EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WICS) – A 21-year-old man was arrested Friday night after allegedly stealing a vehicle and crashing it into multiple cars and property during a wild ride through downtown Effingham.
Draven A. Shelton was taken into custody by Effingham Police and Effingham County Sheriff’s deputies after a stolen vehicle was reported around 10:33 p.m. in the 100 block of S. Banker Street.
Authorities quickly located the vehicle near S. Banker Street and Kagay Avenue. It was reportedly driving without headlights and struck several unattended vehicles and a mailbox during the pursuit.
The stolen vehicle finally came to a stop at the intersection of 4th Street and Clark Avenue, where officers apprehended Shelton without further incident.
Shelton was booked into the Effingham County Jail on a felony charge of theft exceeding $10,000 but not more than $100,000—a Class 2 felony. He also received numerous traffic citations for the crashes.
Effingham County State’s Attorney Aaron Jones filed a petition to detain Shelton. However, under Illinois’ SAFE-T Act, none of the offenses met the criteria for detention. Shelton was released under pre-trial conditions, including electronic home confinement.
Notably, earlier that same day, Shelton was cited for criminal trespass at Kirby IGA and also charged with retail theft and trespassing at Save-A-Lot.
The case remains under investigation.
