The 48-year-old, along with two men from Cairo, were found inside a broken-down vehicle in northern Illinois.
LEE COUNTY , Ill. - A Dothan man is currently sitting in a jail on the other side of the country after being arrested on multiple charges involving drugs, weapons and the possession of an explosive device.
, deputies with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office while driving around rural Amboy, located in the northern part of the state near Rockford and Chicago and around 900 miles away from the Wiregrass, spotted a broken-down vehicle with a Georgia license plate on the evening of Friday, January 16. One deputy stopped to assist the stranded car and the occupants inside, including 48-year-old Ruben Perez of Dothan as well as 52-year-old Dennis Weaver and 56-year-old Michael Whigham, both from Cairo, Georgia. While speaking with the three men, the Lee County deputy was able to spot several items in plain sight inside the car that are normally used for ingesting narcotics. A deeper investigation into the vehicle was launched, which uncovered not only drugs and related paraphernalia, but also weapons and evidence that pointed to an explosive inside the car. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad was called in to assist in securing the explosive device and with the overall investigation.Perez was booked on several charges, including:Unlawful possession of ammunition by a felonRuben Perez of Dothan, Alabama, was arrested in Lee County, Illinois and charged with several counts, including the possession of an explosive device.In addition to these charges, a nationwide warrant was also active for Perez out of Alabama for larceny. According to Houston County court records, Perez failed to appear for court proceedings on charges from 2022 of possessing burglar tools and breaking into a vehicle, which resulted in a judge issuing the fugitive warrant. Both Weaver and Whigham were each charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, with Weaver also charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.Dennis Weaver and Michael Whigham of Cairo, Georgia, were also arrested on drug-related charges.Perez remains held in the Lee County Jail and is awaiting his first court appearance. It is unclear at this time if and when Perez would be extradited back to Alabama to face his larceny charge. Download the WTVY News4 app to get alerts and stories the moment they are published. Available for FREE in the
Dothan Arrest Illinois Arrest Alabama Arrest Amboy Illinois Arrest Amboy Arrest Amboy Bomb Arrest Amboy Explosive Arrest Illinois Bomb Arrest Illinois Explosive Arrest Ruben Perez Bomb Ruben Perez Ruben Perez Explosive Lee County Lee County Illinois Lee County Sheriff Lee County Sheriff's Office Winnebago County Winnebago County Illinois Winnebago County Bomb Squad Bomb Squad Cairo Cairo Georgia Dothan Alabama Lee County Jail Lee County Jail Illinois Lee County Illinois Explosive WTVY WTVY News4 WTVY News 4 WIFR WIFR Rockford WIFR Rockford Illinois WIFR Illinois
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