Champaign man charged with stabbing, robbing another
Apr. 19—URBANA — A Champaign man was arraigned this week on charges accusing him of stabbing another man, stealing his phone and debit card, then walking him to a local hospital.
Champaign County Judge Brett Olmstead ruled that Joshua L. Williams, 43, must remain in jail ahead of his trial on charges of armed robbery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and possession of a controlled substance.
Assistant State's Attorney Brooke Hinman said authorities became involved when a man with a stab wound in the left flank of his back was dropped off around 9:30 p.m. April 8 at a local hospital.
The victim gave police multiple inconsistent statements about what happened, first saying he fell and did not want to get the other person in trouble, then saying he had been drinking and using cocaine with Williams about two hours earlier.
The victim said the two were in his apartment listening to music when he said something that upset Williams, Hinman said. He said Williams said he was feeling psychotic and pulled out a paring knife and a hunting knife.
The victim said he tried to leave, but an altercation that he described as a "tussle" ensued. He could not recall what exactly happened during the fight but said Williams pushed him into a window, causing it to break, then stabbed him, Hinman said.
The victim said Williams told him to sit on the floor and kicked him in the face, Hinman said, then told the victim to sit still and took his cellphone and debit card.
The victim then said he was not feeling well and needed medical attention, Hinman said, and Williams then walked with him to a local hospital. The victim allegedly identified Williams on surveillance video from the hospital.
Police went to the victim's apartment and located a broken window and bloodstains. When officers arrested Williams on Sunday, they found a knife, a substance that field-tested positive for cocaine and the victim's debit card on him, Hinman said.
Williams allegedly told police he had pushed the victim into the window because the victim owed him money and he was angry about it.
Williams told police he took the phone and debit card for collateral but denied stabbing the victim and said the victim had been holding the knife and slipped on the floor and stabbed himself, Hinman said.
Hinman noted a that pre-sentence investigation report showed Williams has struggled with drug addiction since his teens and was sober for a year before he relapsed in December.
The prosecutor argued that holding Williams in jail is the only way to ensure he won't use drugs again and pose a danger to the community.
Williams' attorney, Public Defender Peter Ladwein, argued his client should be able to await trial outside of jail, noting that the victim has credibility issues, Williams has no history of violent crimes, and walking the victim to the hospital is not a sign of guilty behavior.
If convicted of armed robbery, a Class X felony, Williams faces six to 30 years in prison. He is next scheduled to appear in court in May.
