Lake and McHenry County Scanner

Lawmakers call for audit of Illinois DCFS due to child deaths, ongoing issues

Posted: 07 Apr 2022 05:40 PM PDT

McHenry County Board member and former DCFS employee Carlos Acosta leaves the McHenry County Courthouse on September 24, 2020. Acosta, who was the DCFS caseworker for AJ Freund, was charged with endangering the life of AJ for allowing him to be in his parents’ custody. | Photo: Photo: Matthew Apgar / Northwest Herald (pool)

Several lawmakers are calling for an audit of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services as the department faces ongoing issues, including recent deaths of children under its care.

State Reps. Tom Weber, R-Lake Villa, David Welter, R-Morris, and Chris Bos, R-Lake Zurich, discussed House Resolution 824 calling for action to be taken at DCFS at a Wednesday news conference.

“We have filed HR824 calling on the Illinois Auditor General to audit DCFS and examine the following: Changes the department has made thus far to prevent further deaths, to prevent unnecessary psychiatric stays and better serve the interests of system-involved youths,” Weber said.

Weber referenced the death of 5-year-old AJ Freund, who was killed on April 15, 2019, in his Crystal Lake home by his mother, JoAnn Cunningham.

“April 15th is the 3rd anniversary of the death of AJ Freund. I've been fighting for changes at DCFS for three years and Governor Pritzker has been giving empty promises of change for just as long. Enough talk. Action starts here,” Weber said.

DCFS caseworker Carlos J. Acosta and his supervisor, Andrew R. Polovin, were both charged with two felony counts of endangering the life of a child and one felony count of reckless conduct following AJ’s death.

The charges against the two were for “not acting in good faith” within their official capacity as DCFS employees. The charges also alleged that the two “knowingly caused or permitted the life or health” of AJ to be endangered.

Since December, five children have died while being served by the state's child protection agency.

Critics blame the state’s child welfare agency, which had numerous interactions with the children and their families.

DCFS Director Marc Smith has received eight contempt of court orders after failing to place youth in proper care in a timely manner.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked about these issues and blamed Republicans and his predecessor.

“The very people who are holding a press conference downstairs are the same people who voted with [former Illinois Gov.] Bruce Rauner to underfund that agency,” Pritzker said. “Indeed to provide no funding at all.”

Pritzker said the challenges he was left with will take some time to fix.

“What I was left with, and what the current General Assembly was left with, was a lot of rebuilding that needed to take place and it’s not something you can snap your fingers and have happen overnight,” Pritzker said.

Bos said Pritzker can place blame where he wants but these issues are still ongoing during the fourth year of his administration.

“Governor, the children who died in 2019, 2020, 2021, and this year, cannot be blamed on your predecessor,” Bos said.

“The children being held for months in the hospital without being properly placed cannot be blamed on your predecessor,” Bos said.

The performance audit, if one happens, would look into the amount spent defending legal matters, including efforts to get the agency into court-mandated compliance for failure to properly place children, as well as the amount DCFS spent in 2020 and 2021 to address preventable deaths and stays in psychiatric facilities beyond medical necessity and emergency placements.

House Resolution 824 was filed Wednesday and is awaiting further action.

The Center Square and Lake and McHenry County Scanner both contributed to this story.

Police arrest man after finding 3 guns, cash and large quantity of drugs in Woodstock

Posted: 07 Apr 2022 02:46 PM PDT

Carlos M. Juarez, 24, of Woodstock.

A man was arrested after a sheriff’s office task force found him in possession of a large quantity of drugs, three guns and cash during a search warrant in Woodstock.

Carlos M. Juarez, 24, of the 500 block of Leah Lane in Woodstock, was charged with unlawful possession with intent to deliver cocaine, unlawful possession of cocaine, unlawful possession with intent to deliver cannabis and unlawful possession of cannabis.

Prosecutors said in a motion filed in McHenry County Circuit Court that the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force executed two search warrants on Wednesday.

The warrants were conducted at Juarez’s residence in Woodstock and on his vehicle.

The motion said that officers found 352 grams of cocaine and 136 grams of cannabis. The cocaine has an estimated street value of $35,000.

Officers also seized three firearms, numerous digital scales, packaging materials and $4,700 in cash during the warrants.

Officers arrested Juarez around Wednesday morning and transported him to the McHenry County Jail.

McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt ordered Juarez held on a $150,000 bond.

Juarez remains held in the McHenry County Jail as of Thursday and is scheduled to appear in court again on Monday.

Authorities search lake in Mundelein, McHenry residence as part of investigation into fatal shooting of Round Lake man

Posted: 07 Apr 2022 01:09 PM PDT

Fire department crews search Diamond Lake in Mundelein Thursday morning for evidence in connection with the death of Francisco Zavala, 26, of Round Lake, (inset, right) who was found shot to death on March 3 in DuPage County. | Left Photo: Max Weingardt

Police descended upon a McHenry residence and fire crews searched a lake in Mundelein Thursday as part of an investigation into a missing Round Lake man found shot to death last month.

An alert sent out by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office around 6:50 a.m. Thursday asked residents to avoid the area of the 1400 block of North Chapel Hill Road in McHenry.

The alert said there was heavy police activity in the area. Witnesses reported multiple police cars on the side of the road at a residence.

McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Byrnes said the sheriff’s office was assisting the DuPage MERIT Major Crimes Unit with an investigation.

DuPage MERIT Major Crimes Unit Deputy Coordinator Tom Stefanson told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that investigators were at several locations Thursday, including the McHenry residence, in regards to an ongoing investigation into the death of Francisco Zavala, 26, of Round Lake.

Fire department crews search Diamond Lake in Mundelein Thursday morning for evidence in connection with the death of Francisco Zavala, 26, of Round Lake, who was found shot to death on March 3 in DuPage County. | Photo: Max Weingardt

One of the locations was Diamond Lake in Mundelein. Fire department sonar crews were called to the lake around 8 a.m. Thursday to assist in “evidence recovery,” according to fire department radio traffic.

Zavala’s body was found in DuPage County at Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve off Munger Road in Wayne on March 3.

He was last seen on January 29 after being dropped off at Metro by T-Mobile, 458 North Cedar Lake Road in Round Lake, according to his family.

Zavala had intended to travel by train to Indiana to visit a woman after being dropped off at the phone store by his mother.

His family had not seen or heard from him after he was dropped off at the Metro store. His phone had also been shut off.

The Round Lake Park Police Department previously said that Zavala’s family filed a police report with them on February 7.

Police said that surveillance video from the Round Lake train station showed him at 10:54 a.m. on January 29 boarding a Metra train headed for Chicago.

“He was reportedly enroute to the Chicago area or Indiana to visit a friend,” police said.

Francisco Zavala, 26, of Round Lake | Provided Photo

Police were called to Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve around 11:48 a.m. on March 3 after someone from a nearby horse stable reported finding a deceased male in the preserve, DuPage Forest Preserve District Police Chief David Pederson said last month.

"According to law enforcement sources the man had suspected gang affiliations and had been missing," Pederson said.

Police found the body less than 30 feet from the side of the road and fresh tire tracks nearby.

Metropolitan Emergency Response & Investigation Team (MERIT) crime scene and evidence technicians and the DuPage County Coroner's Office were called to the scene.

Investigators and the coroner's office discovered gunshot wounds on the man.

The MERIT Major Crimes Unit also responded to the scene to help further investigate the incident, Pederson said.

The DuPage County Coroner's Office performed an autopsy on the body and confirmed it was Zavala.

No charges have been filed yet in connection with the investigation.

Illinois sees spike in fatal overdoses from animal tranquillizer mixed in heroin, cocaine

Posted: 07 Apr 2022 10:59 AM PDT

Nunda Rural Ambulance
Nunda Rural Ambulance
Nunda Rural Ambulance
LMCS File Photo

Health officials are seeing a major increase in drug overdoses in Illinois due to an animal tranquilizer, which does not respond to Narcan, that is being mixed into heroin and cocaine.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) sent a memo to EMS providers, hospitals and other health organizations in the state on Monday.

The memo said that the veterinary tranquilizer named Xylazine is increasingly involved in drug overdose deaths in Illinois.

The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine said Xylazine is frequently used as an adulterant in mixtures of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine. It is often used to “bulk” up quantities of the drugs.

In 2018, just two overdose deaths in the state were associated with Xylazine. In 2020, 45 deaths were associated with the drug, which increased to 155 deaths in 2021.

According to Illinois Poison Control Center, an overdose involving the drug will cause coma, slow heart rate and hypertension followed by hypotension.

Naloxone, also known as Narcan, does not work in reversing the effects of Xylazine, according to the IDPH memo.

There are also no real-time clinical tests available to emergency providers to see if Xylazine is present in a patient.

Law enforcement reports drugs laced with xylazine are often called “tranq” and sold mixed with cocaine or fentanyl, the memo said.

Vice News reported last month that users of Xylazine in Philadelphia were losing their fingers and toes due to the drug.

Man on parole in triple shooting case near Lake Bluff now charged in home invasion in Zion

Posted: 07 Apr 2022 08:46 AM PDT

Saladine A. McKinney, 30, of North Chicago. | Photo: IDOC

A man who was released months ago from prison in a case where he was charged in connection with a triple shooting near Lake Bluff has now been charged in a home invasion in Zion.

Court records show a home invasion occurred around 12:30 p.m. on March 25 in the 2700 block of Elizabeth Avenue in Zion.

Saladine A. McKinney, 30, entered the residence without authority and battered a woman, injuring her, according to a criminal complaint filed in Lake County Circuit Court.

Officers with the Zion Police Department arrested McKinney, a North Chicago resident, and later transported him to the Lake County Jail.

McKinney was charged with home invasion causing injury, a Class X felony, and battery causing bodily harm, a Class A misdemeanor.

Court records show police also seized a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu and $750 in cash from McKinney.

Lake County Judge David Brodsky ordered McKinney held on a $100,000 bond. He would need to post $10,000 cash in order to be released.

In January 2016, McKinney was charged in connection with a shooting outside of a bar in unincorporated Lake Bluff that left three people shot on Christmas Day 2015.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said at the time that McKinney was one of several suspects in the case.

He was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated unlawful discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

McKinney was convicted of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and sentenced to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC).

State records show McKinney was paroled from IDOC in December.

McKinney is scheduled to appear in court for his latest case on April 12 for a preliminary hearing.

Detectives investigating after house, vehicle hit by gunfire in Beach Park

Posted: 06 Apr 2022 05:14 PM PDT

File Photo | Lake County Sheriff’s Office

Sheriff’s detectives are investigating after a residence and vehicle were struck multiple times by gunfire in Beach Park, officials said.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 10:04 p.m. last Wednesday to the 11900 block of West 29th Street in Beach Park for a report of shots fired.

The Village of Beach Park said in a statement that a residence was hit multiple times by gunfire.

The front door of the residence and two front windows of the home were also hit by the gunfire.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene but were unable to locate any offenders.

No one inside the residence was injured or struck by gunfire, the village said.

A preliminary investigation shows it was a targeted shooting and isolated “in the sense that it was not random,” the village said.

No further information on any suspects or suspect vehicles was available to be released, village officials said.

The investigation remains ongoing by Lake County sheriff's detectives.

Lawmakers, ‘Roar for AJ’ group to hold rally in remembrance of AJ Freund at Illinois State Capitol

Posted: 06 Apr 2022 02:54 PM PDT

Andrew Freund (undated photo) | File Photo

Several lawmakers and the McHenry County “Roar for AJ” group will attend a rally Thursday at the Illinois State Capitol to bring awareness to child abuse.

State Representative Steve Reick (R-Woodstock), State Senator Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) and Rep. Tom Weber (R-Lake Villa) will attend the rally, according to a statement.

The rally will take place on Thursday in the Capitol rotunda from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., marking the third anniversary of the death of AJ Freund, 5, of Crystal Lake.

The Roar for AJ advocacy group is aimed at helping bring change to the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services in AJ’s memory.

According to event organizer Tracy Kotzman, the group will display an empty pair of children's shoes for each Illinois child who has died despite involvement with DCFS.

The display is open to the public and is meant to honor AJ and all children who died as a result of abuse in their homes.

“I continue to put forth solutions to my Democratic counterparts and have held over a dozen press conferences and roundtable discussions to advocate for much needed reforms to this system,” Reick said.

“I hope we can start addressing the root causes at this agency to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable Illinoisans,” he said.

Prosecutors said that AJ died at some point in the evening of April 14, 2019, after his mother, JoAnn Cunningham, had beaten him and placed him in a cold shower.

AJ was put to bed and later found dead, prosecutors said. AJ’s father, Andrew Freund Sr., put AJ’s remains in a large plastic tote in the basement and days later buried the remains in a rural area outside of Woodstock.

Cunningham, who is serving a 35-year prison sentence for killing AJ, recently filed a post-conviction petition, saying that she had been seeing demons and believed she and her son were possessed at the time of the killing.

Woodridge man charged with armed robbery of liquor store in Buffalo Grove

Posted: 06 Apr 2022 01:37 PM PDT

Rahulkumar Patel, 38, of Woodridge.

Police arrested a DuPage County man after he allegedly robbed a liquor store in Buffalo Grove at knifepoint and stole cash from the business.

Rahulkumar Patel, 38, of the 7200 block of Woodward Avenue in Woodridge, was charged with armed robbery, a Class X felony.

Court documents show the Buffalo Grove Police Department responded around 11 p.m. on March 14 to Dev Liquor and Wine, 1170 North McHenry Road in Buffalo Grove, for an armed robbery.

A criminal complaint alleges that Patel entered the store while armed with a knife.

Patel stole over $100 in cash from the business after he “threatened the imminent use of force,” the complaint said.

Court records show Patel was arrested on Friday by officers of the Buffalo Grove Police Department.

Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Patel held on a $350,000 bond during a hearing Friday.

Potkonjak also ordered that Patel refrain from possessing any firearms or dangerous weapons should he be able to post bond.

Patel was also ordered to have no contact with the business where the robbery occurred.

According to a news report from WTHR, Patel was arrested in February 2019 after allegedly robbing two women while armed with a gun in Franklin, Indiana.

Patel, who is scheduled to appear in court again on April 26, remains held in the Lake County Jail.

Lake County Sheriff’s Canine Boomer tracks down suspect who fled following police pursuit, crash

Posted: 06 Apr 2022 11:29 AM PDT

File Photo – Lake County Sheriff Canine Boomer | Provided Photo

Lake County Sheriff’s Canine Boomer helped track down a suspect who fled from police during a pursuit that led to a crash in Pleasant Prairie Tuesday, police said.

The Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin Police Department responded around 12:50 p.m. Tuesday to a suspicious person call at a business in the 9800 block of 76th Street.

The person had allegedly been at the business on prior occasions attempting to use fake identification, police said.

Officers were directed upon arrival to an occupied vehicle in the parking lot.

Officers approaching the vehicle noticed the odor of marijuana coming from it, according to Pleasant Prairie police. The vehicle then left the parking lot.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle as it fled eastbound on Prairie Ridge Boulevard and then southbound on Highway H.

The vehicle continued southbound on Highway H at speeds reaching 100 mph, police said.

Officers terminated the pursuit to numerous factors, including the “recklessness manner” the fleeing vehicle was being operated and the amount of traffic on the road.

Moments later, the fleeing vehicle left the roadway in the 12200 block of Highway H and struck a utility pole. Both the driver and a male passenger fled on foot.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Canine Boomer and his handler Deputy Brian Kilpatrick were called to assist in the search.

Boomer was deployed and started to track the subjects into a swamp near the Illinois and Wisconsin state line.

Boomer made his way through the swamp and located the passenger of the vehicle, a 24-year-old Chicago man.

The man surrendered upon seeing Boomer, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.

Officers remained on the scene searching for the second subject utilizing drones from the Pleasant Prairie Police Department and the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office, along with canine Boomer.

Officers were unable to locate the second subject.

Sheriff’s office seeing uptick in romance scams on online platforms involving Lake County residents

Posted: 06 Apr 2022 09:40 AM PDT

File Photo – Lake County Sheriff’s Office | Photo: Max Weingardt

The sheriff's office is warning residents about ongoing cryptocurrency romance scams that they say are on the rise involving Lake County residents.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said Wednesday that sheriff's detectives have seen an increase in romance-based scams which originate on dating apps, social media apps and other communication platforms.

“These scams work by the scammer befriending victims, generally on a dating application or other social media application,” Covelli said.

The scammer will then ruse and “romance” the victim into believing they are in a legitimate relationship through regular ongoing communication with the victim, he said.

After the victim is lured into believing they are in a relationship and they can trust the other person, the scammer convinces the victim to purchase popular cryptocurrencies from legitimate cryptocurrency exchanges, such as Coinbase or Binance.

“The victim generally does not suspect anything is wrong at this point, as they are able to see the cryptocurrency in their account,” Covelli said.

The scammer then entices the victim to believe they can make more of a profit by trading those legitimately bought cryptocurrencies to a different cryptocurrency exchange.

These secondary exchanges are often fraudulent and have websites that appear to be legitimate.

“The scammer will then tell the victim to send their cryptocurrency to this other exchange and will give them details on where to send it, which often includes a cryptocurrency ‘wallet,'” Covelli said.

Once the victim sends their cryptocurrency to the unknown cryptocurrency wallets, Covelli said it is extremely difficult to track its whereabouts or for law enforcement to develop a suspect.

Those unsure of the legitimacy of a cryptocurrency exchange should conduct research and look for reviews, the sheriff’s office said.

“If you are unable to find any data about the exchange, it is likely fraudulent. As always, everyone should be extremely cautious of those you meet online,” Covelli said.

Man sentenced to 13 years in prison for sexually assaulting woman at party in Huntley

Posted: 06 Apr 2022 08:10 AM PDT

Christopher Rodriguez, 30, of Huntley

A Huntley man was sentenced Tuesday to 13 years in prison after he was convicted at trial of sexually assaulting a woman at a party in Huntley.

Christopher Rodriguez, 30, of the 10300 block of Longfield Drive in Huntley, was initially charged in March 2019 with one count of criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony.

A warrant was issued for his arrest after charges were approved and he was taken into custody on April 1, 2019.

Rodriguez was accused of sexually penetrating a victim, who was unable to give consent, in Huntley on October 18, 2018, according to a criminal complaint.

The Northwest Herald, citing prosecutors, reported that the assault occurred at a house party.

Assistant State’s Attorney Tyler Miken said Rodriguez was “calculated and predatory” by waiting for others to go to sleep before going into the victim’s room after noticing she “could barely make it up the stairs.”

A grand jury later indicted Rodriguez on three counts of criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony, and one count of criminal sexual abuse, a Class 4 felony.

Rodriguez was released from Huntley Police Department custody after posting 10% of his $50,000 bond and had been free on bond until his trial.

A bench trial began on January 20 and concluded on January 24.

McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge announced that he found Rodriguez guilty of all the charges.

Coppedge revoked Rodriguez’s bond on January 28 and ordered him held in the McHenry County Jail following the verdict, court records show.

On Tuesday, Rodriguez appeared in court and Coppedge denied his motion for a new trial.

Coppedge sentenced Rodriguez to 13 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

He will also have to register as a sex offender for life.

Fire district remembers firefighter, army veteran who died 55 years ago battling house fire in Algonquin

Posted: 05 Apr 2022 05:04 PM PDT

Firefighter Edwin LeRoy "Roy" Benson of the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District | Provided Photo

The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire District said they are remembering a 16-year veteran firefighter who died 55 years ago today while fighting a house fire in Algonquin.

Firefighter Edwin LeRoy "Roy" Benson of the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District was one of the first firefighters on the scene of a house fire on Pioneer Road on April 5, 1967.

Benson, 46, drove a fire truck to the house fire and was advancing a hose line toward the burning residence when he collapsed, according to the Illinois Fire Service Institute.

Benson was treated by other firefighters at the scene and was transported to Sherman Hospital but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, the Illinois Fire Service Institute said.

Funeral services for Benson were held three days later and he was interred at Algonquin Cemetery.

He was survived by his wife, two children and his mother.

Benson was a member of the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District for 16 years and a U.S. Army veteran. He operated a service station in Algonquin.

The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District said Tuesday that they were flying a Firefighter Remembrance Flag over all of their fire stations in honor of the anniversary of Benson’s death.

“We remember Brother Benson and his family today in honor of his service and sacrifice to the residents of our community,” the fire district said.

Mundelein man charged with sexually assaulting juvenile and possessing child pornography

Posted: 05 Apr 2022 04:04 PM PDT

Larry Reeb, 31, of unincorporated Mundelein | Provided Photo

A 31-year-old unincorporated Mundelein man was arrested after he allegedly sexually abused a juvenile multiple times and possessed child pornography, the sheriff’s office said.

Larry Reeb, 31, of the 26300 block of North Diamond Lake Rd in unincorporated Mundelein, was charged with one count of criminal sexual assault of a victim under the age of 17, one count of criminal sexual assault of a family member under the age of 17, six counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of child pornography.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded on Thursday to a residence in unincorporated Mundelein for a report of a sexual offense.

Deputies arrived and spoke to a juvenile victim and a family member, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said.

Deputies obtained preliminary circumstances of the sexual offense incidents.

Sheriff’s detectives worked with the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center to investigate, Covelli said.

Detectives determined the juvenile victim was allegedly sexually abused multiple times by Reeb for a period of time lasting more than one year.

Detectives also found Reeb possessed nude images of the victim, Covelli said.

Detectives arrested Reeb the same day at his workplace in the 1400 block of Paramount Parkway in Batavia.

A judge set Reeb’s bond at $500,000 on Friday. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 26.

Additional charges are likely to be filed, Covelli added.

Reeb currently remains held at the Lake County Jail.

Man in his 20s hospitalized after being shot while driving in Waukegan

Posted: 05 Apr 2022 02:36 PM PDT

Waukegan police
Waukegan police
Waukegan police
File Photo – Waukegan Police Department | Photo: Willie Gillespie @wgweather

A man in his 20s was hospitalized after a gunman opened fire on the vehicle that he was driving in Waukegan Monday evening.

The Waukegan Police Department responded around 10 p.m. to the 600 block of South Lincoln Avenue in Waukegan for a report of a shooting.

Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Joe Florip said a man from Waukegan, who is in his 20s, was driving on Lincoln Avenue near May Street.

Someone opened fire on the man’s SUV, striking the car multiple times, Florip said.

The victim suffered a gunshot wound and his injuries are considered non-life-threatening.

Waukegan Fire Department paramedics found the victim in the area of Belvidere Road and M.L.K. Jr. Avenue after calling 911.

They transported the man to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

The incident remains under investigation by the Waukegan Police Department.

Coroner identifies 77-year-old man who was struck, killed by car in North Chicago

Posted: 05 Apr 2022 12:35 PM PDT

Police investigate a fatal crash involving a car and a pedestrian northbound on Route 41 at Route 137 in North Chicago Sunday evening. | Photo: Max Weingardt

The coroner has identified a 77-year-old Lake Forest man who died after he was hit by a car on Route 41 in North Chicago Sunday evening.

The North Chicago Fire Department and North Chicago Police Department responded around 10:38 p.m. Sunday to Route 41 and Route 137 for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.

Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said the incident involved a vehicle that struck a pedestrian.

Officers arrived to locate a male subject in the roadway with fatal injuries.

The victim was identified as Richard Bradley, 77, of Lake Forest.

Police investigate a fatal crash involving a car and a pedestrian northbound on Route 41 at Route 137 in North Chicago Sunday evening. | Photo: Max Weingardt

Paramedics pronounced Bradley dead at the scene, Newton said.

Due to the severity of the crash, the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT), which consists of area police departments, was called to the scene to conduct an investigation.

An autopsy confirmed Bradley died from multiple blunt force injuries as a result of the crash.

The incident remains under investigation by the Lake County Coroner’s Office, MCAT and the North Chicago Police Department.

Inmate charged with attacking, injuring corrections officer during struggle at Lake County Jail

Posted: 05 Apr 2022 10:38 AM PDT

Larry L. Hall, 37, of Chicago.

A corrections officer was injured during a struggle with an inmate who refused commands and punched the officer at the Lake County Jail, the sheriff’s office said.

Larry L. Hall, 37, of Chicago, was processed into the Lake County Jail in Waukegan on February 17, records show.

He was booked on charges of obstructing identification, criminal trespass, resisting arrest, battery and retail theft.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said that a corrections officer attempted to speak with Hall in his jail cell on February 23.

Hall exited his cell into the jail pod and was not listening to the corrections officer or following any instructions she gave, Covelli said.

The corrections officer instructed Hall to return to his cell but he continued to refuse to listen.

Covelli said that Hall approached the corrections officer and swung at her face but she was able to move and avoid being struck.

Hall fell to the ground and the corrections officer attempted to place him into custody.

He actively resisted by kicking and swinging his arms, Covelli said.

Hall struck the corrections officer during a struggle on the ground. She was able to spray the man with pepper spray.

Additional correctional officers arrived to assist and Hall was successfully restrained.

The corrections officer sustained minor injuries from Hall battering her, Covelli said.

Sheriff’s detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Hall on Thursday. He was served the warrant in the jail, charging him with aggravated battery to a peace officer.

Hall remains held on a $250,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again on April 12.

‘He was my best friend’: 18-year-old man killed after car hits tree in Zion identified

Posted: 05 Apr 2022 08:38 AM PDT

Jadyn R. Pagan, 18, of Zion, died after a single-vehicle crash near 9th Street and Lorelei Drive in Zion early Monday morning, authorities said. | Provided Photo

The brother of an 18-year-old man killed in a crash in Zion that left several others injured Monday identified his brother, saying “he was my best friend.”

The Zion Fire and Rescue Department and Zion Police Department responded around 3:49 a.m. Monday to the area of 9th Street and Lorelei Drive in Zion for a vehicle crash with injuries.

Officers discovered a single-vehicle crash with multiple injuries on 9th Street near the intersection, according to Zion Police Department Lt. Christopher Sweeting.

Sweeting said the vehicle appeared to have left the roadway, gone into a ditch and struck a utility pole.

One of the passengers, an 18-year-old man from Zion, was later pronounced dead at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.

The victim was later identified by the Lake County Coroner’s Office as Jadyn R. Pagan. He died as a result of multiple blunt force injuries, an autopsy confirmed.

The driver, along with the other passengers, was evaluated by paramedics and some were transported to the hospital, Sweeting said.

Their injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening.

The cause of the crash is unknown at this time and remains under investigation, Sweeting said.

Tyler Pagan, Jadyn Pagan’s older brother, created a GoFundMe account Monday to help raise money for his funeral service.

“He was my only brother and I loved him to death. He was my best friend. If I could take his place I would, but I can't,” Tyler Pagan said.

The GoFundMe account has raised nearly $1,000 with a goal of $25,000.

Anyone with information on the crash is encouraged to call the Zion Police Department at 847-872-8000.