A 15-year-old Illinois boy has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of an elderly neighbor. The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed, was taken into custody Tuesday as part of a homicide investigation, Illinois State Police announced Thursday.
The victim was identified as John Wesley Allen Sr., 78, by the St. Clair County Coroner. Authorities stated that Allen was waiting at a bus stop when he was allegedly attacked by the teenager, who was reportedly dressed in a clown costume.
Investigators identified the juvenile suspect and located him at a nearby residence, leading to his arrest. He remains in custody. Police had responded to reports of a body in the road in East St. Louis late Monday night.
Terrifying doorbell camera footage captured the masked teenager, dressed as a clown, going door-to-door in the neighborhood shortly before the fatal stabbing. In one video, the suspect appeared to whisper to the camera, "I've been looking for you." The footage was shared by a local resident whose mother's Ring camera captured the incident.
A separate neighbor reported seeing the suspect twirling a knife and believed he circled the area for about 45 minutes before law enforcement arrived. This neighbor expressed concern that the individual could have attacked anyone in the vicinity.
Allen was pronounced dead at the scene just before 11:30 p.m. Monday. Following the arrest, law enforcement officials stated that there was no remaining threat to the public. Police had been working to collect all relevant video evidence of the suspect in the clown costume.