Lake and McHenry County Scanner

Man fought with officers who tried helping him after rollover crash in North Chicago

Posted: 23 May 2022 11:40 AM PDT

Carlos Zamudio, 43, of Chicago.

Prosecutors say a man who was driving drunk fought with responding officers who tried to help him after he caused a rollover crash in North Chicago Sunday evening.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Caitlin Valiulis said during a bond hearing Monday that officers with the North Chicago Police Department responded around 9:30 p.m. Sunday to a single-vehicle crash.

A car had rolled over on Route 41 south of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and went off the roadway.

Valiulis said the car had crashed into a tree and officers had to force the driver’s door open to see if the occupants were okay.

The driver, Carlos Zamudio, was trying to climb over his girlfriend to exit the passenger side of the vehicle.

Officers could smell alcohol in the car and tried to stop Zamudio, 43, of Chicago, from escaping and he became combative, Valiulis said.

Zamudio fought with officers and resisted getting into the squad car, Valiulis said.

The man ripped up paperwork the police gave him during his arrest.

Officers found an Illinois driver’s license with Zamudio’s name on it but it was determined to be fraudulent and never authorized for use, Valiulis said.

Zamudio had an active arrest warrant for a fraudulent driver’s license case at the time of his arrest.

Zamudio was charged with driving under the influence, possession of a fraudulent identification card, two counts of resisting a peace officer, driving without a license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash and improper traffic lane usage.

Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Zamudio held in the Lake County Jail on a $300,000 bond.

Zamudio, who would need to post $30,000 cash to be released, is scheduled to appear in court again on May 31.

Man suffers serious injuries after car hits lawnmower in front of school in Gages Lake

Posted: 23 May 2022 09:44 AM PDT

A vehicle that hit a man riding on a lawnmower is towed from the crash scene Sunday morning near Woodland Primary School and Woodland Elementary School in the 17300 block of West Gages Lake Road in Gages Lake. | Photo: Joe Shuman/J. Shuman Photography (2022)

A worker riding on a lawnmower was seriously injured after being hit by a vehicle, causing him to be ejected from the lawnmower, in front of a school in Gages Lake Sunday morning.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Gurnee Fire Department responded around 11:30 a.m. Sunday to the area of Woodland Primary School and Woodland Elementary School in the 17300 block of West Gages Lake Road in Gages Lake.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said dispatchers received a call of a traffic crash involving a person operating a lawnmower.

Sheriff's deputies arrived and found the operator of the lawnmower, a 33-year-old Round Lake man, with serious injuries.

He had been operating a lawnmower that he could stand on while it was moving, Covelli said.

A preliminary investigation shows the man was cutting the grass at Woodland Primary School and was crossing the road from north to south.

A vehicle that hit a man riding on a lawnmower is towed from the crash scene Sunday morning near Woodland Primary School and Woodland Elementary School in the 17300 block of West Gages Lake Road in Gages Lake. | Photo: Joe Shuman/J. Shuman Photography (2022)

A Honda Civic, driven by a 72-year-old Wildwood woman, was traveling eastbound.

Covelli said the driver of the Honda was unable to avoid striking the man on the lawnmower and hit him.

The man operating the mower went through the front windshield of the Honda.

The man was transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

No citations have been issued yet, Covelli said.

It is unknown if the victim was working for the school or an independent lawn care company.

A witness to the crash told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the victim flew approximately six feet into the air during the collision.

“It was a horrible scene that no one should go through,” the witness said.

Driver killed, train passenger injured after truck crashes into Metra train in Hainesville

Posted: 23 May 2022 07:22 AM PDT

Officials investigate a train crash that left one person dead and another person injured Monday morning near Route 120 and Hainesville Road in Hainesville. | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

One person is dead and another was injured after a dump truck crashed into a Metra train, causing the train to partially derail Monday morning in Hainesville.

The Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District and other emergency crews responded to the area south of Route 120 and Hainesville Road in Hainesville for a report of a train crash.

Metra Director of Communications Michael Gillis told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the incident happened just before 7 a.m.

Metra Milwaukee District North Train #2116 was inbound to Chicago when it struck a dump truck in the crossing at Hainesville Road.

The driver of the truck was killed, Gillis said. One passenger on the train was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.

Officials investigate a train crash that left one person dead and another person injured Monday morning near Route 120 and Hainesville Road in Hainesville. | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

The injured passenger’s condition is not believed to be life-threatening.

The first car of the train derailed but was still upright after the incident. Approximately 40 passengers were on the train.

Gillis said there will be no train service north of the accident scene and service on the line south of the scene is disrupted.

Investigators and crews will remain on the scene for several hours and it will take time to rerail the derailed train car.

Metra service for the evening is still undetermined.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office is in the process of responding to the scene and scheduling an autopsy on the truck driver.

Their identity is being withheld pending notification to next of kin.

Man charged with cutting woman multiple times with knife, strangling her during attack in Wonder Lake

Posted: 22 May 2022 04:58 PM PDT

Tyrone S. Harris, 51, of East Dubuque.

A 51-year-old man is in custody after he allegedly cut a woman with a knife multiple times and strangled her during an attack in Wonder Lake, court documents show.

The incident occurred on April 14 at a residence in the 8800 block of Hickory Lane in Wonder Lake.

A criminal complaint said that Tyrone S. Harris strangled a woman in the residence.

Harris, 51, of the 400 block of Plum Street in East Dubuque, also allegedly used a knife to cut the victim’s left leg and both arms.

The woman sustained great bodily harm and permanent disfigurement from the injuries, the complaint said.

Harris allegedly grabbed the victim by her hair on the front steps of the residence and dragged her back inside to prevent her from leaving, the complaint said.

At some point during the attack, Harris used a foreign object to strike the woman and then began to kick her, the complaint said.

Harris was also accused of throwing a vase into a grandfather clock and throwing a frying pan into a large mounted television, causing damage in excess of $500.

He also allegedly prevented the victim from calling 911 by taking her cell phone and leaving the residence, the complaint.

A warrant was issued for Harris’ arrest on April 14.

The Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office arrested Harris on Thursday and transported him to the McHenry County Jail.

He remains held in the jail on a $75,000 bond and would need to post $7,500 cash to be released.

A hearing on a motion to reduce bond is scheduled for Tuesday.

Grayslake man charged with sexual abusing woman, stealing her belongings in Fox Lake

Posted: 22 May 2022 03:01 PM PDT

Joseph R. Stramel, 26, of Grayslake.

A Grayslake man was arrested on a warrant for allegedly sexually abusing a woman in a vehicle and stealing her belongings in Fox Lake.

Joseph R. Stramel, 26, of the 300 block of Quist Court in Grayslake, was charged with two counts of criminal sexual abuse, theft and public indecency.

A criminal complaint filed in Lake County Circuit Court alleges Stramel committed multiple acts of sexual conduct with a woman in Fox Lake on August 26, 2021.

The acts were committed by the use of force and took place in a vehicle in a public place, the complaint said.

Stramel allegedly stole a Samsung phone and an attached wallet case from the victim. The stolen belongings were worth in excess of $500.

The case was investigated by the Fox Lake Police Department and charges were filed against Stramel on April 11.

A judge issued an arrest warrant for Stramel and he was taken into custody at the Lake County Jail on Friday.

Stramel has since been released from custody after posting 10% of his $150,000 bond, court records show.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 27.

Coalition in McHenry County warns of edible THC products that could lead to accidental ingestion by kids

Posted: 22 May 2022 12:40 PM PDT

The FDA said they are aware of reports of THC products, similar to the above image, packaged to look like popular brand items. | Provided Photo

The McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition has issued an alert warning about edible THC products that look like commonly consumed foods and could have adverse effects if ingested by children.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that some manufacturers are packaging and labeling edible products containing THC to look like popular brands of commonly consumed foods, such as breakfast cereal, candy and cookies.

The products appeal to children and may be easily mistaken for popular, well-recognized foods.

The McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition issued an alert on Friday after reviewing data from the McHenry County Department of Health showing possible poisoning cases involving the products.

The coalition said the community should be aware that the copycat-type items may not be legally for sale in Illinois but all cannabis items should be safely stored out of the reach of children.

All edibles should be clearly identified so any adult does not accidentally ingest them, the coalition said.

CBD items that are labeled “full-spectrum” can contain THC which may also lead to accidental poisoning when ingested.

The coalition said that Illinois cannabis regulations prohibit THC products from containing any images, characters or phrases likely to appeal to minors, such as images of toys, animals, children, and cartoons.

Packaging that bears resemblance to commercially available candy is also not legal.

The FDA says that accidental ingestion of the products can lead to “serious adverse events, especially in children.”

The FDA said they are aware of copycat products packaged to look like Cap'n Crunch, Cocoa Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs, Froot Loops, Fruity Pebbles, Nerds Ropes, Starbursts, Sour Patch Kids and Trix.

Should a child consume the products, the FDA recommends that parents call the local poison control center at 800-222-1222.

Shooting suspect charged with stabbing fellow inmate during attack in McHenry County Jail

Posted: 22 May 2022 10:00 AM PDT

Juan C. Popoca, 19, of Harvard.

A 19-year-old man, who is being held on charges in connection to a shooting, is now facing charges for stabbing a fellow inmate at the McHenry County Jail, court records show.

Juan C. Popoca, 19, of the 300 block of South Park in Harvard, was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony, and mob action, a Class 4 felony.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Popoca stabbed an inmate last Sunday while being held in the McHenry County Jail in Woodstock.

Popoca stabbed the victim with a pencil and also struck him several times with his fists, the complaint said.

A second suspect, Walter R. Moran, 28, of Cicero, also assisted Popoca in the attack by punching the victim and kneeing him, a separate complaint said.

Walter R. Moran, 28, of Cicero.

The victim’s injuries were not believed to be serious.

Moran was also charged with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony, and mob action, a Class 4 felony, in connection to the attack.

Jail records show Popoca has been held in the McHenry County Jail in Woodstock since November 30 after being charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony.

Popoca and a second suspect allegedly fired several shots into a house in the 700 block of West Metzen Street in Harvard on November 29.

Moran has been held in the McHenry County Jail since September 28 after being charged in connection with the shooting and beating of a gas station clerk during a robbery in Marengo.

Popoca remains held in the jail on a $105,000 bond while Moran remains held on a $250,000 bond.

Popoca is scheduled to appear in court again on Wednesday for a status on trial date hearing.

Moran is scheduled to appear in court again on June 22 to set a date for a preliminary hearing.

Man charged with firing shots during armed robbery at strip mall in Waukegan

Posted: 22 May 2022 08:36 AM PDT

Sotero Sanchez Jr., 18, of Waukegan.

A Waukegan man has been charged with firing shots during an armed robbery in a strip mall in Waukegan earlier this month, court documents show.

Sotero Sanchez Jr., 18, of the 1700 block of Jenkinson Court in Waukegan, was charged with two counts of armed robbery and four counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

A criminal complaint filed in Lake County Circuit Court alleges Sanchez was armed with a firearm on May 12.

Sanchez allegedly robbed a man at gunpoint just before 7:30 p.m. at 2425 Grand Avenue in Waukegan, the complaint said.

Sanchez discharged the firearm during the robbery, the complaint said.

Officers with the Waukegan Police Department arrested Sanchez in the 1800 block of Grand Avenue early in the morning on May 13.

Officers located Sanchez in possession of a loaded handgun and he did not have a FOID or CCL card, the complaint said.

Lake County Judge Daniel Jasica ordered the man held in the Lake County Jail on a $200,000 bond.

Sanchez was released from custody after posting the $20,000 cash required to be released, court records show.

Jasica also ordered Sanchez to have no contact with the victim or his residence as part of his bond conditions.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 8.