MARION COUNTY — A 34-year-old Taylorville man was sentenced Tuesday in Marion County Court to 5-years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, after he pleaded guilty to a January incident that resulted in a Centralia man being stabbed multiple times.

James Krouse (Source: MCSO)
James Krouse
(Source: MCSO)

James L. Krouse was arrested last month after Centralia police responded to a report of a stabbing. in the area of 12 and Elm streets.

Upon arrival they discovered 18-year-old Trent Gibson, of Centralia, had reportedly been stabbed multiple times in the neck and back when he tried to stop a burglary to a home by two white males in a white van and he was stabbed while trying to hold one suspect and call police. Gibson was taken to SSM St. Mary’s Health Hospital in Centralia with non-life threatening injuries and was later released.

The suspect, later identified as Krouse, reportedly ran toward the junior high and the van sped away heading east.

EMTs responding to the scene reportedly noticed a man hiding behind GenFed and alerted police, who then pursued the man to the 1000 block of South Maple Street where they ultimately apprehended Krouse.

Krouse was taken to the Marion County Jail where bail was set at $150,000. He was charged in Marion County Court with Class 3 felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and pleaded guilty to that charge Tuesday.

The case is reset for status on April 26, when the matter of restitution will be addressed.