Illinois woman charged with threatening officials

CICERO - A suburban Chicago woman has been charged with threatening public officials after authorities say she plotted to have two town officials killed.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports 76-year-old Joann Walker of Cicero was charged Sunday in Cook County court with two felony counts for threats. She also faces a charge of resisting arrest.

Prosecutors say she talked with another woman in July about recruiting a hit man to kill the Cicero town president and attorney over issues at the town's animal shelter.

Walker's son tells the newspaper that his mother has a "big mouth," but she wouldn't have had the people killed. He shouted in court that the charges are "political."

Walker is being held on $100,000 bond. Online jail records didn't indicate an attorney.