Illinois Woman Accused Of Hiding Missing Teen And Spray-Painting a Stolen Horse In Wild Police Investigation

A Chester Illinois woman is in custody at the Randolph County jail on a 48-hour investigative detention after police allegedly found a missing teen at her house and a stolen horse linked to the case. Sources say the woman, Janelle VanOtterloo, stole the teen girl’s horse, spray painted it, and made fake papers in order to disguise the horse so it couldn’t be identified.

Sources close to the investigation said VanOtterloo had been boarding the young girl’s horse and had been in contact with the minor after the horse was no longer in her care. The teen girl ran away from home and sources say she lived with VanOtterloo. VanOtterloo allegedly took the teen’s horse from its home barn and tried to hide it. She is accused of spray painting over the horse’s brand or other identifying marks and fabricating papers for it, and she allegedly also tried to move the horse to another boarding barn to hide it as police were searching for it.

Folks close to the investigation said VanOtterloo deliberately misled police and investigators by taking them to a boarding barn where the horse was not found. They also said she made fake social media accounts under other names and posted she was looking for the missing teen and horse, despite having already led investigators astray and despite the teen girl now being found at her house. One source close to the investigation says VanOtterloo later called police herself to report the teen girl was at her house.

VanOtterloo’s actions in the horse community have been questioned in the past. At the beginning of the summer, she received a citation because horses in her care were found roaming in local neighborhoods. Locals reported the animals were malnourished and were foraging for food and water. Doorbell cameras captured several incidents of the horses in the streets.

Police have not yet released what VanOtterloo might be charged with and the details of the case are not known until after the investigation is complete. The young teen girl had been found at her home, along with the alleged stolen horse. VanOtterloo is currently being held. More information will be provided by authorities once the investigation has been reviewed.

The teen is safe and unharmed, as is the horse. Sources close to the situation say children are particularly susceptible to influence from adults. The girl is also described as having a loving family. Despite being spray painted, the horse is also said to be safe and unharmed.

At this time all parties involved in this case are considered innocent until the facts are known and any allegations are proven. The information contained within this report is from people who are directly involved or otherwise closely linked to the situation, and who provided documents to support their information. More vetted information will be added as the public release by authorities is made available.