Peoria Standard

August 7, 2024, Peoria, IL – Jerry M. Watson, 42, has been charged with Armed Habitual Criminal, and his girlfriend, Renee A. Cipolla, 45, has been charged with Obstructing Justice following a shooting incident inside Big Al’s last month. The State’s Petition to Detain for Watson was granted during today’s detention hearing, meaning he will remain in custody until trial. Cipolla was not eligible for detention.

Around 3:30 am on July 21, police were called to the 400 block of SW Jefferson on a report of shots fired inside the business. Witnesses informed officers that a fight had broken out and someone pulled out a gun and shot twice into the air. The club's manager, Cipolla, told detectives the next day that the video system’s memory was full and the video of the shooting was automatically deleted. Detectives contacted the IT company contracted by the business; they refuted Cipolla’s statement about auto-deletion and indicated that Cipolla had asked them how she could delete the video from the system. Detectives seized the video system and were able to recover the deleted footage. In that video, a male identified as Watson is seen pulling out a gun and firing it into the air.

This investigation is ongoing. If you have information regarding this incident, please contact the Peoria Police Department at 309-673-4521.