Police in Illinois last week arrested a Wisconsin truck driver they say used a slingshot and metal ball bearings to shoot out windows in vehicles he passed while driving in I-74.
On Friday, June 1, Illinois State Police arrested Kevin L. Casey, 53, of Janesville, Wisconsin, for aggravated battery to a child, aggravated battery on a public way, and criminal damage to property. The arrest stems from numerous reports of damage to vehicles — mostly minivans — that occurred on I-74 in Champaign and Vermilion counties.
Casey was scheduled to be arraigned today.
Kevin Casey (photo from Illinois State Police)In a press conference Monday, police say they received 45 reports of damage to vehicles, and believe similar incidents have also occurred in several other states. Police did not comment on a motive behind the incident, and said the investigation is ongoing.
The incidents became the focus of social media attention after a child was injured. A Monticello woman posted to Facebook that her 3-year-old son was cut by flying glass May 2 when a window in their minivan shattered while on I-74.
Casey, who is an owner-operator, was arrested after police investigators witnessed him in the act of using a slingshot to damage the window on the driver’s side door of a minivan headed east on I-74. They were following Casey’s truck and were prepared to serve him with a felony warrant at the time of the incident.
When searching his truck police found a slingshot, several different sizes of metal ball bearings and items used to make slingshots.
Police earlier reviewed video footage to identify Casey’s truck.
Judge Roger Webber set Casey’s bond at $2 million. Published reports say the judge based the high bond on Casey being convicted in Wisconsin for sexual assault of a child in 1998 and domestic battery in 1994.
