A Mt. Morris man apologized April 20 before being sentenced to prison for acting “immaturely” when he resisted arrest when confronted by police for entering the Oregon Elementary School after school hours to use a bathroom.

“I was frustrated and dehydrated,” Franklin T. Houston, 28, told Ogle County Judge Anthony Peska. “I take full responsibility and I apologize. I just ask for a chance to redeem myself.”

An Ogle County jury found Houston guilty of the Class 4 felony offense of injuring a police officer while resisting arrest and the misdemeanor offenses of resisting a police officer and disorderly conduct following a 2-day trial in February.

Jurors found Houston guilty of injuring Oregon Police Officer Breanna Wakeland as she and three other officers were attempting to take him into custody during an Aug. 22, 2025, incident near the school.

During the trial, Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Leisten said Houston displayed “erratic behavior” and left the school on his bicycle before being approached by a police officer at the Oregon Park West skate park, located west of the elementary school.

Leisten said Houston rode away from the officer, riding his bike through a nearby residential area before being stopped again at 14th Street, where he again ignored repeated demands by police to surrender.

The disorderly conduct charge accused him of alarming the school district’s cheerleading coach when she saw him sitting in a stall of a restroom in a girls locker room, claiming he was a student.

On Monday, Leisten argued that Houston, formerly of Rockford, should be sentenced to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections because of his criminal history, which included burglary convictions in Winnebago and Ogle counties.

“He has a recent history of trespass and burglary,” argued Leisten. “In this charge, officers were put at risk for serious injuries because of the defendant’s behavior when they tried to detain him. If he would have just done what he was told this would have been a misdemeanor offense.”

Leisten said a prison sentence was necessary to protect the Ogle County community.

Assistant Ogle County Public Defender Brandon Gecan said a sentence of probation was warranted, arguing that Houston left the school building when he was told to leave and had only entered the school to use a bathroom after riding his bike from Mt. Morris to Oregon to check on one of his children.

Gecan said Houston was first approached at the Oregon Park West skate park, located just west of the school, by an officer for an “investigative stop”. He said it was clear, as indicated in body camera footage, that Houston did not want to talk to police.

When more officers arrived after Houston was stopped on his bike in a nearby residential area, Gecan said Houston became more agitated when officers started walking toward him, causing him to go into a defensive “turtle-like” posture.

“He didn’t threaten physical harm to anyone,” Gecan argued on Monday, adding that Wakeland’s injuries were caused when she and the other police officers threw Houston to the ground to handcuff him. “He was just trying to protect himself. The officer had a minor injury.”

Gecan said Houston has been diagnosed with a schizophrenic-like disorder, which is controlled with medication. He said that mental health disorder caused Houston to enter properties, which resulted in trespassing and burglary charges.

“These are nonviolent crimes,” argued Gecan, referring to Houston’s past charges. “He didn’t put his hands on anyone or took anything.”

Gecan said the “voices aren’t there anymore” when Houston takes the prescribed medications and resides with “people who care”.

Gecan argued that a sentence of probation would allow Houston to move back to Rockford to live with his parents, where he would be monitored and continue treatment for his mental health disorder.

“Five years is grossly disproportional for a small cut on a thumb,” Gecan said, referring to Leisten’s suggestion of five years in prison. “He has already served 200 days in jail. I think that has been enough of an incentive for Mr. Houston.”

Reading from a written statement, Houston apologized to the school district and officers. He said he had never hurt anyone “physically or mentally” during his past offenses.

He asked Peska for a chance to prove himself if sentenced to probation again. “I will never take that freedom for granted again,” Houston said. “But I know there are always consequences for my actions.”

In examining Houston’s pre-trial sentencing report, Peska noted that he had been an honors student in English and history and appeared to be headed to college before being sidelined by mental health issues.

“When you say you were college-bound, that is an understatement,” Peska told Houston. “You are clearly an intelligent man, but something came in and sidelined your life. Sadly, that keeps reocurring. When you are locked up you are actually getting the treatment you need.”

Peska sentenced Houston to 18 months in prison with credit for 203 days already served in the Ogle County Jail.

Houston must serve 50% of that sentence before being eligible for mandatory supervised release, commonly referred to as parole.