PEKIN, Ill. – A Pekin man is facing several charges, including disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property, after he allegedly was walking through the downtown area naked.
True Barbershop has been on Court Street in Pekin for two years. Wednesday evening, the salon was defaced in a very unusual way.
Owner Jeremy Clem tells 25 News, his employees recall the incident happening around 6:30 p.m.
The barber said that in the salon, they saw a grown man defecating on the sidewalk near the business. Clem said one of his employees stepped out to tell him to stop, but that’s when the man ran towards the shop and started banging on the door.
According to Clem, the man left all his clothes, fecal matter, and a 125-year-old front door broken, which Clem said cost thousands of dollars.
The Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Brent Wells.
“We bring 600 people a week to downtown Pekin, through [the barbershop], in and out every single day. Now they’re coming to a broken door and s*** on the windows, so we’re frustrated,” said Clem.
Deputies arrested Wells before he was taken to a local hospital for treatment by ambulance.
Wells is facing three misdemeanor charges and two felonies, which include aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, as well as threatening an officer. However, deputies released Wells with a notice to appear.
Clem believes the notice to appear won’t stop Wells from coming back.
“He’s out. If he comes back [Thursday night] and breaks out my window, I just put more boards up I guess,” Clem said.
Clem sees substance use as a problem on his stretch of Court Street quite often, which makes it hard to run a shop.
Surrounding business owners said it’s better than it used to be. While they feel for Clem, they also said they’re glad the naked man didn’t target any other businesses.
“It’s making me rethink opening a business here to be honest,” Clem said.
Clem is frustrated that nobody from the City of Pekin reached out to offer any kind of support after Wednesday night’s incident. He plans to speak up at the next city council meeting.
