ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ill. — An Illinois man is facing charges after deputies said he broke into multiple garages and other buildings in St. Clair County, Illinois, over the span of a few hours Tuesday.
Courtney Woodside, a 42-year-old Tilden man, was charged with two counts of residential burglary, two counts of burglary and multiple gun charges in connection with the days-long crime spree.
A press release from St. Clair County Sheriff Richard Watson said the investigation started when deputies were called to a home on Nashville Road in Lenzburg at around 11:50 Tuesday night.
The man who lived in the home said he went outside when he heard noises coming from the carport behind his home. When he went outside, he saw a dark-green pickup truck in his driveway and a man taking his hand tools. The homeowner told deputies the man started throwing tools at him before going into his truck and grabbing a shotgun. He said the man fired the gun multiple times while the homeowner took his family and ran to a neighbor's home.
About 20 minutes later, they got a similar call from a home on the 1200 block of State Route 4. The victims told deputies they saw a man inside their attached garage, but couldn't get a good look before he sped away in a dark-colored pickup truck.
Six minutes after that, a homeowner on the 1200 block of Mud Creek Road said he heard what sounded like a car door slamming and gunshots on the north side of his property. He got into his own truck and drove toward the sound, where he found a green pickup truck stranded on the north side of the property. When deputies searched the area, they found a shotgun abandoned in the grass.
About 30 minutes later, deputies got a report of a man trying to steal a four-wheeler at another home on the 1200 block of Mud Creek Road.
Later that morning, deputies got a call from a home on North Washington Street in Lenzburg for a report of a break-in. The victims told deputies someone broke into their two pickup trucks and stole a number of items, including the shotgun that was later found near the abandoned truck on Mud Creek Road.
On Friday, deputies got a call from a homeowner to report suspicious activity in his shed. He told deputies the shed was locked, which was not normal. When deputies opened the doors, they found Woodside sleeping on a couch in the loft area of the shed. Deputies arrested him and found numerous items taken in the other incidents.
In all, Woodside was charged with four counts of aggravated discharge or a firearm, two counts of residential burglary, two counts of burglary and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
He is being held on a $250,000 bond at the St. Clair County Jail.
