MADISON COUNTY, Ill. – Two men from Alton, Illinois, were arrested on weapons charges last week during a deployment of the Madison County Cross-River Crime Task Force.
According to Major Nick Novacich, the task force commander, the arrests happened on Thursday, Dec. 22, during the task force’s recent patrol in the Alton area.
During the patrol, officers arrested Daron Hearn, 20, and Keith Sanders, 23. Police claim to have found a 9mm handgun in Hearn’s and Sanders’ vehicle.
The task force is made up of officers from local, state, and federal authorities that operate in the county. The group uses real-time data collected from license plate readers and what they call “saturation patrols” to help them make arrests.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Hearn with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. His bail was set at $50,000. Sanders was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a weapon by a felon. His bail was also set at $50,000.
Police also arrested a Kansas man that night who was wanted on a nationwide extradition warrant in a felony stalking case, which, Novacich claims, aren’t issued for low- or mid-level crimes.