SALINE CO.— A pair of Harrisburg felons found themselves back behind bars after police say they led them on a brief chase through the city.
According to information filed in the case, on June 2 at approximately 6:49 p.m., county deputy Steve Sloan spotted a maroon Ford passenger car spinning its tires leaving a business on Poplar Street.
When he attempted to execute a traffic stop, the vehicle sped off and he began a pursuit.
The car ran four stop signs before stopping near Dennison and Parish streets.
The two men inside—a driver identified as Michael A. Zentz, 32, of 325 East Locust St., Harrisburg and the passenger as Daniel Lee Vanhoorebeke, 32, of 501 Dennison St., Harrisburg—are both said to have gotten out of the vehicle and fled on foot.
Dep. Sloan, along with Dep. Lindsay Agin, yelled for the pair to stop but they kept running.
When the officers caught up with the pair, they were both searched and taken into custody.
Zentz was found to be in possession of several .22 caliber bullets and a hypodermic syringe.
Subsequent to their arrests and the towing of their vehicle, officers search it and discovered several firearms in the trunk and a .22 caliber revolver thrown out of the car by Zentz.
Unofficial reports had it that those weapons were stolen and that the two were attempting to sell them; that information remains unconfirmed with law enforcement officials, but further charges might yet be pending.
Felonious histories
Vanhoorebeke is a several-time-convicted felon, including a conviction January 7, 2002 for Possession of Stolen Vehicle for which he was sentenced to 30 months probation and ordered to pay $1,475 in fines and fees, of which he has paid nothing.
On April 4, 2002 he was sentenced to 42 months in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) following a conviction for Possession of Stolen Vehicle.
He still owes $225 in fines and fees from that case.
On July 10, 2003 Vanhoorebeke was sentenced to five years in IDOC after he was convicted of Aggravated Fleeing of Police.
He still owes $269 in fines and fees from that case.
After a January 21, 2011 conviction for Possession of Stolen Vehicle Vanhoorebeke was sentenced to another seven years in IDOC and ordered to pay $329 in fines and fees, of which he has paid nothing.
At the time of his arrest, Zentz was serving a 30-month probation sentence handed him June 24, 2014 after he was convicted of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.
He still owes $140 from that case.
Vanhoorebeke was formerly charged with three counts of Felon in Possession of Weapons.
Zentz was charged with five counts of Felon in Possession of Weapons and one count of Aggravated Fleeing.
Cash bond in Vanhoorebeke’s case was set at $500.
Cash bond in Zentz’ case was set at $2,500.
Armed robbery
In an unrelated story, a Stonefort man has been charged with Armed Robbery.
Authorities say that on December 10, 2014, Jeffrey S. Townsend, 43, of 5346 Brier Creek Rd., while carrying a firearm, knowingly took approximately $7,877 in US currency from Tracey Doss by threatening imminent use of force, this in the infamous alleged bank robbery at First Southern Bank in Carrier Mills.
Townsend was one of two arrested on May 22, 2015 in connection with the armed robbery. Townsend was captured in Midland, Virginia, by FBI agents, who found him at the location 50 miles southwest of Washington, DC.
A male juvenile from rural Stonefort was also taken into custody in connection with the bank robbery; his name has not been released.
Townsend was brought back to Saline and booked into the county jail on $25,000 bond; he was scheduled for a first appearance on the charge June 18.
It remains unknown whether his alleged crime might go federal, as many bank robberies can and do.
Zirkelbach back
An Eldorado man who has already spent some time in the state prison system for driving revoked has been busted for just that.
Anthony Leo Zirkelbach, 48, of 765 Moore St., Eldorado, while driving a 1999 white Ford truck, found himself the subject of a traffic stop May 8, at 6:59 p.m., at Dewey Street and Moore Street in Harrisburg.
Subsequent to that stop Zirkelbach was taken into custody and charged with Driving Revoked.
Zirkelbach served a one-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections in 2005 after he was convicted of his second driving revoked, which he pleaded guilty in return for an additional charge of Theft being dismissed.
He still owes $1,893 in fines and fees from that case.
In 2013 he was sentenced to 40 days in the county jail and 30 months probation after being convicted of Unlawful Possession of Cannabis 30-500 grams.
Zirkelbach was released from police custody after a $150 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Gilbert Austin, of 2 North Skaggs, Apt. 501, Harrisburg.