Illinois

Police say a cabdriver didn't have any Mace or pepper spray when he was attacked by a knife-wielding passenger, so he improvised and sprayed the would-be robber in the face with an aerosol deodorant.

An elderly couple in their 70s was robbed Wednesday morning by a man wielding a hammer, the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department reported.

In the Metro East, overcrowding in the St. Clair County Jail this week meant early release for 23 prisoners Wednesday. But as of Thursday afternoon the jail was still overcrowded.

Hundreds of Illinois law enforcement agencies will join the Illinois State Police in conducting numerous additional, late-night roadside safety checks, impaired driving patrols and safety belt enforcement zones.