stolen at 2 a.m. Dec. 11 from a business in the 100 block of East Green Street, Champaign. A pair of headphones valued at $260 inside the jacket also was stolen.
A U. of I. student reported that a package had been stolen between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Dec. 21 after it was delivered to the mail area of her apartment building in the 1000 block of South First Street, Champaign. The package has a retail value of $209.
A U. of I. employee reported that his car’s catalytic converter had been stolen between 4 p.m. and midnight Dec. 19 while it was parked outside Illinois Street Residence Halls, 1104 W. Illinois St., Urbana. The estimated cost to repair the vehicle is $3,126.
A U. of I. student reported that someone had shattered her car window overnight Dec. 24-25 while it was parked in a garage in the 200 block of East Green Street, Champaign. There was evidence that someone had searched through the car, but nothing was reported missing. The estimated repair cost is $1,500.
A U. of I. student reported that he was the victim of a text message-based scam Dec. 15. The student received a message from an unknown person purporting to be the student’s employer who instructed him to purchase $2,000 worth of gift cards at a local retailer and reply to the text message with the card information. The student complied. By the time the student recognized the scam, the gift cards had been redeemed by an unknown person.
On Dec. 26, a U. of I. student reported that a $300 digital streaming device had been stolen between 5-8 p.m. on Oct. 1 from her apartment in the 700 block of South First Street, Champaign. The device is owned by the cable company but must be returned to receive her deposit back. The apartment was unoccupied at the time the theft is reported to have occurred. No information was provided on whether the apartment was locked.
Jeulius K. Johnson, 27, no address provided, was arrested at 9:04 a.m. Wednesday near Fifth and Healey streets, Champaign, for battery. Johnson was identified as the person who head-butted and punched a maintenance employee the previous day at an apartment building in the 400 block of East Healey Street, Champaign. The attack occurred after the employee asked Johnson to leave the property. The employee received minor injuries. He was assessed on-site by medical personnel who determined that hospitalization was not necessary.
On Dec. 17, the property manager of an apartment building in the 200 block of East Green Street reported that eight air conditioning units in the parking garage had been toppled over. The units were suspected to have been damaged, but an assessment and repair estimate wasn’t completed at the time of the report.
A U. of I. student reported that she had been the victim of a phone-based scam Dec. 23. The caller threatened the student with deportation and then instructed her to send $2,950 through a mobile banking app to several unknown accounts. After those transactions were completed, the student received a second call instructing her to purchase $1,000 worth of gift cards at a local retailer and transfer the card information to another person. The student completed the purchase and the transfer of card information.
At 9:57 p.m. Friday near Sixth and Green streets, Champaign, Linda D. Barber, 43, of Urbana, was issued a state of Illinois notice to appear in court for battery. Police initially were called the previous day by the owner of a restaurant in the 700 block of South Gregory Street, Urbana, who reported that Barber became agitated after the owner told her that she was banned from entering the business. Barber reportedly threw a cup and food items at the owner.
A hit-and-run accident was reported at 2 a.m. Thursday in the 2000 block of South Orchard Street, Urbana. The owner of the vehicle, which was parked in a lot, discovered cracks and transferred paint on his rear bumper. A repair estimate was not available at the time of the report.
A U. of I. student reported that he was the victim of an online scam Dec. 14. The student reported that he attempted to purchase graduation tickets from an unknown person whom the student met through social media. The student attempted five times to transfer $30 to the unknown person through a mobile banking app. Each time, the student received a text message stating that the transaction failed. The student then sent $29 through a different banking app, but never heard from the purported seller and never received the tickets. The student later learned that the phone number from which he was receiving the failed transaction messages is not owned by the banking app. In total, the student lost $179.
An employee of a restaurant in the 1500 block of South Neil Street reported that she was attacked by five customers after the employee asked the customers to leave. The employee was struck multiple times in the face, kicked, and had her hair pulled. The customers left before police arrived. The employee had minor injuries but did not require medical assistance.
A man reported that he was robbed of his wallet and hat at 1:30 a.m. Sunday at U. of I. parking lot C-9, 505 E. Chalmers St., Champaign. The man was walking near the parking lot when he noticed two groups of men arguing with each other. The victim reported that one of the men mistakenly thought the victim was involved in the argument. That man struck the victim in the face and knocked him to the ground. Several others kicked the victim and took his wallet and hat. The victim then ran away. He did not initially call police or request medical assistance. The victim, who was visiting from out of town, went to a hospital later Sunday after returning home.
A U. of I. student reported Monday that her cellphone had been stolen at 1 a.m. Dec. 11 at a business in the 200 block of East Green Street, Champaign. The student dropped the phone on the floor, and it was stolen by the time she went to retrieve it. GPS tracking information showed it had been taken to another location about a block away. The phone has an estimated value of $900.
Please note: Those arrested are presumed innocent until proved guilty, and formal charges may change as cases are adjudicated. For more information about the incidents listed here, please contact the U. of I. Police Department at 217-333-1216 or .