Matthew Malleaux

A 23-year-old Sparta man was charged Tuesday, August 15, with open murder in the death of his 85-year-old grandmother.

According to police, Matthew Malleaux lived with his grandmother, Anne Parker, on Clark Street, north of 12 Mile, in Sparta. Police and medical personnel responded to the home at about 5 a.m. August 7, after her medical alarm went off. Malleaux, who had reportedly been drinking heavily, would not let the first responders inside. Sparta police officer Mark Wawrzyniak said Malleaux swore at them, told them to leave, and threw a large cement lawn statue at one of the Rockford Ambulance paramedics and hit him in the head. He then barricaded himself inside the home. Police then called for backup.

Police saw Parker lying on the floor with obvious injuries. Due to her injuries, an emergency entry was made into the residence by officers from the Sparta PD, Rockford PD and Troopers from the Rockford MSP Post. Officers had to taser Malleaux to subdue him. He was then arrested and lodged in the Kent County Correctional Facility on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, and assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer.

Parker was transported to Spectrum Hospital where she was treated for multiple blunt force injuries. She died the following day, August 8. Her injuries included a collapsed lung, dislocated shoulder, fractured left cheekbone, fractured left orbital bone, an injury to the back of her head, and bruising to her spleen and kidney.

On Tuesday, Parker’s grandson was charged with open murder in 63^rd District Court.

Court records stated that Malleaux told police he was upset about his grandmother’s medical alarm going off and that they had argued.

F/Lt. Chris McIntire, with the Michigan State Police, said in a televised interview that Parker did speak with police on scene, though he did not disclose what she told them.

“This is one of the most troubling homicides I’ve seen,” said McIntyre.

Sparta Police Andrew Milanowski agreed. “I’ve never seen one like this either. It’s troubling,” he said.

A joint investigation with the Sparta Police Department and the Michigan State Police is ongoing. Units from the Michigan State Police, Sparta Police Department, Rockford Police Department, Kent County Sheriff Department, Sparta Fire Department and Rockford Ambulance all assisted at the scene.

The last murder that occurred in Sparta was in 2004, when 23-year-old Julia Dawson was murdered by her husband Timothy Dawson. He then dumped her body in Pierson. He is serving life in prison for the crime.

Lavelle Butler

Roberto House

Jermaine Traylor

An alert pharmacist tripped up three men who traveled from Illinois to Sparta last week to fill a fraudulent prescription.

According to Sparta Police Chief Andrew Milanowski, three men from out of state were arrested on Friday, February 10, by the Sparta Police Department for Conspiracy to Obtain a Controlled Substance by Fraud.

The three men were stopped by a Sparta Police Officer after one of them attempted to get phenergan with codeine and amoxicillin from the false prescription.  The suspect fled the pharmacy before obtaining any items.

“I want to point out that these suspects would not have been caught had it not been for an alert and suspicious Pharmacist,” said Milanowski.

The  prescription was reportedly phoned in, and the pharmacist thought it was suspicious, and phoned the doctor who supposedly prescribed it. When one of the men came in to pick it up, the pharmacist tried to stall him, but the man left.

The three men are identified as Lavelle Butler, age 25 of Riverdale, Illiniois; Roberto House, age 23 of Chicago, Illinois; and Jermaine Traylor, age 23 also of Chicago, Illinois.

Jermaine Traylor faces the charges of: Conspiracy to Obtain a Controlled Substance by Fraud; Possession of Marijuana; Driving on a Suspended License; and Providing false information (his name) to a police officer. He is also being held on an extradition warrant out of the state of Illinois for failing to appear in court for similar prescription fraud charges. Bond was set at $25,000.

Lavelle Butler faces the charge of Conspiracy to Obtain a Controlled Substance by Fraud. Bond was set at $20,000.

Roberto House faces the charge of Conspiracy to Obtain a Controlled Substance by Fraud. Bond was set at $20,000.

Sparta Police are looking for the suspect that robbed the Sparta Hometown Pharmacy, at 11 S. State  about 2:35 a.m. Friday morning, May 13.

Chief Andrew Milanowski said they are looking for a white male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches, 200 pounds.

The suspect entered the building by smashing out the front glass door. The alarm was activated and by the time police responded minutes later the suspect was already gone.

Surveillance video was made available, and the police are asking for help to identify the suspect.

Tips can be called into the Sparta Police Dispatch line at 616-887-7331 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345, they also maybe given on line at Silentobserver.org or the Sparta Police Department Facebook page @ WWW.facebook.com/spartamichiganpolice.

Corey Steven Robach

Joel Francis Thompson

The Sparta Police and Kent County Sheriff Department arrested two suspects this week for the armed robbery that occurred on January 12 at 10 p.m. at the AGO gas station, 560 E. Division Street, in Sparta.

Two suspects entered the store, with one pulling a gun on the clerk, and the other watching the door. Video surveillance was distributed to the media to help identify the suspects.

According to Police Chief Andrew Milanowski, they arrested Joel Francis Thompson, 23, of Wayland, and Corey Steven Robach, 25, of Sparta, after an extensive investigation by Sparta Police Officer Natashia Smith and Detective Porter from the Kent County Sheriff Department.

Thompson was reportedly the gunman, and Robach watched the door.

Both men were charged with armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Thompson was arraigned Wednesday, February 25, and Robach will be arraigned Thursday, February 26. Bond was set at $250,000.

Thompson is being charged as a habitual offender. He was a parolee, and previously served time for first-degree home invasion, and resisting arrest.

David Steiger

Dad charged with child abuse

A Sparta man has been charged with first-degree child abuse of his 20-day-old son.

According to Sparta Police officer David Price, the baby was taken to the hospital on June 30 for inconsolable crying. Doctors at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital diagnosed the newborn with 19 broken bones.

The baby’s father, David Steiger, 19, told police that he remembered pushing the baby’s legs until he heard a pop in the left leg. He was reportedly changing the baby’s diaper and said the baby seemed fine after that. He also admitted the baby fell off the couch while he was caring for him. He had no reason for the other injuries, telling authorities he might have caused them but didn’t know because he had blacked out.

“We have no knowledge of what would have caused him to black out,” said Officer Price.

Steiger was arrested on July 3, even before the warrant was issued. “We wanted to act quickly because we knew he had ties to Georgia and considered him a potential flight risk,” said Price. He explained Steiger has only lived in Sparta for two years.

Steiger was arraigned on Friday, July 5 on one charge of first-degree child abuse, and bond was set at $100,000 cash or surety bond. He could face up to life in prison if convicted. “The penalty is just as serious as a murder charge,” noted Price.

Police do not consider the baby’s mother a suspect in the case.