MENARD COUNTY, Ill. (WAND)- A suspect was arrested on Monday in Riverton, Il, for their alleged involvement in a string of burglaries across multiple counties.  Â
According to the Menard County Sheriff's Office, on November 15,2022, at approximately 1:47 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a reported burglary in progress at Parkside Tavern in rural Petersburg.
Police say while en route, deputies encountered a vehicle they believed to be occupied by the suspects and attempted to stop the vehicle.
A pursuit ensued, after the driver refused to stop. Deputies chased the vehicle into Sangamon County and then into the city of Springfield.
Authorities said the pursuit continued through Springfield, with the assistance of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, Springfield Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies in Sangamon County.
Officials report the vehicle eventually came to a stop in the 2600 block of S. College St., and the occupants fled the scene on foot.
Efforts to locate the suspects were unsuccessful.
After further investigation, conducted by deputies from the Menard County Sheriff’s Office, Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, and Logan County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were able to identify the suspect as Jonathon P. Ballard, 33 of Riverton, IL,.
Subsequently, arrest warrants for Ballard were issued in both Menard and Sangamon Counties. Ballard was taken into custody on Monday, December 5, in Riverton, IL by members of the United States Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force.
He is currently held in the Sangamon County Jail on the Sangamon County warrant and Menard County warrant.
Ballard’s charges in Menard County include Burglary, Theft, Criminal Damage to Property, and Possession of Burglary Tools.
His bond is set in the amount of $200,000 in the Menard County case.
This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information regarding this matter is urged to please contact Crimestoppers of Sangamon & Menard Counties at 217-788-8427.
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
