Rock Falls man heads to trial Aug. 12, but prosecutors yet to decide which case he will face

MORRISON — A Whiteside County judge has set Aug. 12 as the trial date for a Rock Falls man facing charges in five separate cases, including one for attempted murder.

What has yet to be determined? Prosecutors must decide by July 18 which one of Daveon Lucas’ five cases will go to trial on that date.

Lucas, 25, of Rock Falls, is accused of shooting a 28-year-old man May 28, 2024, in the 2200 block of East Lincolnway, Sterling. Police said the man had been taken by private vehicle to CGH Medical Center and later was transferred to Javon Bea Hospital–Riverside in Rockford in serious condition.

Sterling police announced the next day that an arrest warrant had been issued for Lucas. He was arrested in Markham on June 21, 2024, on charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm in connection with the shooting. An attempted murder charge was filed July 24, 2024, according to Whiteside County court records.

Lucas also is involved in two other open felony cases in Whiteside County:

• According to court records, Lucas was formally charged Jan. 2, 2024, with four felony drug charges – possession of methamphetamine, possession of meth with the intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. He was granted pretrial release in that case.
• He was charged June 18, 2024, with one count each of residential burglary, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass to a residence, with that incident alleged to have occurred April 26, 2024. Those charges came after the May 28, 2024, shooting in Sterling.

The two remaining cases are for misdemeanor charges. They include:

• A February 2023 case accusing him of obstruction of a police officer, obstructing identification, driving on a suspended license, unlawful possession of cannabis as a driver and a display plate attachment violation.
• A May 2023 case accusing him of resisting a police officer, driving on a suspended license and unlawful possession of cannabis as a driver.

Lucas has been held in the Whiteside County Jail since his June 2024 arrest. He has sought to be released from jail, according to court records, but his requests have been denied based on his admission to shooting the victim and fleeing the scene as well as his history of fighting.

While his trial date is set for Aug. 12, Lucas may yet appear in court one more time before that date. Whiteside County Judge James Heuerman set Aug. 5 as the date on which he could schedule a hearing for pretrial motions if prosecutors and defense attorneys determine it is needed.