Lake and McHenry County Scanner |
- Jury convicts man of second-degree murder in killing of McHenry County sheriff’s deputy
- 3 suspects arrested after Canine Boomer finds them hiding following police search near Lake Villa
- Illinois lawmakers pass bill removing potential penalties for victims whose cars are stolen, hijacked
- 60 days in jail for sex offender who was caught living nearby school in Crystal Lake
- Agent testifies that man searched for police ambush videos before shooting, killing McHenry County sheriff’s deputy
| Jury convicts man of second-degree murder in killing of McHenry County sheriff’s deputy Posted: 08 Apr 2022 05:30 PM PDT    A jury on Friday acquitted Floyd Brown of first-degree murder but convicted him of second-degree murder for shooting and killing McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Keltner. A federal trial began on March 28 for Floyd E. Brown, 42, of Springfield, who was charged with multiple felonies for shooting Keltner, 35. Brown was indicted on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder of a government officer, two counts of assaulting or impeding a federal officer, unlawful transport of firearms, possession of defaced firearms, firearm possession in furtherance of violent crime where death occurs and firearm possession in furtherance of violent crime. A jury on Friday found Brown guilty of all charges except for first-degree murder, which is considered premeditated murder. The jury, however, found Brown guilty of second-degree murder, which is considered murder that is not premeditated. “For nearly three years, we have patiently waited for the day that Deputy Jacob Keltner's killer would be held accountable for the crimes he committed,” McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim said in a statement. “Today, we also realized that no verdict can bring Jake back, and justice doesn't always appear how we picture. But, we are hopeful that it will allow the Keltner family the chance to close a chapter in their lives and take the next steps in healing,” Prim said. “Jake is, and will always be, a hero. Please keep the Keltner family in your thoughts as they continue to live with this unthinkable loss,” he added.  Brown faces up to life in prison. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 19. Special Agent Jeremy Smith testified to the jury on Thursday that he examined the history on a laptop believed to belong to Brown and found multiple web searches beginning on January 5, 2019, the Rockford Register Star reported. One search was “cop get ambushed,” which showed links to videos and news articles about officers being shot. Another search on the laptop was “U.S. Marshal shot,” which showed a video titled, “Moments after a U.S. Marshal was shot and killed while serving felony warrant,” Smith testified. A third search performed on Bing on the laptop was, “Can a bulletproof vest stop a 223 round.” Smith also testified that there were similar searches also found on a Samsung phone. The Rockford Register Star also reported that prosecutors played a series of videos in court found on the Samsung phone. “I’ve got so much hatred for these motherf—–s,” Brown said in one of the videos. In a second clip, he said he would make the police “famous.” Keltner, who was a sheriff’s deputy in McHenry County, also worked as a Special Deputy for the U.S. Marshal Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. The task force on March 7, 2019, was attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Brown, who was staying at the Extended Stay America Hotel in Rockford.  Brown had been staying at the hotel to avoid apprehension on outstanding warrants that he had for residential burglary. When the task force knocked on the front door of the third-floor room where Brown was staying, he opened fire on the officers with a high-powered rifle. Prosecutors said Brown fired ten shots through the door and nearby walls, narrowly missing a deputy U.S. Marshal and two special deputy U.S. Marshals. Brown then jumped out of a window and fired a shot that fatally struck Keltner, who was covering the exterior of the hotel. Brown’s girlfriend, who was in the hotel room with him, was shot when Brown opened fire, police said. Keltner was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Brown fled the scene in a vehicle and led Illinois State Police and other agencies on a 150-mile pursuit. Pursuit speed reached over 100 mph until Brown’s vehicle came to a stop on Interstate 55 near Lincoln, Illinois when he ran over spike strips. A grand jury indictment said that Brown used a Romarm WASR-10 rifle to shoot and kill Keltner. Police also recovered two 9mm pistols and a .223 caliber rifle in Brown’s possession. All four guns had their serial numbers removed, the indictment said. Police seized over 1,000 rounds of ammunition from Brown at the time of his arrest. Keltner, who had almost 13 years of service with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, left behind his wife and two young children. |
| 3 suspects arrested after Canine Boomer finds them hiding following police search near Lake Villa Posted: 08 Apr 2022 03:54 PM PDT    Three suspects were arrested after they fled from a stolen vehicle and Lake County Sheriff’s Canine Boomer found them hiding near Lake Villa. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said they were notified about a stolen vehicle out of Lake Forest around 8:30 a.m. Friday. The Lake Forest Police Department notified the sheriff’s office and surrounding agencies regarding a possible location of the vehicle. Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said the stolen vehicle became disabled in the area of Sheldon Road and Rollins Road in Grayslake. Three suspects ran from the vehicle, Covelli said. Sheriff's deputies, Grayslake police, Round Lake Beach police, and Lake County Forest Preserve police searched the area where the three were last seen. The suspects were soon spotted in the area of Route 45 and Rollins Road in unincorporated Lake Villa. Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Kilpatrick and Canine Boomer responded and the three suspects were found hiding behind farm equipment. The suspects immediately surrendered after learning Boomer was being deployed, Covelli said. The Lake Forest Police Department responded to the scene to continue their investigation into the stolen vehicle. On Tuesday, Boomer helped track down a suspect who fled from police during a pursuit that led to a crash in Pleasant Prairie. |
| Posted: 08 Apr 2022 12:55 PM PDT    (The Center Square) – Members of the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation that provides protections for victims of carjackings who receive red light or speed camera tickets after their vehicle has been stolen. House Bill 3772 would remove any penalties like tickets from speed cameras or red light cameras that accrue after someone is a victim of having their car stolen or hijacked from them. State Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, is a co-sponsor of the bill and explained what the legislation intends to do. “House Bill 3772 provides a defense for individuals from liability from such violations where their vehicle was stolen and provides that they shall not be liable to violations, fees, fines or penalties during the period in which the motor vehicle was stolen,” Aquino said. Illinois has seen a rise in carjackings in the city of Chicago and other areas of the state over the past couple of years. State Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, said not enough has been done to help the victims of these crimes. “To say the overall effort here has fallen short of holding criminals accountable for the actions they are committing around this state really is an understatement,” Barickman said. House Bill 3772 is one of many pieces of legislation that are designed to help the victims of carjackings in Illinois. Barickman said these bills are a step in the right direction. “I know this is one of several bills in which I think you are taking baby steps forward in the right direction,” Barickman said. “I thank you for that.” Under current Illinois law, if someone steals a car and gets ticketed for an offense while driving that car, the owner whose car was stolen will still be liable for paying those tickets. Aquino said passing this bill should be a common-sense move for lawmakers. “This bill is a very common-sense piece of legislation that says if you are a victim of a carjacking, you are not liable for any fines or fees that are accumulated, that’s it,” Aquino said. “I think that is a good thing.” HB3772 passed the Senate and now awaits concurrence in the Senate before being sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker. |
| 60 days in jail for sex offender who was caught living nearby school in Crystal Lake Posted: 08 Apr 2022 11:25 AM PDT    A convicted sex offender who was caught living near a school in Crystal Lake and had failed to register with authorities has been sentenced to 60 days in jail. Nicholas M. Narish, 37, was charged with failure to register as a sex offender, a Class 2 felony, and sex offender residing within 500 feet of a school, a Class 4 felony. A grand jury indictment alleges Narish established residence at a home in the 6100 block of East Hillside Road in unincorporated Crystal Lake in August 2020. He failed to notify the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office in accordance with his sex offender registry requirements, the indictment said. The residence on Hillside Road was also within 500 feet of Prairie Ridge High School, 6000 Dvorak Drive in Crystal Lake. In 2017, Narish was convicted of sexual exploitation of a child for an incident in the parking lot of a Wendy’s in Crystal Lake, court documents show. On Thursday, Narish entered into a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office. He pleaded guilty to sex offender residing within 500 feet of a school, a Class 4 felony, in exchange for his more serious Class 2 felony charge being dismissed, court records show. McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge approved the plea deal and sentenced Narish to 60 days in the McHenry County Jail. Narish was also sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $2,913 in court fines and fees. Narish is scheduled to be released from the jail on May 5, jail records show. |
| Posted: 08 Apr 2022 08:27 AM PDT  An FBI agent testified at the trial of Floyd Brown and said the defendant watched police ambush videos before he allegedly shot and killed McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Keltner. A federal trial began on March 28 for Floyd E. Brown, 42, of Springfield, who is facing a slew of charges for shooting Keltner, 35. Special Agent Jeremy Smith testified to a jury Thursday that he examined the history on a laptop believed to belong to Brown and found multiple web searches beginning on January 5, 2019, the Rockford Register Star reported. One search was “cop get ambushed,” which showed links to videos and news articles about officers being shot. Another search on the laptop was “U.S. Marshal shot,” which showed a video titled, “Moments after a U.S. Marshal was shot and killed while serving felony warrant,” Smith testified. A third search performed on Bing on the laptop was, “Can a bulletproof vest stop a 223 round.” Smith also testified that there were similar searches also found on a Samsung phone. The Rockford Register Star also reported that prosecutors played a series of videos in court found on the Samsung phone. “I’ve got so much hatred for these motherf—–s,” Brown said in one of the videos. In a second clip, he said he would make the police “famous.” Keltner, who was a sheriff’s deputy in McHenry County, also worked as a Special Deputy for the U.S. Marshal Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. The task force on March 7, 2019, was attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Brown, who was staying at the Extended Stay America Hotel in Rockford. When police knocked on the hotel room door where Brown was staying, he opened fire on the officers with a high-powered rifle, officials said. Brown’s girlfriend, who was in the hotel room with him, was shot when Brown opened fire, police said. Police said Brown jumped out of his hotel room window and then opened fire again on officers, striking Keltner. Keltner was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Brown fled the scene in a vehicle and led Illinois State Police and other agencies on a 150-mile pursuit. Pursuit speed reached over 100 mph until Brown’s vehicle came to a stop on Interstate 55 near Lincoln, Illinois when he ran over spike strips. Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder of a government officer, two counts of assaulting or impeding a federal officer, unlawful transport of firearms, possession of defaced firearms, firearm possession in furtherance of violent crime where death occurs and firearm possession in furtherance of violent crime. A grand jury indictment alleged that Brown used a Romarm WASR-10 rifle to shoot and kill Keltner. Police also recovered two 9mm pistols and a .223 caliber rifle in Brown’s possession. All four guns had their serial numbers removed, the indictment said. Police seized over 1,000 rounds of ammunition from Brown at the time of his arrest. Keltner, who had almost 13 years of service with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, left behind his wife and two young children. Brown’s jury trial is in its second week at the Illinois Northern District Court Rockford Courthouse. |
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