Alton, IL - An Alton man and woman were cited with violating the city fireworks ordinance for their alleged parts in the July 4 fireworks disturbance at Oakwood Estates housing complex.

The man, Dequan D Searles, 19, of the 3100 block of Lawn Street in the Alton Acres public housing complex, formerly had been charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct on July 20. A judge had set bond of $3,000 for that charge.

Subsequent to that charge, on July 23, the city cited Searles and Lucie M. Pigee, 54, of the 700 block of Oakwood Road in Oakwood Estates, with violating the city fireworks ordinance.

The ordinance violation complaints say Searles possessed and discharged bottle rockets and Roman candles, and that Pigee had purchased and possessed those two types of fireworks. The complaint against Pigee does not say whether she provided fireworks to Searles.

The Madison County Circuit Court was to issue summonses to Searles and Pigee.

Police said three juveniles also are facing charges related to the incident, but their names and other information are not being released because of their status as minors.

The citations and charges follow an investigation by police and Alton Housing Authority officials, which included their spending three to four hours evaluating images on videotapes taken by surveillance cameras of the melee on July 4 and 5.

Authorities claimed people in the crowd of hundreds that had gathered at Oakwood started a large trash receptacle on fire a total of four times on July 4 and 5. Late July 4 and early July 5, some of the people also shot fireworks at responding firefighters and at police who were checking out fireworks reports and attempting to assist firefighters.

Police used pepper-ball guns to quell the crowd. The mob then left behind a mass of fireworks debris and beer bottles, among other trash strewn across the housing complex grounds.

AHA officials said they were in the process of evicting two families for their members' or guests' fireworks-related actions. In addition to the arrests, three residents are being evicted. A third family also allegedly involved in shooting fireworks already is being evicted for other reasons.

After the incident, police began conducting additional patrols of government low income public housing complex.