Torrential rainfall over several days has led to widespread flooding across the region. Lone Wolff Park is heavily flooded, with water levels rising over a foot in some areas, submerging walkways and fields. Woodlands Sports Park is also shut down, with fields underwater and only the tops of parking markers visible. Roads near Dardenne Creek and other low-lying areas are underwater, and flood watches remain in effect for most counties in the region.
In St. Charles, 33-year-old Dominique K. Black has been charged with multiple felonies after allegedly breaking into a woman’s home on DePaula Trail and stabbing her 11 times in the face, neck, and stomach. The attack occurred on March 29 around 2:20 p.m. Following the assault, Black reportedly stole the victim’s vehicle and crashed into another car during his escape. Police found the abandoned vehicle and the victim’s phone about three miles away roughly an hour later, and Black was arrested nearby. The 37-year-old victim was hospitalized for her injuries. Black faces charges including first-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action, burglary, and vehicle theft.
A 62-year-old man, Darryl Saddler, has been charged with multiple felonies after allegedly kidnapping a 74-year-old woman from the Hollywood Casino parking garage in Maryland Heights. Saddler reportedly forced his way into her vehicle at gunpoint, demanded money, and instructed her to drive to an ATM while threatening her life. Demonstrating quick thinking, the woman drove to a busy QuikTrip gas station in St. Charles, where Saddler followed her inside. She withdrew $500 but refused to return to the car, prompting Saddler to flee with her vehicle and the cash. Police quickly responded, found the abandoned vehicle, and arrested Saddler within 40 minutes. He is now held on a $100,000 cash-only bond and faces charges including kidnapping, armed robbery, and unlawful firearm possession.
A 54-year-old man, Adam Christoph, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the death of his 79-year-old mother, Keren Cleary, in Lake St. Louis, Missouri. Police were called to conduct a welfare check at Cleary’s home on Salisbury Court around 11 a.m. Saturday and, with the help of a neighbor who had a key, entered the locked residence. Inside, they found Cleary dead with apparent stab wounds. Christoph was arrested out of state, and the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis is actively investigating the case, with the official cause of death still pending.
A 57-year-old man from O’Fallon drowned after his car entered flooded waters in Howell Creek near Missouri Avenue around 6 p.m. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the man exited the car at an unknown time and was later found deceased by the West Plains Fire Department around 10 p.m. His car has not yet been recovered from the floodwaters. The West Plains Police Department is also investigating the incident. The Victim’s name has not been released.