BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Officers have taken a suspect into custody who
they believe invaded the home of a Belleville woman and sexually
assaulted her, the city's police department said.

Prosecutors charged Tyrone Smith, of St. Louis, with a slew of
felony charges including home invasion, criminal sexual assault,
aggravated battery, burglary, and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Smith was transported from a hospital in Springfield, Illinois where
he was undergoing medical treatment to a St. Clair County jail.

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Police were dispatched to a home near the intersection of A and 20th
streets Tuesday afternoon after a home invasion 911 call, the
department said. The caller met police at the scene, saying they
discovered a woman at the residence.

The victim, in her 60s, told police that an unknown man forced his
way inside her home, battered her, and sexually assaulted her,
officers said. The man then took several items from her home, took
her car and left the scene.

Police said they believe there is no connection between Smith and
the victim.

"This is kind of a worst nightmare type scenario for a victim,
particularly a female victim of crime," Belleville Police Lt. Col.
Mark Heffernan said.

The victim's car was later involved in a crash in Shelby County.

This attack shocked the entire street. One neighbor told 5 On Your
Side that she saw police activity Tuesday afternoon.

"We were just sitting there and I was waiting for my daughter to
come up from school, and we looked up and we just saw cars down the
road. They were unmarked. I'm like, 'What is going on?' Belleville
resident Tammy Clover asked. "You know, there was a police car and
then there was just a bunch of commotion over there. We saw them
going in and out of the house," she added.

Once neighbors found out what happened, they said they were shocked
and uneasy.

"We were just talking (Wednesday), me and a neighbor, and she was
like, 'I'm actually at the store right now where I'm buying
something so you can't see through my windows.' So changing
different things and try to make sure we're all protected," Clover
said.

She said they all do a pretty good job looking out for each other
and have never had anything like this happen on their street.

"We were also discussing adding more Ring doorbell cameras to keep
people safe," Clover said.

Police said they believe Smith may be involved in additional
felonies in Missouri.

"Belleville detectives continue to work several leads and advocate
for the victim in this heinous crime," the department said. "If
anyone has information related to this case, please contact
Belleville police or CrimeStoppers."

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime/belleville-home-invasion-
sexual-assault/63-f6eb60da-68da-4bd8-9905-e736179ff146