PAXTON — The Paxton Police Department released the following list of recent activity:
— Rachelle M. Bast, 41, of Ashland, and Alexander J. Gauger, 36, of Riverton, were each arrested for possession of methamphetamine, among other charges, during a traffic stop at 6:01 p.m. Sunday, April 21, in the parking lot of the Village Pantry, 435 S. Railroad Ave. Bast was charged additionally with driving with no valid driver’s license, operating an uninsured vehicle and operating a vehicle with suspended registration, while Gauger was charged additionally with possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal transportation of adult-use cannabis, unlawful transportation of alcohol and obstructing justice. Because police had evidence that both Bast and Gauger were driving prior to the traffic stop, Gauger was also charged with driving with a suspended/revoked driver’s license, operating an uninsured vehicle and operating a vehicle with suspended registration. While Bast was driving the 1999 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck when it was pulled over, she had been seen sitting in its passenger seat when it entered the Village Pantry’s parking lot after police were alerted to the presence of the truck, which had suspended registration, by Flock Safety license-plate-reading cameras. During the traffic stop, Gauger allegedly provided a false name to police, who discovered he was wanted on multiple arrest warrants out of Sangamon County, including for robbery, burglary, methamphetamine possession and violations of orders of protection. A search of the truck revealed the presence of 0.5 grams of methamphetamine, hypodermic syringes, methamphetamine pipes, 2.6 grams of cannabis and an open container of Four Freedoms vodka. The truck was impounded by police under city ordinance.
— Trent J. Bennett, 38, of Paxton, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and ticketed for improper traffic lane usage, making an improper turn at an intersection and illegal transportation of adult-use cannabis in a vehicle during a traffic stop at 10:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, on South Vermilion Street near Ford County Road 200 North, just south of Paxton. The traffic stop was conducted after police allegedly saw a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck driven by Bennett cross the center line of the roadway and make an improper right turn onto South Vermilion Street. During the traffic stop, police allegedly detected an odor of alcohol coming from Bennett, who subsequently refused field-sobriety testing and was arrested. Police found a cannabis vape on his person. After being taken to the Ford County Jail, Bennett refused to provide a breath sample to determine his level of intoxication, so a search warrant was obtained to secure blood and urine samples from Bennett, whose truck was impounded by police under city ordinance.
— Yanira Cardona-Roman, 39, of Paxton, was arrested for driving with a suspended driver’s license and ticketed for operating a vehicle with suspended registration and operating an uninsured vehicle during a traffic stop at 7:59 p.m. Friday, April 19, near the intersection of Patton and Winter streets on Paxton’s east side. The traffic stop was conducted after police checked the license plate of a 2013 Ford Explorer being driven by Cardona-Roman on East Patton Street and determined that the vehicle had suspended/expired registration. During the traffic stop, police confirmed that Cardona-Roman’s driver’s license was also suspended. The sport-utility vehicle she was driving was impounded by police under city ordinance.
— Richard L. Spencer, 46, of Paxton, was arrested for two counts of possession of a controlled substance (heroin and fentanyl) and one count each of unlawful possession of a weapon (switchblade), possession of methamphetamine, theft of lost or mislaid property, and driving with a suspended driver’s license during a traffic stop at 11:48 p.m. Sunday, April 14, in the 100 block of West Pells Street downtown. The traffic stop was conducted after a Paxton police officer, who was aware from prior contact with Spencer that his license was suspended, saw him driving a 2014 Buick sedan. Upon his arrest, found in the pockets of his pants were a switchblade and three baggies, one containing 0.14 grams of fentanyl, another with 1.1 grams of heroin and a third with 1.4 grams of methamphetamine. The car that Spencer was driving was impounded by police under city ordinance.
— Christopher B. Umbanhawar, 29, of Hoopeston, was arrested for driving with a suspended driver’s license and ticketed for speeding during a traffic stop at 11:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Illinois 9 and Ford County Road 2150 East, east of Paxton. The traffic stop was conducted after a 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Umbanhawar was seen traveling at 50 mph in a 30-mph speed zone in Paxton. During the traffic stop, police confirmed that his license was suspended. The vehicle that Umbanhawar was driving was impounded by police under city ordinance.
