URBANA POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

Date and Time of Press Release: February 6, 2018 10:30 a.m.

Date and Time of Incident: January 19, 2018 2:25 a.m.
Incident: Home Invasion, Aggravated Battery with a Firearm
Location: 1300 Block of West Bradley, Urbana, IL

On January 19, 2018 at approximately 2:31 a.m., Urbana police officers were dispatched to a report of a
shooting at a residence in the 1300 block of West Bradley in Urbana. Officers arrived a short time later
and found a 34-year-old resident of the house with a gunshot wound to his hand.

Urbana patrol officers and detectives ultimately learned that at approximately 2:25 a.m. the offender
entered the house through a window. The victim heard the noise and went to investigate. The victim was
confronted by the offender, who immediately fired a shot at him that struck him in the hand. The victim
and offender fought inside of the house. During the fight, several more shots were fired. Ultimately, the
offender retreated and exited the house through the same window that he entered through. The victim
was ultimately transported to a local hospital, has undergone a surgery to repair the injury to his hand,
and has since been released.

As a result of additional investigative efforts, it was determined that the offender in the case was George
F. Roark, a 22-year-old Savoy man. Roark was a subject known to the victim, who identified him to
detectives after the incident. On January 26, 2018, a Champaign County arrest warrant was issued for
Roark. The arrest warrant charged Roark with Home Invasion and set the bond at $500,000.

Since the issuance of the arrest warrant, Urbana police detectives have been coordinating with the United
States Marshals Service Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force. Urbana police detectives determined that
Roark was likely in the Murfreesboro, Tennessee area. The Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force coordinated
with the Nashville office of the United States Marshals Service.

On February 6, 2018 at approximately 5:30 a.m., deputies and fugitive task force officers from the
Nashville US Marshals Service office located Roark in the 1300 block of Old Lascassas Road in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Roark was arrested and ultimately transported to the Rutherford County Jail
in Murfreesboro. He is awaiting extradition back to Champaign County on the arrest warrant.

The investigation on the incident is ongoing. Anyone with further information is encouraged to call the
Urbana Police Department at 217-384-2320. Callers may remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers
at 217-373-TIPS, submit a tip on the Champaign County Crime Stoppers website
(champaigncountycrimestoppers.com), or submit a tip on the free P3 Tips app which is available in
iTunes and Google Play app stores.

As with all cases, the fact that a person has been charged with a crime does not necessarily indicate guilt,
and all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Lt. Richard Surles

Criminal Investigations Division
######