Clementine's Pub Patron Recovering From Knife Wounds: Friend

BOLINGBROOK, IL - Friends of a 53-year-old Bolingbrook man who was nearly stabbed to death in the parking lot of Clementine's Pub say that Pete Guhrs is now on the road of recovery. Even still, they can't understand why someone would stab him. Since the early morning hours of October 29, Rodney L. Jones of Halifax, Virginia, has remained incarcerated at Will County's jail unable to post his $100,000 bond. Last week, Jones informed a judge he did not want to be represented by a public defender, so, for now, Jones does not have a lawyer.

As it stands, the 44-year-old Jones faces three serious felonies: all counts of aggravated battery. His next appearance at the Will County Courthouse is set for November 20. A criminal complaint states that Jones "knowingly and without justification caused permanent disfigurement to Peter Guhrs in that he cut Peter Guhrs with a knife."

Additionally, the complaint states, the stabbing occurred while "Peter Guhrs was on or about a public place or accommodation or amusement namely Clementine's Pub." Clementine's is in the 300 block of North Schmidt Road in Bolingbrook.

In recent days, Patch interviewed Jeff Bonner, a friend of the stabbing victim. Bonner said he was at Clementine's during the hours preceding the stabbing. According to Bonner, Rodney Jones was also at Clem's that Saturday night. Jones played pool and sang karaoke.

"He was having a great time. He's from Virginia," Bonner said of Rodney Jones. "Nobody has ever seen him in there before."

For a good part of that last Saturday night in October, Jones played pool with Guhrs, the man he is accused of stabbing.

"He was shooting pool with Pete all night," Bonner said. "That is really a friendly bar, and he was a new guy. He was having a great time."

Bonner said that Clem's is "kind of a come as you are and nobody judges you" bar.

After midnight, Jones walked out of Clementine's. He went outside after one of the bar's customers went over to the Speedway gas station across Schmidt Road to buy cigarettes. As the customer was walking near the edge of the Clementine's parking lot over by the Speedway, Jones apparently confronted him and pulled out a six-inch-long buck knife, Bonner said.

According to Bonner, the following conversations occurred:

Jones told the customer, "Are you trying to jump me?"

The customer told Jones, "I'm not doing anything, I'm try to go to Speedway to get cigarettes."

Meanwhile, other bar patrons were outside having cigarettes, including Pete Guhrs, who overheard the arguing, confronted Rodney Jones and told him to leave.

"Rodney turned around and stabbed him almost instantly," Bonner said. "He had the knife out the whole time, and he just ran up and stabbed Pete. Pete was trying to defuse the situation, and Rodney became even more aggressive and stabbed him."

The Bolingbrook man was stabbed four times including wounds to his abdomen and his side, Bonner said.

From there, Jones ran across Schmidt Road back near Speedway. A few of the bar patrons chased after him and held Jones down until Bolingbrook squad cars arrived moments later, Bonner said. An ambulance was summoned because Guhrs had suffered life-threatening injuries.

Bonner said that his friend was at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove for a week. Guhrs was finally discharged this past weekend.

"He's got a long road ahead of him, but he's recovering," Bonner said.

Around Bolingbrook, Bonner said that Clementine's is known as a small family bar that's been owned by the same family for several decades.

"This is a major shock to the whole family at Clementine's," Bonner said. "They're a decent place and everyone tries to let off steam off, play pool and have a good time. Everyone there was just all in tears after this happened."

Main image via Google Maps, image of Rodney Jones supplied to Patch, mugshot of Rodney Jones via Will County Sheriff's Department