JERSEYVILLE – A domestic dispute between two armed relatives from Jerseyville has lead to domestic battery and weapon charges against both individuals.
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James R. England, 33, of Jerseyville, was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated assault/discharge firearm, both Class 4 felonies, on July 15, 2025. He was also charged with a Class A misdemeanor count of domestic battery/bodily harm.
England allegedly “endangered the bodily safety of several people in the immediate area” by firing a weapon in a reckless manner, with charging documents stating “the projectile could have struck and injured or killed any of the persons” in the area. He is accused of firing the weapon during an assault on a family member, Dylen J. Bauza, who he also reportedly struck about the face and body with his fist.
Bauza, 23, also of Jerseyville, was charged on July 15, 2025 with a Super Class 3 felony count of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and a Class A misdemeanor count of domestic battery/bodily harm.
Bauza allegedly struck England about the face and body with his fists on July 15, 2025. He is accused of possessing a SCCY CPX2 9mm semi-automatic pistol during the attack, which was unlawful for him to possess as a convicted felon under Illinois law. Charging documents note the gun had “an extended magazine with a partially loaded live round of ammunition.”
The Jersey County State’s Attorney’s Office filed petitions to deny pretrial release for both Bauza and England. Both petitions state: “The defendant’s lawless conduct resulted in a 911 call to the home involving a firearm and multiple agencies responded.”
Court records indicate the state’s petition regarding Bauza was denied on July 16, 2025, as the state failed to meet the burden of proof that no condition other than detainment could mitigate the threat posed by Bauza. Instead, he was granted pretrial release from custody and is subject to electronic GPS monitoring.
England was ordered detained pending a hearing on the state’s petition to deny his pretrial release, which is set for Aug. 20, 2025. He surrendered his FOID card to the Jersey County Circuit Clerk’s Office on July 16, 2025.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
