Towner Freed After Bizarre Crime Spree In 2017

JOLIET, IL - One of the most recognizable mugshots from nearly a year ago is no longer in custody, Will County Courthouse filings show. David Towner was recently put on 30 months of court probation, given fines and sentenced to time served, which was 274 days in jail. Between August 30-September 12, 2017, the 62-year-old Towner was becoming a frequent name in the Joliet Patch. During a two-week period, the Joliet homeless man appeared in four separate arrest stories.

Incidentally, just days before his crime wave began, this Joliet Patch Editor walked right past Towner in downtown Joliet along Chicago Street, across from the Rialto. He had a look of determination on his face as he walked rather briskly and appeared to be talking with himself along the sidewalk.

Here's a sampling of our stories and summaries from last August and September:

August 31: Homeless Man Takes Out Aggression On Courthouse Flower Pots

Around 3:30 p.m., while several people were walking along Jefferson Street, Towner began removing a number of flower pots from around the Will County Courthouse. Police say he began throwing them to the ground along the sidewalk, destroying the potted plants.

September 9: Homeless Man David Towner Arrested At Auto Dealer

Around 10:30 p.m., Joliet Police picked up the 62-year-old man at the Hawk Auto dealership on West Jefferson Street. Towner was found inside a black Chevy Silverado where he was hanging out, listening to music on the radio.

September 11: David Towner Arrested At Another Joliet Auto Dealership

On Saturday night, officers found Towner inside a silver Volkswagen Beetle at the D'Arcy dealership on Essington Road. According to police, Towner had taken off his shoes and was laying across the backseat. At the time of his arrest, police said, there was no damage to the vehicle.

September 15: This Time, David Towner May Stay In Jail For A While

On Tuesday night, September 12, Joliet police say Towner approached the front counter at the Circle K gas station near Larkin Avenue and Jefferson Street. He had food and drinks in his hands. Then, he bolted out the door, according to police. Several minutes later, Joliet police officers spotted Towner over near the Joliet West High School campus. This time, Towner was charged with felony retail theft, and he ended up with a $30,000 bail.

And that was about the last time we wrote about Towner.

This week's review of his criminal court records shows that on October 10, 2017, Will County Judge Art Smigielski found Towner in direct criminal contempt of court and ordered Towner to 90 straight days in jail, with no bail. "The defendant swore at the judge calling the judge a swear word. The defendant is held in direct contempt," court records state.

On January 26, 2018, Judge Daniel Kennedy signed an order determining that Towner was found mentally unfit to stand trial for his slew of misdemeanor and felony criminal cases.

Another mental health fitness evaluation was to performed by May 31. As a result of that secondary exam, "the court finds defendant fit to stand trial. Defendant is removed from Department of Human Services custody and remanded to the Will County Adult Detention Facility." (Court records indicate Towner had been staying at the Chester Mental Health Center in Chester, Illinois for inpatient treatment.)

Finally, on June 26, a total of five separate criminal cases involving Towner were resolved under a plea bargain. He pleaded guilty to a felony retail theft, a Class 4 felony. Besides being sentenced to time served, which was more than nine months incarceration, Towner received 30 months of court probation, court fines and costs as well as several stipulations upon his return to society.

• Towner must have no contact with the Circle K gas station on Joliet's Jefferson Street
• Towner must have no contact with any D'Arcy Motors locations on Jefferson and Essington Streets
• Towner must have no contact with any Walmart stores in Will County

Court records indicate Towner, now 63, is back in Romeoville, where he used to live. This time he is staying in the 1900 block of Ashbrooke Road.

Mugshots of David Towner via Will County Sheriff's Department