UPDATE: East Moline Officers responded to the 200 block of 30th Ave. March 18 at approximately 9:41 p.m. to locate a stolen white Nissan Sentra from an alert from an Automated License Plate Reader Cameras. Officers were advised by dispatch the stolen vehicle was associated with Jacob E. Martin, who was wanted on numerous outstanding warrants.
Officers did not find the stolen vehicle at the initial site and then went to the area where Martin’s mother resides in East Moline. Officers found the stolen Nissan unoccupied in the 500 block of 17th Ave. Officers made contact at the mother’s residence, and Martin surrendered. He was taken into custody and transported to the Rock Island County Jail on the following warrants:
- Burglary out of Warren County
- Aggravated battery out of Knox County
- Possession of a stolen vehicle out of Rock Island County
- Possession of a stolen vehicle out of Rock Island County
- Possession of a stolen vehicle out of Rock Island County
- Burglary to a motor vehicle out of Rock Island County
An additional charge of possession of a stolen vehicle was filed March 20 with the Rock
Island County States Attorney’s Office. The Rock Island County Sheriff’s Department, Rock Island County States Attorney’s Office, and the QCOMM Dispatch Center assisted with this incident.
UPDATE: Jacob Martin was taken into custody by the East Moline Police Department on Saturday, March 18, according to a post on the Rock Island Police Department’s Facebook page. No further details are available at this time.
EARLIER: A 20-year-old fugitive, wanted by Rock Island police, drove a stolen vehicle and crashed an officer’s squad car Thursday night.
On Thursday, March 16, 2023 at approximately 6:31 p.m., Rock Island Police observed a stolen Honda CRV being driven in the 800 block of 11th Avenue. The driver of the stolen vehicle, 20-year-old Jacob Martin, recklessly followed the officer’s marked squad car, attempting to intentionally cause an accident and to provoke a vehicle pursuit, police said Friday.
Despite the officer’s attempt to avoid the situation, Martin re-engaged the officer in the 1100 block of 13th Avenue and intentionally struck the driver’s side of the squad car, endangering the officer’s life and causing significant damage to the squad car, police said.
A pursuit was authorized and officers pursued Martin through Rock Island and onto the Rock
Island-Milan Parkway where speeds exceeded 100 miles per hour. Due to the inclement
weather, wet roadways and increased potential for serious injury, officers reduced their speed,
losing sight of Martin’s stolen vehicle.
(Video courtesy of Rock Island Police Department)
Over the past seven months, Martin has engaged in numerous attempts to provoke officers into
pursuing him, often times swerving directly at officers on foot or in a squad car, police said. In addition to the aggravated assault charges being sought in this recent incident, Martin currently has several active warrants for his arrest:
• Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapons – Motor Vehicle Theft – No Bond
• Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Police Officer – Unlawful Possession of Vehicle Part Knowing it to be Stolen – Bond: $50,000
• Burglary to Motor Vehicle – Bond: $15,000
• Aggravated Assault – Use of Motor Vehicle – Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts or Accessories – Bond: $50,000
• Unlawful Possession of Vehicle Parts knowing to be stolen – Bond: $75,000
Martin has an extensive criminal history, is known to carry weapons and should be considered a
dangerous fugitive, police said. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts is asked to contact the Rock Island Police Department at 309-732-2677 or Crime Stoppers at 309-762-9500 or use the P3 Tips app.
