A 59-year-old Alton man is facing felony charges after prosecutors say he attacked two people with a glass bottle inside a local grocery store and made off with one victim's cellphone. Timothy D. Weddle was charged on Oct. 14 with one Class 2 felony count of robbery and two Class 3 felony counts of aggravated battery, stemming from an alleged altercation in August at Farm Fresh.
The charges stem from an incident on Aug. 12 when Weddle allegedly knowingly caused bodily harm to two individuals while in a public place at Farm Fresh, located at 3201 Fosterburg Road in Alton, according to RiverBender.com. The outlet reports that an Alton man accused of attacking two people at Farm Fresh and robbing one of their cellphones now faces multiple felony charges.
Confrontation Began in a Checkout Line
According to the state's petition, two victims told police they were standing in line to purchase merchandise at Farm Fresh when they spotted a male subject with whom they had prior conflicts. That subject was allegedly Weddle, and what followed quickly escalated into violence in full view of other shoppers.
The state's petition states that Weddle attacked the first victim, then turned on the second victim when that person tried to intervene. Per the same petition, Weddle allegedly brandished a glass bottle that appeared intended as a weapon during the confrontation.
Witnesses, Including a Child, Saw the Attack
The petition states that the incident occurred in front of numerous customers, including a small child, inside the busy grocery store. During the struggle, a victim's cellphone fell to the ground, and Weddle allegedly stole it from the floor amid the chaos, per the state's petition.
The altercation was reportedly captured on video, though the footage itself was not made public as part of the available charging information. The Alton Police Department presented the case against Weddle, which led to the felony charges filed earlier this month.
Jailed Pending Initial Court Appearance
Weddle was ordered remanded to jail for his initial court appearance in the case, per the charging information. As with anyone facing criminal charges, Weddle is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Court records, including any future hearing dates or case developments, can be searched by name or case number through the Madison County Circuit Clerk. No case number, bond amount, or further disposition had been made available at the time of reporting.
