(Peoria, IL)
Wednesday, August 2, 2023, at approximately 10:00 a.m. Peoria Police and Peoria Fire responded to a house fire in progress in the 1000 block of W. Gift.
When officers arrived, they observed multiple people exiting the residence. Several of the subjects were known as frequent squatters.
While Peoria Fire Fighters were extinguishing the fire, Peoria Police detained several individuals.
One of the subjects, identified as 46-year-old Augustine B. Young, fled the scene on foot but was eventually apprehended after a brief struggle with police. Young was arrested for Obstructing Identification, Resisting Police, Attempting to Disarm an Officer, and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Another subject, identified as 27-year-old Nija Redden, was arrested without incident for Obstructing Justice, Obstructing Identification, and an outstanding warrant.
The owner of the residence, 37-year-old Randy C. Harvey, was subsequently arrested for Criminal Housing Management.
All three subjects were transported to the Peoria County Jail.
If you have any information on any other investigations, call the Peoria Police Department at 673-4521, Tip411 (anonymous), or Crime Stoppers (anonymous) at 673-9000.
**All suspects and arrestees are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. **