PEORIA, Illinois — Peoria Police arrested 33-year-old Ishmiel D. Gates on April 4, 2025, following a home invasion at 7:27 a.m. in the 1200 block of SW St. Martin Drive, where he allegedly kicked in a front door, stole a vehicle, and fled. Using a License Plate Reader, officers located the stolen vehicle in the 400 block of W. Hansler, but when they approached, Gates sped off at high speed. Police did not pursue due to safety concerns.
Gates lost control during his escape, crashing into a house in the 1500 block of W. Wilcox, then fled on foot. No one inside the home was injured. After a brief foot chase, officers apprehended him near the Gale WB ramp of I-74. Gates faces charges including resisting police, home invasion, domestic battery, criminal damage to property, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, burglary, aggravated fleeing, reckless driving, and traffic violations. He was booked into Peoria County Jail, with the incident logged as PPD Incident #25-6002.
Peoria, a city of about 110,000, has seen a rise in violent crime—city data shows a 5% increase in home invasions from 2023 to 2024, often in neighborhoods like St. Martin Drive, a residential area near downtown. The use of License Plate Readers highlights the role of technology in modern policing, but Gates’ reckless actions, including crashing into a home, raise concerns about the risks of such pursuits. Some X users have questioned whether the decision not to chase might have delayed the crash, while others argue it prevented worse outcomes, referencing a 2022 Peoria chase that ended in a pedestrian injury. Tips on this or other violent crimes can be shared with Peoria Police at 309-673-4521, or anonymously via tip411 or Crime Stoppers at 309-673-9000.
