PEORIA, Ill. – Two teenagers were indicted on Tuesday in connection with the death of a tow yard employee in June.
A Peoria County grand jury indicted 18-year-old Terrance Shaw and 16-year-old Jaylin Polnitz on one count of first-degree murder in connection with the June 9 death of 70-year-old William Collier at Billy Jo’s Towing in South Peoria.
Collier was hit by the gate at the tow yard as Shaw and Polnitz sped through it after stealing a vehicle off the lot.
Both teens face up to 100 years in prison if they’re convicted.
Last month, Peoria County Judge Mark Gilles ordered Shaw remain in jail pending the outcome of his case. Polnitz was released with conditions including an enforced curfew, being required to wear a GPS ankle bracelet, not being able to leave home without a guardian, and not being allowed to contact anyone involved in the case.
Peoria Police were called to the tow yard around 4 p.m. on June 9, on W. Lincoln Avenue, on reports of a stolen vehicle.
When officers arrived, witnesses said two men, allegedly Shaw and Polnitz, hit two employees who were trying to close the gate as they went through it at a high rate of speed.
Surveillance video later showed both teens getting out of a vehicle before running into the tow yard, stealing a car, and busting through the gate.
William Collier was on the other side of the gate when it hit him. He later died at a hospital from his injuries. Another employee suffered only minor injuries in the incident.
Peoria Police later found the stolen vehicle on S. Warren Street abandoned.
Shaw and Polnitz are both scheduled to appear in court again on July 10.
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