Quad-City Times from Davenport, Iowa • 30

4M QUAD-CITY TIMES QUAD-CITY AREA Saturday, July 16. 1994 Muscatine boy drowns in pit MIS. sister were being cared for by a baby sitter at their home while their parents were out of the country, Snyder said. Austin apparently wandered off about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and went swimming in the gravel pit where the area is posted as no trespassing and swimming is prohibited, Snyder said.

A short time later, his sister saw Austin in the water. "In her mind, he might have been in distress and tried to get him back into shore, but the current was taking him out," Snyder said. "She got the baby sitter, who was trying to go in and get him when the deputy arrived and got the baby sitter out. It appeared (the baby sitter) might have been in distress, too." While the baby sitter was trying to save Austin, the sister went back home and called 911, he said. The boy's body was recovered 25-30 minutes after the 91 1 call was received.

5-year-olds parents were out of the country when it happened By Doug Schorpp QUAD-CITY TIMES MUSCATINE, Iowa A 5-year-old rural Muscatine boy has drowned in a large gravel pit south of here, Muscatine County Sheriff Lt Lowell Snyder said Friday. Austin Ballenger died Wednesday night at Muscatine General Hospital after he was pulled from 12 feet of water in the gravel pit located behind his rural Muscatine home on Stewart Road. The drowning report was withheld until Friday because Austin's parents, Butch and Cheryl Flyer Ballenger, were in Japan on business and could not immediately be reached. Snyder said the parents returned late Thursday night. Austin and his 6-year-old IS.

Grg BollQUAD-CITY TIMES Fabulous fenders Automobiles built decades ago, Including at least one that was manufactured In Mollne, are In the Quad-Cities today. More than 200 members of the Willies Overlands Knights Registry brought their cars, which were built between 1903 and 1942, to a reunion. The cars can be viewed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today In the rear parking lot of the Airport Holiday Inn Convention Center.

The cars are pictured here while they were parked Friday along the Ben Butterworth Parkway. Tipster helps police capture fugitive Victim takes on crime for himself A Davenport man got fed up with crime and personally did something about it, police said day. I About 1:15 a.m. Friday, the man heard a noise outside his home in the 2100 block of Belle Avenue. i When he looked outside, he saw three people "working" on his car.

The left rear tire was off, and the vehicle's wheel or axle had been set up on a cement block. -j After the man came outside, thei suspects ran. He gave chase and' caught up to one of them, punched him in the face and scuffled with him for awhile. Police arrived and arrested Mark i R. Baker, 17, of 3824 Woodland.

Court, Davenport. The incident re-, mains under investigation. Walcott goes back! to Jazz age today WALCOTT, Iowa You can! head back in time this weekend to the roaring '20s at the annual Wal-; cott Day Celebration. 5 Festivities will kick off today at 10 a.m. with a parade followed by a i sky-diving demonstration.

Activities will continue through- out the day with a little something for all ages. There will be kids games, a horseshoe-pitching contest, a dance, karaoke contest 1 and a sumo-wrestling competition, The arts and craft show will be held at the Wescott Park in Walcott from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Food will be served throughout the day with a ri- i beye steak dinner from p.m. Evening events will include the crowning of Miss Walcott at 6 p.m., 1 and an evening dance with Dave Dighton and a prize drawing at 9 p.m.

There is no admission. cer asked her name. Carminucci gave him a false identity, police said, but agreed to come with him Celebrate Chief Wapello Days to the police station. Before taking her away, the officer drove past the tipster, who confirmed her identity. She confessed to being wanted in I fegj when people chase down murder suspects.

But it really makes our job easier when people get involved." Carminucci had been arrested by Geneseo police on a routine traffic stop when she fled. She is charged with unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, escape and obstructing justice in that case. Her bond in Henry County is $100,000. Authorities describe her as a homeless drifter with lots of friends. She was wanted in Rock Island, Scott and Henry counties on various charges.

She previously had escaped from state authorities in Muscatine County. She is being held in Scott County on a parole violation charge. Her bail was set at $3,000. Police declined to say where Carminucci had been staying during the past few weeks or how she obtained the Audi. They nab her at adult video store By Lee Nelson QUAD-CITY TIMES This time, she didn't disappear into thin air.

Davenport police apprehended fugitive Sandra E. Carminucci early Friday in front of a 24-hour adult bookstore and video rental store. The 39-year-old woman escaped from Geneseo, 111., police June 27, stole a squad car while handcuffed and ditched the car near Oakwood Country Club in rural Coal Valley. A man who told police he knows Carminucci recognized her about 2 a.m. Friday as she drove alongside him in a gray Audi.

He followed her to the video store, and when she entered the store, he kept driving until he found an officer. As she exited the store, the offi Carminucci three counties, police said, and was immediately WAPELLO, Iowa A full slate of events is planned this weekend for the 1994 Chief Wapello Days. Today, the day begins early with a funrunwalk at 8 a.m. Registration will be from a.m. at the River Road Park in the southeast end of town.

From 7-10 a.m. a free pancake breakfast will be provided downtown in front of CC's Place. Also during the morning the White Elephant Stompers will entertain downtown from a.m., followed by the Lazy Dancers from a.m. At 10:30 a.m., the annual Chief Wapello Days Parade will begin. After the parade, the Methodist Church will sponsor a lunch, and activities for the kids will last until 3 p.m.

The kids' activities are scheduled for in front of CC's Place and will include a petting zoo, dunk tank, tattoos and other games. Other afternoon activities will include big-wheel races in front of CC's Place beginning at 12:30 p.m. Weightlifting is scheduled for 1 p.m. at River Road Park and at 2 p.m. parachute bingo at River Road Park will be held.

Rounding out the evening will be the second and final night of the Wapello-Mediapolis FFA Rodeo at the Wapello Fairgrounds. On Sunday, the annual Wapello Volunteer Fire Department Demolition Derby will be held at the Wapello Fairgrounds beginning at 3 p.m. taken to the Scott County Jail. The arrest marked the second time this week that residents have helped Davenport police capture a suspect. Wednesday night, five men tackled and held a murder suspect until police arrived.

"We're real thankful for real help like this," Lt. Mike Hammes of the Davenport Police Department said. "We worry sometimes 2 drive-by shootings, 2 arrests By Lee Nelson QUAD-CITY TIMES said, the victim's brother was a member of a gang considered a rival of McDowell's. In a separate incident at 7 p.m. Thursday, Davenport police were called to the area of 11th and Gaines streets.

They drove into Herington Park, where they saw a cloud of smoke from gunfire. A white van containing five to six males began to drive out of the park. The van doors opened, but no one got out. The vehicle began to accelerate on Warren Street, and the van stopped in the 700 block of West 12th Street. All of the suspects fled on foot, except the driver, and police pursued some of them on foot.

No weapon was found, but Marcus C. Summage, 17, of 2211 Farnam Davenport, was charged with going armed with intent, criminal gang participation and interference with official acts. An investigation into the incident continues, police said. No one was injured, but Davenport police were able to arrest suspects in two separate drive-by shootings. The first incident occurred about 3:30 p.m.

Thursday in the 800 block of Warren Street. A man and his girlfriend were working on his car when a vehicle pulled up, and an occupant fired two shots into the victim's car. Police received a description of the suspect's car and discovered it in the 1 100 block of Warren. Marvin McDowell, 17, of 720 Pershing Davenport, was arrested on charges of terrorism and criminal gang participation. He had hidden the keys to the car in his shoes when he was taken into custody, police said.

Police still are investigating the incident because there was another person in the suspect's car. Police said the shooting was a matter of gang retaliation. Apparently, they UUL3B jiVift'V-? -v 4 fQ Judge chews out bus-shooter i niMiAtti.in-WWftiV milium- By Holly A. Smith QUAD-CITY TIMES wwmm i if i and will serve the remaining 170 days of his sentence, the judge said. He also gave Wenzel 100 hours community service, supervised probation for one year, ordered him to pay restitution to the victims, court costs and attorney fees.

Defense attorney John J. Wolfe argued for a new trial, saying the jury's two verdicts were not consistent. Jurors determined Wenzel did not intend to harm anyone when they found him innocent of the assault charges, he said. Criminal mischief requires intent to damage property. Mullen disagreed, saying the jury believed the shooting was intentional, but the state failed to prove his intent to harm or frighten anyone.

CLINTON, Iowa Bryan Michael Wenzel has been admonished from possessing any guns or going hunting, even on his own property, for one year. Wenzel, 19, of Goose Lake, was sentenced Friday for fourth-degree criminal mischief for shooting at and striking a Northeast Community School District bus in November in Goose Lake. A Clinton County jury found him innocent June 28 of nine counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. There were eight children and a bus driver in the vehicle when it was hit the morning of Nov. 11.

Wenzel could have received up to a year in jail and a 1 ,000 fine. Instead, Associate District Court Judge John Mullen gave Wenzel 180 days in jail, suspending 170 days, and a $300 fine. In exchange for the shortened jail term, he gave Wenzel a tongue-lashing. He called him irresponsible and reckless and said he violated one of the primary rules of hunting knowing what is in the background before you shoot. Wenzel claimed he was shooting at some birds from the Wenzel farm.

The range of his gun included a public highway and a neighbor's homestead, Mullen said. "I don't believe that he was responsible at all," he added. If Wenzel is found with a gun in his truck, he'll be "in big trouble" More than 70 of all convicted juveniles avoid detention! Juvenile crime right here at home not in some distant city, Real stories, about real kids from your hometown. For example, did you realize that more than 70 of all convicted juvenile offenders receive probation, court supervision or some other alternative to detention? Did you also realize just 12 of twice-convicted juveniles in Rock Island County receive it i I correction notice On page 5A of the Sears Thursday, July 14, advertising section you may have received, the Motorola 3464434 (MFR. 34644) cellular phone is advertised for sale.

The disclaimer should have read "no dealers. We reserved the right to limit quantities. Except in price available to new customers who activate with listed carrier through Sears. Minimum service required. Without activation, add $300 per phone.

Available In most larger stores. See store for details." We regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers. Here's how some of your neighbors feel about the way justice should be served: 89 of Quad-Citians want stiffer penalties for juveniles. 77 of Quad-Citians believe twice-convicted juvenile offenders need detention. How do you feel? DEADEND A Special Raport On Iht Breakdown Of Juvenile Juitioi uad-Clty nrn? names.