Local News

Bethalto Man Charged with First-Degree Murder

Wed, 25 Jul 2018 13:39:40 CDT

A Bethalto man is facing murder charges after he allegedly drove a vehicle into a group of people early Sunday morning, killing one and injuring another.

Caleb Lenhardt, 21, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of Failure to Report a Traffic Crash Involving Personal Injury or Death, and one count of Aggravated Battery for his role in the incident.

At around 3 a.m. Sunday, the Alton Police responded to the scene in the 400 block of Belle Street after a vehicle had driven into a group of people in a parking lot. Katie Bunt, 21 was killed when Lenhardt's car allegedly struck her. Another woman, identified as 25-year-old Ashley Allgood, was taken to an area hospital for treatment of injuries she suffered as a result of the collision.

According to the investigation, Lenhardt failed to report the crash to authorities and instead fled the scene in his vehicle at first, and then on foot. He was later located by an Alton Police K-9 Unit. Bond has been set at $1 million.