Lake and McHenry County Scanner

Buffalo Grove Police Department welcomes therapy dog to work alongside department social worker

Posted: 23 Apr 2022 04:56 PM PDT

Gus, a 4-year-old therapy dog, is joining the Buffalo Grove Police Department. | Provided Photo

The Buffalo Grove Police Department announced they are adding a therapy dog to work alongside their department’s social worker.

The Village of Buffalo Grove said in a social media post on Wednesday that they were welcoming Gus to the Buffalo Grove Police Department.

Gus is a four-year-old white Labrador Retriever Standard Poodle mix.

Gus will work with the police department's social worker Brittany Wilson, the village said.

The two will make positive connections in the community by helping with victims' advocacy, mental health and trauma response.

Gus will also be a valuable resource to first responders who may be dealing with job-related stress and will offer additional support to members of the department in their overall wellness, the village said.

Gus is a graduate of Paws & Stripes College, a comfort and therapy dog obedience program.

The program is run through the Brevard County, Florida Sheriff's Office and is free of charge to police departments.

The program represents a second chance for both the dogs, who are all shelter rescues, and carefully selected and trained county jail inmates, who serve as trainers.

The Highland Park Police Department also recently received a dog through the Paws & Stripes College.

Highland Park Chief of Police Lou Jogmen said their new highly-trained walker hound, Vinny Duke, has already been on a couple of calls and is living at the police station.

Vinny Duke will primarily focus on situations where he can reduce stress and fear in individuals who have been victims of a crime or other emergency situation.

7 years in prison for Lake in the Hills woman convicted of 6th DUI while driving on revoked license

Posted: 23 Apr 2022 04:02 PM PDT

Tammy J. Newsome, 58, of Lake in the Hills.

A Lake in the Hills woman has been sentenced to seven years in prison after she was convicted of driving under the influence for her sixth time while driving on a revoked license.

Tammy J. Newsome, 58, of the 0-100 block of Walnut Grove Court in Lake in the Hills, was indicted by a grand jury on four counts of aggravated driving under the influence and one count of driving with a revoked license.

In April 2018, Newsome was arrested in Lake in the Hills after officers found her driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, according to court documents.

Newsome had five prior violations for driving under the influence at the time.

The five prior violations were committed in Cook County, Kane County and McHenry County.

In September 2019, Newsome allegedly improperly passed an emergency vehicle near Wilmot Road and Wilmot Farms Drive in Spring Grove, court documents show.

Officers stopped Newsome’s vehicle and arrested her after learning her driver’s license was revoked due to her previous DUI cases.

Newsome had six prior convictions for driving while license revoked at the time, a grand jury indictment said.

A jury trial was held last month and the jury found Newsome guilty of two counts of aggravated driving under the influence, a Class X felony.

The jury also found her guilty of driving on a revoked license, a Class 4 felony.

On Friday, McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt sentenced Newsome to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for her sixth driving under the influence conviction.

Wilbrandt also sentenced the woman to one year in prison for her seventh driving on a revoked license conviction, but that sentence will be served concurrent with her seven-year sentence.

Woman, dog both die after being rescued from house fire in Round Lake

Posted: 23 Apr 2022 01:43 PM PDT

Firefighters respond to a structure fire call in the 100 block of West Providence Lane in Round Lake that left one person dead Saturday morning. | Photo: Joe Shuman/J. Shuman Photography (2022)

A woman and a dog both died and a second dog was injured after the three were rescued by firefighters from a house fire in Round Lake Saturday morning.

The Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District and Round Lake Police Department responded around 9:48 a.m. Saturday to the 100 block of West Providence Lane in Round Lake for a report of a structure fire.

Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Joe Krueger said a neighbor called 911 after noticing dark-colored smoke coming from the roof of a residence.

Firefighters arrived on the scene in six minutes and found smoke showing from a two-story residential duplex.

Firefighters respond to a structure fire call in the 100 block of West Providence Lane in Round Lake that left one person dead Saturday morning. | Photo: Joe Shuman/J. Shuman Photography (2022)

Crews made entry into the residence to extinguish the fire and search for any occupants.

Krueger said firefighters located a woman and removed her from the second floor of the residence.

She was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where she was pronounced dead.

Two dogs were also rescued from the home and one of them died. The second one survived, Krueger said.

The woman’s identity is being withheld pending notification to her family. An autopsy is being scheduled by the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

Firefighters respond to a structure fire call in the 100 block of West Providence Lane in Round Lake that left one person dead Saturday morning. | Photo: Joe Shuman/J. Shuman Photography (2022)

Krueger said the fire appears to have originated on the first floor in the kitchen area.

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal was requested to help fire department investigators with the investigation.

Krueger said the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal.

The Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District said they are reminding residents to ensure they have working smoke alarms in their homes.

The fire district also said that all pathways to exit the residence should be unobstructed and accessible in an emergency.

Drunk driver arrested after driving car onto railroad tracks, getting stuck in Libertyville

Posted: 23 Apr 2022 12:58 PM PDT

A driver was charged with driving under the influence after her vehicle became stuck between the Metra platform and the train tracks west of Milwaukee Avenue and Appley Avenue in Libertyville on April 8. | Photo: Google Street View

Police arrested an intoxicated woman who drove her car onto the train tracks near a Metra station in Libertyville after mistaking it for the roadway, authorities said.

The Libertyville Police Department responded around 9 p.m. on April 8 to the area of Milwaukee Avenue and Appley Avenue in Libertyville.

Libertyville Police Department Sgt. Jason Kapusinski said officers received a call for a vehicle that was stopped on the train tracks and unable to be moved.

Officers located the vehicle stuck between the platform and the train tracks near the Metra station west of Milwaukee Avenue.

Kapusinski said that Metra was requested to stop trains through the area until the vehicle could be removed.

Officers spoke with the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, identified as Irmary Rodriguez-Rivera, 29, of the 1300 block of Johnson Drive in Buffalo Grove.

According to a police report, Rodriguez-Rivera had been in the Metra parking lot and mistook the platform and train tracks area for a roadway, Kapusinski said.

Officers observed multiple indicators of impairment while talking to Rodriguez-Rivera.

Rodriguez-Rivera was asked to perform a series of field sobriety tests, Kapusinski said.

Rodriguez-Rivera was placed under arrest and transported to the Libertyville Police Department where she was processed.

She was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and improper lane usage.

Rodriguez-Rivera was released from custody after posting her driver's license as bond and signing a $1,000 personal recognizance bond.

A court hearing is scheduled for May 6 in the case.

Former Lake County deputy coroner gets probation for recording victim’s family without consent

Posted: 23 Apr 2022 11:04 AM PDT

Dana A. Dingman, 37, of Grayslake

A former Lake County deputy coroner took a plea deal this week and was sentenced to probation for recording herself telling a child that their family member died in a vehicle crash.

Dana A. Dingman, 37, of the 100 block of Station Park Circle in Grayslake, was indicted last July on charges of official misconduct, a Class 3 felony, and two counts of eavesdropping by use of a device, a Class 4 felony.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office said in a statement in July that their administration located a video on April 23, 2021, on Dingman’s county-owned laptop.

The video depicted Dingman, who was working as a deputy coroner at the time, conducting a death notification to a family member of a victim.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said Dingman was notifying a 16-year-old boy that a family member of his had died in a motorcycle crash.

The video appeared to have been taken from Dingman’s cell phone in July 2018 without the consent of the other parties involved.

File Photo – Lake County Coroner’s Office in Waukegan | Photo via Lake County Government

The video was later stored on Dingman’s computer hard drive. It is unclear why the woman recorded the encounter and saved it.

Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said she immediately contacted the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office and Lake County Sheriff’s Office upon her administration making the discovery.

The state’s attorney’s office and sheriff’s office both opened an investigation into the incident.

“I am appalled at the discovery of this video. There is no reason for the employee in question to have violated the public's trust by surreptitiously recording them during such an emotional and private moment,” Banek said in a statement last year.

“Finding out a loved one has died is a family's worst moments, and our staff is expected to conduct their duties with the utmost care, respect and compassion,” she added.

The coroner’s office said this appears to be an isolated incident and only occurred with Dingman.

Dana A. Dingman, 36, Grayslake | Photo via Lake County Government

The family members and other parties impacted were contacted and made aware of the investigation.

Dingman's employment with the coroner's office was terminated last June.

Dingman initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, court records show. On Wednesday, Dingman entered into a negotiated plea deal with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.

She pleaded guilty to eavesdropping by use of a device, a Class 4 felony, in exchange for her two other charges being dismissed.

Dingman was sentenced to 12 months of probation and 30 hours of public service.

She was also entered into the Felony Alternative Prosecution Program, which is for first-time, non-violent offenders.

Dingman will be allowed to keep the conviction from permanently going onto her record if she successfully completes the program.

No injuries after semi-truck carrying large load rolls over in Long Grove

Posted: 23 Apr 2022 08:43 AM PDT

A semi-truck rolled over near Hicks Road and Lake Cook Road in Long Grove Friday morning, causing traffic delays for several hours while crews cleared the scene. | Photo: Max Weingardt

A semi-truck carrying large steel coils rolled over on Route 53 in Long Grove Friday morning, causing traffic delays for several hours, authorities said.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Long Grove Fire Protection District responded around 10:45 a.m. Friday to Lake Cook Road and Route 53 (Hicks Road) in Long Grove.

Sheriff’s deputies found a semi-truck rollover crash just north of the intersection, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.

The driver of the 2020 Kenmore semi-truck, a 45-year-old Rockford man, was uninjured.

A semi-truck rolled over near Hicks Road and Lake Cook Road in Long Grove Friday morning, causing traffic delays for several hours while crews cleared the scene. | Photo: Max Weingardt

The Kenmore, which was pulling an open trailer, was traveling westbound on Lake Cook Road and was attempting to complete a right turn onto northbound Route 53, Covelli said.

The truck was carrying large steel coils that shifted during the turn, causing the trailer to roll over and take the motor unit with it as well.

Covelli said the truck, trailer and contents weighed nearly 50,000 pounds.

Ernie's Wrecker Service responded and removed the vehicle and its contents from the scene.

The scene was cleared at approximately 1:30 p.m. Friday.

The driver was able to self-extricate himself from the vehicle and was uninjured. No other vehicles were involved.

Police searching for missing 13-year-old boy from Lake Villa

Posted: 22 Apr 2022 03:26 PM PDT

Jazarion Lightner, 13, was last seen in Lake Villa on April 8, 2022. | Photo via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

An alert was issued for a 13-year-old boy who went missing from Lake Villa. Police would not say if it is the same boy who is on the run after stealing a car from a Lake Villa middle school.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said that Jazarion Lightner, 13, went missing from Lake Villa on April 8.

Lightner is described as being biracial with brown hair and brown eyes. He is 5-foot-7 and 120 pounds.

The same date that Lightner went missing — April 8 — was when a 13-year-old boy stole a car from Palombi Middle School in Lake Villa.

Lake Villa Police Department Lieutenant James DeCaro told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that it was determined a 13-year-old male student gained access to a staff member’s car keys.

The student stole the staff member’s vehicle from the school’s parking lot.

An alert was broadcasted on the Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network to area law enforcement agencies about the theft.

File Photo – Peter J. Palombi Middle School in Lake Villa | Photo: Google Street View

DeCaro said the boy was later reported and entered as a missing runaway juvenile.

The stolen vehicle was described as a gray 2019 Kia Sorento SUV with an Illinois license plate of BM63486.

The juvenile is a Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) ward of the state, DeCaro said.

He is believed to have driven to the Rockford area, which is where he is originally from.

DeCaro said a follow-up investigation determined that the juvenile may have accessed a firearm while on the run.

Law enforcement and DCFS authorities in the Rockford area were notified of the incident and have been actively attempting to locate the juvenile.

“Based on the information learned, the juvenile should be considered armed and dangerous,” DeCaro said.

DeCaro would not explicitly confirm whether the missing person alert issued for Lightner is the same boy as the one who stole the car.

Victim flown to the hospital after three-vehicle crash in Crystal Lake

Posted: 22 Apr 2022 01:48 PM PDT

A multiple-vehicle crash left debris across Route 14 near Sands Road in Crystal Lake and two people hospitalized Friday morning. | Photo via Facebook

One person had to be flown by medical helicopter to a trauma center after a three-vehicle crash in Crystal Lake that left a second person injured Friday.

The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department and Crystal Lake Police Department responded just before 11 a.m. Friday to Northwest Highway and Sands Road for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.

Crystal Lake Police Department Commander Ryan Coutre told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the incident involved three vehicles.

A sedan was traveling westbound on Route 14 approaching Sands Road.

The sedan struck a minivan that was in the turn lane waiting to turn northbound on Sands Road, Coutre said.

A multiple-vehicle crash left debris across Route 14 near Sands Road in Crystal Lake and two people hospitalized Friday morning. | Photo: Tyler Tobolt / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

The sedan then collided with a traffic signal pole and hit an SUV before coming to a rest.

Two victims sustained injuries believed to be non-life-threatening and were transported to area hospitals, Coutre said.

One of them was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry.

A LifeNet helicopter then transported that victim to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, according to fire department radio traffic.

Coutre said the cause of the crash remains under investigation. The roadway was shut down for approximately 60 minutes.

The traffic signal pole was still being repaired Friday afternoon, Coutre said.

Grayslake man charged in hit-and-run crash that killed father of 3 kids in Round Lake Beach

Posted: 22 Apr 2022 11:39 AM PDT

Brian Mach, 41, of Johnsburg, died on February 20, 2021, following a hit-and-run crash in Round Lake Beach. | Provided Photo.

A Grayslake man was charged this week in connection with a hit-and-run that left a father of three kids dead in Round Lake Beach over a year ago.

A 911 call was placed in the early morning hours on February 20, 2021, to check on the well-being of a person found lying in a ditch line on Route 83 north of Fox Chase Drive in Round Lake Beach, according to Round Lake Beach Deputy Police Chief Wayne Wilde Jr.

The Round Lake Beach Police Department and Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District responded to the call around 6:34 a.m.

Officers arrived and located an unresponsive male, later identified as Brian Mach, 41, of Johnsburg, on the west side of the roadway with several pieces of vehicle debris around him, Wilde said.

Paramedics from Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District responded and pronounced Mach dead at the scene a short time later.

An autopsy conducted on Mach showed he died as a result of multiple blunt force injuries, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.

The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) was called to assist the Round Lake Beach Police Department with the investigation.

Police detectives were seeking a black 2011-2014 Ford Explorer, similar to this image, in connection with a fatal hit-and-run in Round Lake Beach on February 20, 2021. | Provided Photo

Police said a black 2011-2014 Ford Explorer, similar to the image provided above, struck the man and fled the scene.

Wilde said days after the crash that police had located the suspect vehicle and seized it for evidence.

On Friday, police announced an arrest warrant had been issued for Juan Luis Fernandez-Chacon, 36, of the 300 block of Woodland Drive in Grayslake.

Fernandez-Chacon was charged on Tuesday with leaving the scene of an accident involving death, court records show.

Wilde said that Fernandez-Chacon was not in custody as of Friday morning but he was expected to turn himself in.

Fernandez-Chacon will be held on a $200,000 bond and will be taken to bond court.

An online fundraiser in February 2021 gathered nearly $5,000 to cover the funeral expenses for Mach, who was a father of three children.

Classes canceled in Prairie Grove District 46 due to threat made against school building, staff and students

Posted: 22 Apr 2022 09:45 AM PDT

File Photo – Prairie Grove School in unincorporated Crystal Lake | Photo: Google Street View

Classes were canceled Friday for students in Prairie Grove School District 46 after a threat was made to the school and everyone in it, the superintendent said.

Prairie Grove Consolidated School District 46 Superintendent John M. Bute sent a letter to parents Thursday evening regarding the situation.

District 46 includes Praire Grove Elementary and Prairie Grove Junior High School.

Bute said a district administrator Thursday evening received a threat against the school building and all persons in the building.

The threat indicated a specific time and manner for an event on Friday.

The district canceled classes for Friday due to being unable to determine the credibility of the threat, Bute said.

School events that were scheduled for Friday are on hold pending the investigation.

“The security and safety of students and staff remains one of our highest priorities,” Bute said.

The Prairie Grove Police Department and the McHenry County Sheriff's Office were notified and an investigation is ongoing.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner is awaiting comment from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.

2 motorcycle riders hospitalized with serious injuries after being hit by car in Beach Park

Posted: 22 Apr 2022 08:05 AM PDT

A sedan and motorcycle crash left two people with serious but non-life-threatening injuries Thursday evening at Sheridan Road and West Talmadge Avenue in Beach Park. | Photo: Bob Haines

A man and woman riding on a motorcycle were seriously injured after being ejected when a car struck their motorcycle in Beach Park Thursday evening.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Beach Park Fire Department responded around 8:05 p.m. Thursday to Sheridan Road and West Talmadge Avenue in Beach Park for a vehicle crash with injuries.

Sheriff's deputies arrived and located two riders of a motorcycle with serious injuries, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said.

A preliminary investigation shows a 2009 Yamaha motorcycle, driven by a 38-year-old Waukegan man, with a 24-year-old Waukegan woman riding as a passenger, was traveling southbound on Sheridan Road.

A 2018 Kia Forte, driven by a 22-year-old Waukegan man, was traveling northbound on Sheridan Road.

As the Yamaha approached West Talmadge Avenue, the driver of the Kia made a left turn onto West Talmadge Avenue in front of the motorcycle, Covelli said.

The motorcycle struck the passenger side of the Kia, which caused both occupants to be ejected from the motorcycle.

The driver of the motorcycle was transported by ambulance to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan with serious injuries.

The passenger of the motorcycle was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with major facial injuries.

Both victims are expected to survive, Covelli said. The driver of the Kia was uninjured.

The crash remains under investigation and citations are likely to be issued to the driver of the Kia in the coming days, Covelli said.

14-year-old boy riding on scooter suffers serious injuries after being hit by car in Round Lake Beach

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:29 PM PDT

Police investigate a serious crash involving a car and a scooter that left a teenager seriously injured Thursday afternoon near Civic Center Way and Rollins Road in Round Lake Beach. | Photo: Joe Shuman/J. Shuman Photography (2022)

A 14-year-old boy was flown to the hospital with serious injuries after he was hit by a car while riding a scooter in Round Lake Beach Thursday afternoon, police said.

The Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District and Round Lake Beach Police Department responded around 3:29 p.m. Thursday to Civic Center Way and Rollins Road.

Round Lake Beach Police Department Deputy Chief Wayne Wilde Jr. said a 14-year-old male juvenile was riding a non-motorized scooter on Civic Center Way north of Rollins Road.

The teen drove into the roadway and was struck by a passing vehicle.

A preliminary investigation shows the vehicle had the right of way and was unable to avoid hitting the juvenile, Wilde said.

Police investigate a serious crash involving a car and a scooter that left a teenager seriously injured Thursday afternoon near Civic Center Way and Rollins Road in Round Lake Beach. | Photo: Joe Shuman/J. Shuman Photography (2022)

The boy was transported from the scene by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

He was later transferred by helicopter to Ann and Robert Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago.

His official condition was not immediately unknown.

The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene after the crash and consented to blood and urine testing, Wilde said.

Investigators do not believe intoxication or impairment played a role in the incident.

The Round Lake Beach Police Department requested the assistance of the Major Crash Assistance Team of Lake County to investigate.

5 years in prison for man who spat on police officer, beat man in Woodstock

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:02 PM PDT

Jamaine Craft, 38, of Chicago

A Chicago man was sentenced to five years in prison for spitting on a police officer, attacking a man and burglarizing a vehicle in Woodstock.

Jamaine Craft, 38, of the 2300 block of West Warren Street in Chicago, was sentenced this week to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to aggravated battery to a peace officer, burglary, aggravated battery and aggravated assault in numerous different cases against him.

In July 2019, Craft was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer after he spat at a Woodstock police officer while he was being placed in a police squad car for transport to jail, according to a criminal complaint.

Police had arrested him after he threw a brick into a crowd of people, the complaint said.

Craft pleaded guilty to the aggravated battery charge and a judge sentenced him to 18 months of conditional discharge in January 2020.

Prosecutors filed a petition to revoke Craft’s sentence in August 2021 because of numerous criminal offenses that were committed while he was on conditional discharge, court documents show.

In February 2020, nearly three weeks after being sentenced to conditional discharge, Craft was accused of obstructing a police officer who was investigating a call for service in Woodstock.

In April 2020, Craft was again charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer after he was accused of grabbing a Woodstock police officer’s arm and threatening to fight him.

Craft pleaded guilty to the charge in July 2020 and was sentenced to one month of conditional discharge and 180 days in jail.

The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement that Craft pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the basis for revocation, along with three additional offenses committed.

Since August 2020, Craft was charged with a slew of other criminal offenses in 11 separate court cases, including criminal trespass to vehicles, battery, criminal damage to government property and theft.

Many of those charges were dismissed, court documents show.

In April 2021, Craft and another man were charged after they battered an adult male who spoke to them for making inappropriate comments toward two juvenile females in Woodstock.

A judge sentenced Craft on Wednesday to five years in prison with one year of mandatory supervised release.

His sentence will be served at 50% and he will receive credit for 370 days served in custody.