Firefighters and other responders worked all day on Saturday to successfully rescue a horse, which was suffering from hypothermia, after it was found swept away in floodwaters in a creek near Marengo.

The Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts received a report around 8 a.m. Saturday for a potential animal water rescue in the 22900 block of Anthony Road in unincorporated Marengo.

Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said firefighters and sheriff’s deputies arrived a short time later and located a horse standing in floodwaters approximately 600 feet from the nearest shore.

The banks of Coon Creek had overflowed following recent storms and it is believed the horse had been swept away overnight.

The situation quickly became time sensitive due to the cold water temperatures and the unknown amount of time the animal had spent in the water, Vucha said.

A rescue plan was developed as fire crews evaluated the conditions and the strength of the current.

Vucha said an initial team utilized a boat to reach the horse and carefully worked in the moving water.

Additional personnel, along with a veterinarian, waded from shore toward the creek to assist with the operation.

The boat crew transported the veterinarian across the creek to a small peninsula where the horse had taken footing, Vucha said.

The veterinarian began providing care, administering medication and taking measures to stabilize the animal.

The horse was suffering from significant hypothermia and crews began preparing for the next phase of the rescue.

The incident was upgraded through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) around 4:30 p.m. to bring additional swift water technicians from throughout Lake and McHenry counties to the scene for specialized expertise and manpower.

They assisted in carefully guiding the horse across the creek, which was estimated to be approximately 15 feet deep due to elevated flood conditions, Vucha said.

Nearly two dozen personnel worked together to move the animal to the roadway after reaching the edge of the creek.

Vucha said the horse was loaded into a trailer and transported to a veterinary facility for continued medical care on Saturday evening.

One person who had initially assisted with the rescue was transported to a local hospital for evaluation due to cold exposure.

“It was a challenging and time-sensitive rescue, but we are pleased with the outcome,” Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts Chief John Kimmel said.

“Floodwaters can be unpredictable and dangerous for both people and animals. We appreciate the coordinated efforts of all personnel who assisted with bringing this incident to a successful conclusion,” Kimmel said.

The Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts said they thank Dr. Nicky Wessel with Cutting Edge Equine Veterinary Services for her “critical role” in caring for the animal during the rescue, as well as Deputy Waters with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office for assisting on the scene.

Additional support was provided by the Wisconsin Large Animal Emergency Response Technical Response Team.

The fire district also thanked the 911 dispatchers and the numerous agencies that responded to the MABAS activation.

Workers were evacuated after a machine caught on fire and caused a heavy amount of smoke to fill a very large manufacturing plant in Crystal Lake Saturday afternoon, fire officials said.

The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department responded around 12:35 p.m. Saturday to Clayens, 815 Tek Drive in Crystal Lake, for an activated fire alarm.

Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Menzel said the incident was immediately upgraded by dispatchers to a possible structure fire before firefighters went en route.

Firefighters arrived and reported a very large industrial building but did not see any flames or smoke from the outside, Menzel said.

Fire crews investigated and found a large amount of smoke and a small fire inside the manufacturing plant.

All employees had safely evacuated on their own. Menzel said there was a small number of staff working at the time.

The sprinkler system had activated and kept the fire, which involved a small floor cleaning machine, in check until firefighters arrived, Menzel said.

Firefighters pulled a hose line to the inside to extinguish the remainder of the fire.

Fire crews also completed a search of the building to ensure all occupants were out of the structure.

Menzel said an airboat from the Wonder Lake Fire Protection District was requested to the scene due to the amount of smoke and the large size of the building.

The airboat arrived and was set up to help remove the smoke from the building. No injuries were reported.

The building was turned back over to the company after firefighters finished removing the smoke, Menzel said.

The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department was assisted at the scene by the Wonder Lake Fire Protection District and the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District covered a Crystal Lake fire station during the incident.

Clayens is an international company that designs and manufactures thermoplastic and composite parts.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department.

A Crystal Lake man was charged with attempting to sexually assault a random woman in downtown Chicago in broad daylight before four good Samaritans rushed to her aid as he violently attacked the victim.

The Chicago Police Department’s Public Transportation Section arrested Garland Benton, 45, of Crystal Lake, around 7:34 a.m. on Monday in the 2500 block of South Archer Avenue in Chicago.

Police officials said Benton was identified as the suspect who battered, sexually abused and attempted to sexually assault a 20-year-old woman on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago an hour earlier.

Police radio traffic indicated the incident occurred in the Grant Park North Garage, 25 North Michigan Avenue.

Benton also pushed a 65-year-old woman who attempted to intervene before fleeing the scene and being located by officers a short time later, police officials said.

Benton was charged with attempted aggravated criminal sexual assault causing bodily harm, aggravated criminal sexual abuse causing bodily harm and two counts of aggravated battery in a public place.

Prosecutors said the 20-year-old victim was on her way to work and parked her car at the Millennium Street Parking garage.

She began walking from her car when Benton, a stranger to her, allegedly grabbed her by the arms and threw her to the ground.

Benton got on top of the victim, striking her in the face and taking off her shirt, exposing her sex organs, prosecutors said.

Benton continued the assault as the victim struggled with him while screaming for help as he held her down, prosecutors said.

The victim scratched at Benton’s face to try to get him to stop and continued screaming for help.

A 65-year-old woman who had just arrived in the garage and is a co-worker of the victim heard the victim and ran toward her and saw Benton sexually abusing the woman.

Prosecutors said Benton began trying to pull the victim’s pants down during the assault and the 65-year-old witness struck Benton on the head with a water bottle to try to get him to stop.

She also took a photo of Benton at some point and later gave it to the police.

Benton turned and knocked the witness to the ground as she tried to help the victim, prosecutors said.

Two other witnesses were also on their way to work when they heard the victim’s screams for help and they ran to her aid and saw Benton trying to pull his pants up.

A fourth witness also ran to the scene to help and saw Benton on top of the victim grabbing at her pants. The witness grabbed a wet floor sign and began striking Benton with it, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Benton tried to “charge back” at the victim, who was bleeding, after the witnesses intervened.

The four bystanders were ultimately able to stop the assault and call 911 and Benton fled the area.

Surveillance video captured the incident and Benton fleeing, prosecutors said. In addition to the 65-year-old witness, one of the other witnesses also took a photo of Benton.

CTA Mass Transit was notified of the incident and was able to track Benton through surveillance video at the Monroe Street CTA Station.

Benton put on a tan hat, a pink scarf around his face and neck and a red jacket over his black sweater before getting onto the Red Line train, prosecutors said.

Surveillance video also showed Benton outside the Orange Line stop at 26th Street and Halsted Avenue shortly after where he changed his jeans and sweater and waited at the CTA bus stop before being taken into custody.

Benton was positively identified by two of the witnesses during a show-up. The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment.

She suffered several scratches on her chest, neck and face and had bruising to her face and neck, prosecutors said.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Benton pending trial and the request was granted by Judge James Vincent Murphy II, court records show.

Benton remains held in the Cook County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on April 22 for a status hearing.

An Illinois Department of Transportation worker was hospitalized after a car crashed into the worker’s truck that was stationary in a work zone on Route 120 near McHenry.

The McHenry Township Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 4:41 a.m. Friday to the area of Route 120 and East Wonder Lake Road in unincorporated McHenry for a vehicle crash.

McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Chris Kozel said crews arrived and found a car had hit an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) truck.

The car struck the IDOT vehicle while the truck was stationary.

The IDOT vehicle was in a work zone where at least three or four poles were leaning after the severe weather on Thursday evening, Kozel said.

The poles leaning left the road unsafe for travel and it was shut down so repairs could be made.

Kozel said paramedics transported the driver of the IDOT vehicle to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The car that struck the truck was uninjured and declined transport to the hospital.

“We are aware of an incident early this morning on Illinois 120 and Wonder Lake Road in McHenry that resulted in an IDOT truck being struck,” a spokesperson for IDOT told Lake and McHenry County Scanner.

The spokesperson said the IDOT highway maintainer was in the truck when it was hit. They were taken to the hospital and later released.

“Our thoughts and concerns are with our coworker. No other details are available at this time,” the IDOT spokesperson said.

A second crash — not involving IDOT — occurred at the same exact intersection two hours later around 6:50 a.m., Kozel said.

It involved two passenger cars and one person was transported to the hospital, Kozel said. The second driver involved declined transport.

The crashes remain under investigation by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities say two gunmen, one who was armed with two guns and another who was armed with a machine gun, fled on foot from police during a traffic stop in a Waukegan neighborhood.

Joaquin Garduno, 19, of Waukegan, was charged with one count of possession of a machine gun, a Class X felony, and four counts of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, a Class 4 felony.

The Waukegan Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the area of Delaware Road and Choctaw Road in Waukegan around 3 p.m. on February 24.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said the car was seen driving down Sunset Road without a front license plate and appeared to have too dark tint on the windows.

Officers identified the driver and owner of the vehicle as Garduno. There was a passenger in the vehicle.

Officers were speaking with Garduno and writing citations when they asked Garduno to step out of the vehicle, McConnell said.

He complied but ran from the officers after getting out of the vehicle. He was tackled to the ground by officers after a foot pursuit.

McConnell said a gun fell out of Garduno’s waistband onto the ground while he was running but was recovered by officers.

The gun was a Palmetto Dagger Compact 9mm, which had an autosear device, also known as a “switch,” attached converting it from a semi-automatic to an automatic.

The gun also had a fully loaded 31-round capacity extended magazine inserted into it, McConnell said. The serial number on the firearm was scratched off.

The front passenger of the vehicle also fled and successfully evaded officers. He ditched two firearms while running but has been identified, McConnell said.

Garduno is under the age of 21 and does not have a Firearm Owner’s Identification card or a concealed carry license.

“This defendant clearly poses a threat to the community. He is not old enough to possess a firearm at all but chooses to not only possess it, but to bring it with him into a vehicle, with a passenger who is armed with two different firearms,” McConnell said.

“This defendant’s firearm had the serial number scratched off, the firearm was equipped with a switch turning into an automatic firearm, and the firearm had an extended magazine inserted. When pulled over by officers this defendant attempted to flee from the officers with the firearm on his person,” McConnell said.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Garduno pending trial and the request was granted by Lake County Judge James Newman following a detention hearing.

Garduno remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on April 20.

A multiple-vehicle crash left one person hospitalized and a semi-tractor-trailer truck jackknifed, blocking multiple lanes on Interstate 94 near Deerfield that caused a major traffic backup.

The Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District and Illinois State Police responded around 1:33 p.m. Thursday to Interstate 94 at the 25.25 mile marker in Deerfield for a vehicle crash with injuries.

Initial 911 callers reported possibly five vehicles involved in a crash, according to fire department radio traffic.

Fire crews arrived and reported finding multiple vehicles, possibly four in total, involved in the middle of the lanes of traffic.

The crash occurred just north of Lake Cook Road in the southbound lanes of Interstate 94.

One of the vehicles included a semi-tractor-trailer truck, which had jackknifed and was blocking four of the five lanes of traffic.

Traffic was only able to get by through the left shoulder and the far left lane.

Paramedics transported the female driver of the semi-truck to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The two other drivers involved declined transport to the hospital.

State police said it was later determined that three vehicles were involved, not four. Those included two passenger cars and the semi-truck.

A secondary crash involving a car that drove off the road occurred around 2:19 p.m. near the same location but no injuries were reported.

State police said multiple lanes of traffic were shut down until 3:20 p.m. when the crash scene was cleared. Traffic was heavily backed up past Route 22.

The driver of one of the passenger vehicles was cited with improper traffic lane usage for causing the crash.

Police say they are investigating after a 17-year-old boy was found shot in the stomach outside an elementary school in Gurnee Friday evening.

The Gurnee Police Department and Gurnee Fire Department responded around 5:07 p.m. Friday to the area of River Trail School, 333 O’Plaine Road, for a report of a shooting.

Officers arrived and located a 17-year-old Gurnee boy who had suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor.

The teenager was transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where he is receiving treatment.

Gaylor said it is believed the shooting occurred near the school in the area of Brookhaven Road and Wellington Circle.

A Lake County Sheriff’s Office canine unit was called to assist the Gurnee Police Department.

The canine conducted an area search as part of the initial investigation, Gaylor said.

Officers were seen speaking to at least four juveniles at Gillings Drive and Bluebird Court.

There was a heavy police presence including both officers and detectives at Gillings Drive and Brookhaven Road and at Brookhaven Road and Kensington Court, both of which are outside of River Trail School.

“At this time, there is no information to suggest an ongoing threat related to this incident,” Gaylor said.

Officers were continuing to maintain an increased presence in the area and at the school while the investigation remained active on Friday evening.

Gaylor said additional information will be released as it becomes available.

A SWAT team arrested a suspect who barricaded himself for hours Friday morning into the evening after officers located the body of a decomposed woman in a home in Vernon Hills.

The Vernon Hills Police Department responded around 10:15 a.m. Friday to the 500 block of Saddlebrook Lane in Vernon Hills for a report of a well-being check.

Vernon Hills Deputy Police Chief Shannon Holubetz said officers developed information suggesting that a death occurred in the home.

Police briefly spoke with an adult male inside the residence.

He stopped communicating with officers and barricaded himself in the house, Holubetz said.

The Illinois State Police SWAT Team and Northern Illinois Police Alarm System Emergency Services Team (NIPAS EST) were both called to the scene “out of an abundance of caution.”

Officers entered the residence and discovered the body of an 81-year-old woman who was in a decomposed state, Holubetz said.

The woman’s 50-year-old son remained barricaded for several hours.

The SWAT teams arrived and began working to take the man into custody.

He was eventually taken into custody just after 6 p.m. by SWAT officers and turned over to Vernon Hills police, Holubetz said.

Officers escorted him to an awaiting ambulance. He appeared uninjured.

Holubetz said the man is currently being medically evaluated at an area hospital.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene to take possession of the elderly woman for an autopsy.

The cause and manner of the woman’s death remain under investigation.

Her name is being withheld while the coroner’s office works to formally identify her and notify her family, Holubetz said.

The Mundelein Police Department also assisted the Vernon Hills Police Department at the scene.

Several area roads were shut down during the investigation but have since been reopened as of 9 p.m. Friday.

No charges have been filed against the man taken into custody.

Holubetz said there is not believed to be any danger to the community.

Two residents were left homeless after a fire broke out in their house in Cary and firefighters experienced difficulty after encountering hoarder conditions, fire officials said.

The Cary Fire Protection District and Cary Police Department responded around 1:38 p.m. Saturday to the 400 block of Geneva Lane for a report of a structure fire.

A 911 caller, who was a neighbor, reported smoke was pouring out of the garage of a house.

Cary Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said crews arrived to find a small fire in the garage with smoke extending into the residence.

Firefighters extinguished the fire in the attached garage and checked to see if it had extended into the home.

The fire was determined to be contained to the garage but there was smoke damage throughout the residence, Vucha said.

Crews encountered significant clutter and stored contents inside the home, which limited access and made search efforts more difficult, Vucha said.

Due to the conditions, along with the smoke damage, the home was considered uninhabitable until repairs and cleanup are completed.

Vucha said two adult male occupants who reside at the residence were left displaced.

No injuries were reported to any firefighters or residents and no animals were involved.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Cary Fire Protection District.

A Huntley man was arrested for allegedly forcing entry and burglarizing a store in Huntley before then trying to escape police custody after he was transported to the hospital Wednesday morning.

Vincent Baldocchi, 41, of Huntley, was charged with burglary, retail theft, possession of burglary tools, attempted escape, criminal damage to property and resisting a peace officer.

Huntley Deputy Police Chief Kevin Keane said Baldocchi was accused of breaking into a retail establishment in the 11700 block of Main Street in Huntley during the early morning hours on Wednesday.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Baldocchi burglarized Best Price Tobacco & Gifts, 11717 East Main Street, around 2:55 a.m.

The complaint said Baldocchi stole cartons of Newport cigarettes and 20 different vape products.

The complaint said Baldocchi forced entry to the business through the front glass door and was found in possession of burglary tools.

Court documents said Baldocchi was seen on camera committing the burglary while armed with a “distinctive weapon” and wearing distinctive clothing.

Keane said Baldocchi was arrested by officers on the corner of Algonquin Road and Church Street a short time after the burglary.

He was found with the stolen items, the same weapon and the same clothing.

Baldocchi was later transported to Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital for unspecified reasons.

Keane said Baldocchi attempted to escape custody but was unable to do so. “He did not get very far at all.”

Court documents said Baldocchi was sitting with an officer at the hospital and was handcuffed.

Baldocchi claimed he needed to use the bathroom so the officer uncuffed him and allowed him to use the restroom but he tried fleeing from the officer, court documents said.

The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Baldocchi pending trial, arguing he poses a flight risk.

McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the request during an Initial Appearance Court hearing on Thursday.

“No condition or combination of conditions can mitigate the risk of willful flight this Defendant poses. If having a police officer next to him will not mitigate the risk of this defendant fleeing then no less restrictive means such as electronic monitoring will,” Lamb said.

Baldocchi remains held in the McHenry County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on April 16 for a status of preliminary hearing.

A medical helicopter was initially called before a construction worker was rushed to the hospital by ambulance after suffering a laceration at a manufacturing plant in Spring Grove Wednesday afternoon.

The Spring Grove Fire Protection District and Spring Grove Police Department responded around 2:19 p.m. Wednesday to Scot Forge, 8001 Winn Road, for a report of a traumatic injury.

A 911 caller reported a person had suffered a laceration to the upper arm that was bleeding, according to emergency radio traffic.

A tourniquet was applied to the victim’s arm before paramedics arrived.

Fire crews arrived and were directed to a construction area on the south side of the railroad tracks.

Spring Grove Fire Chief Paul Klicker said the incident involved an outside contractor who was not an employee of Scot Forge.

The construction worker, an adult male, suffered injuries that were believed to be non-life-threatening, Klicker said.

A LifeNet medical helicopter was requested to land at Spring Grove Horse Fair Park.

The helicopter had a 16-minute estimated arrival and fire crews later canceled the helicopter.

Klicker said it was determined the injury did not require a helicopter transport.

An ambulance transported the man to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry for treatment, Klicker said. The victim was reported to be stable at the hospital.

The fire chief declined to say what exactly led to the injury but said it did not appear to involve a machine.

Scot Forge advertises itself as the “world’s premier provider” of high-quality metal forging solutions, which has been in business for over 130 years.

The company said in a statement to Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the incident involved an outside contractor who was on-site at the Spring Grove facility.

“Emergency responders were promptly contacted, and the individual was transported by ambulance. Scot Forge will be unable to provide an update on the individual’s condition, as the incident involved an outside contractor,” Scot Forge said.

“We are grateful for the quick response of the Spring Grove Fire Department and all first responders. Safety remains our top priority for all employee-owners and onsite guests,” the company added.

A police investigation is underway after students at Lake Zurich High School were reported to have used AI to generate sexually explicit images of female classmates, with school officials calling it “disturbing.”

Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 sent a letter to families in the district on Thursday about the incident.

“Our highest priority as a district is the safety, dignity, and well-being of our students. It is with a heavy heart and deep concern for our student body that I am writing to share a recent disturbing incident involving Lake Zurich High School students,” District 95 Superintendent Dr. Kelley Gallt said.

The situation reported to the district involves the “misuse” of artificial intelligence to generate explicit, pornographic images using the likeness of other adolescents.

“We understand the profound impact this has on the individuals involved, their families, and our learning community. Please know that we are taking this matter with the utmost seriousness, as such actions are a fundamental violation of the values we work to instill in our students every day,” Gallt said.

The school district said it is committed to being responsive to its students through the support and care it provides internally.

The district also provided parents and guardians with the “tools to navigate the difficult topic at home.”

The district says they are continuing to provide “targeted teaching and emotional support” within schools.

“We are unable to share specific information regarding the school-based investigation and/or outcomes for any students involved,” Gallt said.

Administrators of Lake Zurich High School first received a report on February 26 of AI being used to generate pornographic images, which included the likenesses of high school students.

The school notified the Lake Zurich Police Department of the incident that same day.

Lake Zurich Police Chief Steve Husak confirmed his department was contacted by staff at Lake Zurich High School on February 26.

Husak said staff reported potential transmission of lewd material, including AI-generated content depicting the likenesses of juveniles, between students.

“This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Due to the involvement of minors, no additional information is available at this time,” Husak said.

School officials said families of students thought to be involved based on the initial report, including students involved in the possession, generation or distribution of content, and students whose images were included, were contacted by school administration and a detective from the Lake Zurich Police Department on February 26 and February 27.

Administrators collected additional information and issued school-based consequences “based on data available at the time” from February 26 through March 6.

“Once information was turned over to the police department, no further information can be made available to the district as this is an active criminal investigation,” Gallt said.

No administrators or staff directly viewed any of the content.

“Additional families may receive communication from the police department regarding their student’s involvement in the incident. Because of the concerning nature of this incident, it is likely to draw media attention, and unfortunately not in a positive light,” Gallt said.

Parents whose child was impacted by the incident have been provided with school resources. “Targeted teaching opportunities” have already occurred for grades 5-12.

Many parents with students at the school have expressed dissatisfaction with school administrators for their handling of the matter, including the school discipline of the student offenders involved.

One parent said police have obtained a subpoena for Snapchat records and will turn their investigation over to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office for review of charges once the investigation has concluded.

Another parent said the number of victims is more than 40 girls and ranges from high school to fifth-grade.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact the Lake Zurich Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 847-719-1690.

An occupant safely escaped after a fire sent flames and smoke erupting from a house, which took firefighters approximately 40 minutes to bring under control, in Riverwoods Thursday afternoon.

The Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District, Lincolnshire Police Department and Riverwoods Police Department responded around 4:53 p.m. Thursday to the 0-10 block of Cherrywood Lane in Riverwoods for a report of a structure fire.

Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls reporting smoke and flames coming from a residence, according to Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Steve McCaughey.

The incident was upgraded to a Confirmed Fire response to bring additional mutual aid fire departments.

Fire crews arrived and encountered a medium-sized, single-family residence with flames coming from the front and side of the home.

Initial reports indicated that an occupant was still possibly inside the home, McCaughey said.

Firefighters began conducting a search and aggressive attack on the fire.

McCaughey said firefighters determined the fire had originated in the basement where they extinguished the main body of fire.

Police officers were able to confirm that the occupant had safely exited the residence already and was at a neighbor’s home.

The fire was brought under control at approximately 5:33 p.m., 40 minutes after the incident was dispatched, McCaughey said.

Fire crews conducted salvage operations to protect the homeowner’s personal property. They ensured the fire was fully extinguished before investigation efforts began.

No injuries were reported to any residents or firefighters, McCaughey said.

The Deerfield-Bannockburn, Lake Forest, Northbrook, Highland Park, Mundelein, Lake Zurich, Buffalo Grove, Countryside, Libertyville, Long Grove and Lake Bluff fire departments assisted.

The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to bring fire investigators from throughout the area to the scene.

The house was deemed uninhabitable due to the extent of the damage, McCaughey said. A damage estimate was not immediately available.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Part of a house collapsed in McHenry, leaving a family of five homeless, and a tree fell onto a house in Woodstock amid storms that prompted a tornado warning in McHenry County Thursday evening.

The McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded around 9 p.m. Thursday to the 4200 block of West South Street in McHenry for a report of a structural collapse.

McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Chris Kozel said fire crews arrived within four minutes and found a collapsed foundation in the rear of a single-family, single-story house.

A family of five, including two young children, safely escaped the home as firefighters arrived on the scene.

Crews searched the unaffected areas of the house to confirm that there were no other occupants or pets, Kozel said.

Nicor, ComEd and the City of McHenry Building Department were requested to the scene to isolate utilities and prevent additional damage to the structure.

Firefighters secured the homeowner’s fence to prevent entry into the collapse area, Kozel said. The home remains uninhabitable and unstable.

Kozel said the severe weather and significant rainfall appear to be contributing factors to the structural failure.

The building department will continue its damage investigation once the storms have left the area.

The American Red Cross was called to the scene to provide the family with temporary shelter and access to necessities.

The McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded around an hour earlier to a separate call for a report of a rescue in the 1200 block of Court Street in McHenry.

A person called 911 to report their car was in a sinkhole after the roadway collapsed and they were trapped inside.

Kozel said fire crews arrived and found the car had actually entered a construction zone where there was a dug-out hole for concrete repairs.

Firefighters assisted the driver with getting their car out. They were uninjured and had misjudged the work zone due to the downpouring rain, Kozel said.

The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District said they also responded to multiple weather-related incidents across the area following the thunderstorms on Thursday evening and were continuing to work through storm-related damage and hazards.

In one of the incidents, a large tree was uprooted in the yard of a house and fell onto the home in the 600 block of South Jefferson Street around 8:05 p.m.

“As you move through the area, watch for hazards such as downed power lines, debris in the roadway, damaged trees, and flooded low-lying areas. Avoid anything that appears unstable, never approach downed lines, and use caution while driving,” the fire district said.

Fire crews were continuing to work throughout the evening and drivers were asked to slow down, remain alert and give responders plenty of space to operate.

A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect for McHenry County at the time of the incidents and a tornado warning was also issued for northern McHenry County from 7:40 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

The tornado warning from the National Weather Service (NWS) said there was radar indicated rotation and severe thunderstorms capable of producing both tornadoes and extensive straight-line wind damage were located along a line extending from Hebron to McHenry.

The NWS said showers and storms are possible again on Friday evening as a warm front moves northward.

Some storms may be strong to severe, though the threat for severe storms should diminish after midnight, the NWS said. Showers are expected to continue through daybreak on Saturday.

The historic Robert Parker Coffin Bridge in Long Grove was hit by a work van on Wednesday, marking at least the 72nd time the bridge has been struck in recent years.

The incident happened around 12:07 p.m. on Wednesday and was caught on surveillance video.

The video, captured by Neumann’s Cigars and More, showed the hit, which involved a white work van that had ladders on its roof.

The vehicle was traveling westbound on Robert Parker Coffin Road approaching Schaeffer Road when it occurred.

The ladders apparently scraped the bridge canopy and the driver of the van stopped the vehicle under the bridge and got out after it occurred.

It was at least the 72nd time the bridge has been struck since 2018.

Neumann’s Cigars and More told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the vehicle was briefly stuck but the driver took the ladders off the top of the van and was able to leave the scene.

The last bridge strike occurred on February 4 when a large box truck with the name of GreenGrids solar company was photographed by witnesses trapped under the bridge after the top of the vehicle struck the bridge’s canopy struts.

Workers were photographed letting the air out of the tires in an effort to move the vehicle out from underneath.

Two Lake County sheriff’s vehicles blocked the roadway while the Chevrolet truck rested under the bridge with damage to the top of the vehicle.

A bus carrying persons with disabilities struck the bridge on November 14, marking at least the 70th time the bridge had been hit.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Long Grove Fire Protection District were called to the scene after a 911 caller reported the bus carrying special needs students had struck the bridge.

No one was injured in the incident, authorities said at the time.

The 69th hit came after a white pickup truck pulling a large trailer struck the bridge and left the scene on October 9.

The bridge was also previously hit in June when a box truck’s roof struck the bridge canopy.

The damage to the roof of the vehicle was clearly noticeable during that incident, witnesses said.

The bridge was hit on May 20 when a box truck belonging to Northwest Trucks Inc. in Palatine attempted to drive onto the bridge, at which point it abruptly struck the bridge canopy.

The truck became wedged under the bridge canopy and the driver attempted to reverse out.

A deputy in a Lake County sheriff’s squad car that arrived on scene with its lights activated used his intercom to tell the driver, “Stop, it’s not moving.”

The driver initially attempted to lower the air pressure in the tires but it was unsuccessful and a tow truck was called to remove the truck.

The bridge was blocked for approximately three hours during the May 20 incident.

Before that, a white Toys for Tots box truck struck the bridge in December 2024 but did not get stuck and was able to reverse.

A small truck carrying an oversized, vertically stacked load struck the top girders of the bridge on October 30, 2024.

Surveillance video showed the truck’s oversized load hitting the top of the bridge before stopping and immediately reversing to free itself.

“There are numerous signs informing drivers of the height restriction and signs prohibiting trucks and buses from using the bridge,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli has said previously.

The bridge, formerly known as the Long Grove Covered Bridge, was renamed in September 2022 to the Robert Parker Coffin Bridge after Robert Parker Coffin, who designed the bridge cover.

The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

No one was injured but multiple residents were displaced after a garage fire damaged two townhouses and an electric vehicle in Waukegan Saturday evening.

The Waukegan Fire Department responded around 6 p.m. Saturday to the 1500 block of Candlestick Way in Waukegan for a report of a structure fire.

Firefighters arrived and found heavy fire coming from the garage of the middle unit of a two-story townhouse, Waukegan Battalion Fire Chief of Administration Todd Zupec said.

The occupants of the townhouse evacuated prior to the fire department’s arrival.

There was also an electric vehicle inside the garage.

The first arriving engine crew – based out of Waukegan Fire Station #2 off O’Plaine Road, which covers the southwest corner of the fire department’s district – initiated an offensive attack while waiting for additional fire apparatus to arrive.

When additional support arrived, crews completed ventilation and search operations of the townhouse, Zupec said.

“Most of the fire was contained to the garage area, but there was extension into the unit and some roof and soffit areas,” Zupec said.

Tow truck crews responded to remove the electric vehicle from the garage so firefighters could fully extinguish the fire.

Crews continued to remain on scene to conduct overhaul operations, like extinguishing hot spots, of the garage and living areas of the townhouse.

The incident was upgraded to the box alarm level for change of quarters companies only through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), bringing in other fire departments to cover other calls in Waukegan.

No one was injured, Zupec added.

The American Red Cross was requested for occupants from two of the townhouse units who were displaced.

The Waukegan Building Department and damage restoration crews with RESTORE also responded to the scene.

A damage estimate was not immediately available.

The fire remains under investigation by the Waukegan Fire Department.

The sheriff says an Antioch man was found to have generated sexually explicit videos of a child relative using AI before trying to frame the child’s mother with the crime by making a false police report.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 3:30 p.m. on March 25 to meet with Stuart M. Lowrey, 35, of unincorporated Antioch, for a suspicious incident report.

Lowrey told deputies that he was walking in his neighborhood when he was approached by an unknown woman, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.

He claimed the woman handed him a cell phone and told him there was child pornography on the device.

Lowrey stated that the woman also provided him with the phone’s passcode before walking away, Covelli said.

Lowrey said he returned home, used the passcode to unlock the phone and located videos depicting a young child engaged in sexual acts.

Covelli said Lowrey identified the child depicted in the videos as a relative of his.

Detectives were called to investigate further due to inconsistencies in Lowrey’s account.

Lowrey changed his version of events multiple times while discussing with detectives and eventually admitted he had lied about the initial story, Covelli said.

A further investigation showed that Lowrey is involved in an ongoing custody dispute with the mother of the child in the images.

Lowrey is a distant relative of the child and had previously obtained custody of her.

Covelli said investigators learned Lowrey had taken photographs of the child and the child’s mother and used an online service to generate sexually explicit videos using those images, including videos depicting the child.

Sheriff’s detectives arrested Lowrey and initially charged him with filing a false police report.

Detectives also obtained a search warrant for Lowrey’s cell phone.

The child was then taken into protective custody by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Covelli said.

The child was interviewed at the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center in Gurnee.

A forensic analysis of Lowrey’s phone revealed numerous videos of child pornography, including additional AI-generated videos exploiting the child and the child’s mother, Covelli said.

The facts and circumstances of the investigation were reviewed by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, which authorized an arrest warrant.

The warrant was approved on Wednesday by a judge, charging Lowrey with five counts of producing child sexual abuse material, a Class X felony.

Sheriff’s detectives arrested Lowrey at his home on Wednesday.

Detectives also conducted a search warrant at the residence earlier in the day and seized additional electronic devices, which are pending forensic analysis.

“This is a disturbing case involving someone accused of deliberately creating videos that sexually exploit a child, then attempting to mislead deputies with a fabricated story. We take crimes against children and the most vulnerable very seriously and will pursue every lead to protect victims while holding offenders accountable,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.

“I am proud of the deputies and detectives who quickly uncovered the truth and ensured the child was removed from this horrific situation, as well as the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office for their continued collaboration on this case,” Idleburg said.

Lowrey appeared for a detention hearing on Thursday afternoon and Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted a petition to detain the man pending trial.

“Judge, this is not a hobby. He’s not collecting ships in a bottle or Pokemon cards. He’s collecting child sexual abuse material,” Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Windmoeller said during the hearing as he argued for Lowrey to be detained due to his dangerousness.

A public defender for Lowrey said her client has never been charged with anything before and the intent behind the generated videos was not to be disseminated to others but instead to frame the mother of the child so the child would not be returned to her.

Covelli said the investigation remains ongoing and additional charges are likely.

Lowrey remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on April 29 for a preliminary hearing.

A judge sentenced a mother to 45 years in prison in the “brutal and heinous” murder of her 6-year-old son in North Chicago whose burned body was dumped near an abandoned home.

Jannie M. Perry, 42, of North Chicago, was charged in January 2022, with first-degree murder, dismembering a human body, aggravated battery of a child, aggravated domestic battery, concealing a homicidal death, child endangerment, abuse of a corpse, parent giving false information, failure to report child death and obstructing justice for the death of her son — 6-year-old Damari Perry.

Prosecutors also charged Damari’s 25-year-old brother, Jeremiah R. Perry, with first-degree murder, dismembering a human body, aggravated battery of a child, aggravated domestic battery, concealing a homicidal death, child endangerment, abuse of a corpse and obstructing justice.

A third defendant, who authorities said is a juvenile family member, was also charged in the case.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Kyle Doyle said the family of Damari reported that the boy “did something that the mother felt needed to be punished for” on December 29, 2021.

Detectives testified that Damari took food from the garbage, which upset the mother and other members of the household.

The next day, Damari was put into a tub or shower with the cold water on for an “extended period of time,” Doyle said.

Damari vomited and became unresponsive at some point. It was determined the boy was deceased but no one in the family called 911, Doyle said.

The incident occurred at the family’s apartment in the 1700 block of Sheridan Road in North Chicago.

Doyle said that Jannie Perry and Jeremiah Perry discussed how to dispose of the body and ended up taking it to Indiana.

The family drove Damari’s body to Indiana, burned it and left him near an abandoned garage, detectives testified.

Almost a week after Damari’s death, the family reported the boy missing on January 5, 2022.

Damari’s 16-year-old sister told investigators that she and Damari were driven to a party in the Skokie area by a man and a woman.

Damari’s sister claimed that she had several drinks at the party and fell asleep. When she awoke approximately two hours later, she claimed Damari and the man were no longer in the apartment.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said investigators determined the family’s story about Damari going missing in Skokie was “completely false.”

Information from witnesses led to the discovery of Damari’s body near an abandoned house in the 700 block of Van Buren Street in Gary, Indiana, according to police and the state’s attorney’s office.

The boy was found wrapped naked in a plastic trash bag, the Lake County, Indiana, Coroner’s Office said.

Detectives testified that one of the witnesses ultimately led them to the location of Damari’s body.

He had bruises, an extremely cold core temperature and partially frozen internal organs, an autopsy found.

His death was ruled a homicide and the cause of death was ruled hypothermia. The coroner’s office said Damari also had postmortem burns.

According to the grand jury indictment, the grand jury found evidence that the boy’s murder was “exceptionally brutal and heinous,” which allows prosecutors to seek natural life sentences.

“As prosecutors considered the crime scene where Damari died, it became clear that this was a calculated plan against a small child. Damari’s final minutes warrant the sentencing enhancements that accompany such ‘brutal and heinous’ circumstances,” Rinehart said in 2022.

The charge of dismembering a human body stems from evidence that the family burned Damari’s remains after his death.

Court records show Jannie Perry entered into a partially negotiated plea deal in December with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.

She pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder and the rest of her charges were dismissed, which means she no longer faces the natural life in prison sentence.

Prosecutors previously indicated that they could seek up to 60 years in prison for the dismembering charge alone.

The charge she pleaded guilty to carries a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 45 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC).

Lake County Judge Christopher Lombardo sentenced Perry to 45 years in the IDOC following a sentencing hearing held on Thursday afternoon.

Before being sentenced, Perry gave a very brief statement of allocution where she apologized and said that she has been a mother for over 20 years but that it “doesn’t come with a manual.”

Two North Chicago police officers testified during the hearing and prosecutors also played two videos for the judge.

One of them was only a few seconds and showed Damari’s sister knocking his head against the kitchen counter after catching the boy in the garbage.

The second video was several minutes long and showed a phone setup to catch Damari “stealing” crackers.

Both videos, which showed the boy naked with his hands tied behind his back, were texted to the mother, who responded by saying she was so sick of the “disgusting skeleton.”

A victim impact statement was given by Damari’s father, who described the boy as being a strong, sweet and loving little boy who only wanted to be loved by those around him.

Prosecutors argued that the crime was not a result of a mistake but part of a pattern of abuse by his mother that he had endured.

Prosecutors showed evidence that Damari appeared to be malnourished and had a missing patch of hair.

Prosecutors sought the maximum 45-year sentence, while Perry’s defense attorney sought 20 years, before Lombardo handed down his sentence.

The sentence will be served at 100% in accordance with truth-in-sentencing guidelines. She will receive credit for time spent in the county jail.

“We must honor Damari by making sure this never happens again. One way we can do this is by being loud and clear: If you choose to harm a child, and that child dies as a result of your abuse, you will be charged with murder, we will seek to detain you while the case is pending, and then you will face imprisonment,” Rinehart said after the sentencing hearing.

“This defendant’s cold and intentional actions to hurt a child has been answered with decades in prison. Our hearts and our efforts will always remain with those who loved and cared about Damari,” Rinehart said.

The case against Jeremiah Perry remains ongoing and is set for a jury trial on May 4.

Traffic on Route 31 was completely shut down for almost two hours after a live power line fell down and caused a fire near McHenry Thursday morning.

The McHenry Township Fire Protection District and McHenry Police Department responded around 8:22 a.m. Thursday to the area of Buss Ford, 111 South Route 31 in McHenry, for a report of a power line down.

Fire crews arrived and found a power line that was down on the ground.

The power line sparked a fire that burned the pole and the grass around the pole, according to fire department radio traffic.

Police officers shut down all lanes of traffic northbound and southbound on Route 31 from Bull Valley Road and High Street.

Police issued a community alert warning motorists to avoid the area due to the incident, which would require a detour for the “next couple hours.”

“Seek alternative routes and avoid the area while work is being done to fix the issue,” the alert said.

ComEd was requested to the scene with an expedited response and arrived quickly.

ComEd crews worked to de-energize the live power line before they could begin repairing the pole. A small number of households in the area lost power.

Police reported around 10:05 a.m. that Route 31 was fully reopened but ComEd remained on the scene working.

“Roadway is open but traffic patterns are altered. Use caution driving through the area,” the alert said.

Fire officials said it is unknown what caused it but it was possible that it occurred due to the wind and rain. There was no crash and the pole was not snapped.

The roadway was shut down as a safety precaution due to the potential for the downed wire to whip around, fire officials said.

A 62-year-old man was hospitalized but is expected to survive after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle across Green Bay Road in North Chicago Tuesday morning.

The North Chicago Police Department and North Chicago Fire Department responded around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday to the area of Green Bay Road and Audrey Nixon Boulevard for a vehicle crash with injuries.

North Chicago Police Department Assistant Chief Gary Lunn said officers arrived and found a crash involving a bicyclist and a car.

The bicyclist, who was dressed in dark clothing, was attempting to cross Green Bay Road just south of the intersection, Lunn said.

The vehicle was traveling eastbound on Audrey Nixon Boulevard and made a right-hand turn onto southbound Green Bay Road.

Lunn said the vehicle struck the bicyclist after making the turn. Emergency crews arrived and found the victim down on the ground.

Paramedics transported the 62-year-old man to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for treatment.

The driver pulled over, remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation, Lunn said.

No impairment is suspected with the driver of the vehicle.

Green Bay Road was shut down for several hours after the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) was activated to investigate the incident.

Lunn said that MCAT was called due to the injuries initially thought to be serious. The hospital later confirmed the victim was stabilized and is expected to survive.

No citations or charges have been issued as the crash remains under investigation by MCAT.

A mother has filed a lawsuit against Zion-Benton Township High School in Zion, saying that the district failed to follow its own policies, leading to her child being critically injured in a stabbing during math class.

The lawsuit was filed by parent Karen Tamez in Lake County Circuit Court on Thursday against Zion-Benton Township High School District 126.

Karen Tamez and her minor daughter are represented by attorneys David Bawcum and Sean Burke.

The complaint says Zion-Benton Township High School is responsible for “permanently disabling” injuries suffered by a 17-year-old girl who was stabbed by a fellow student during her second-period math class at the school on January 9.

The suit says the high school has mandatory safety and security procedures, including policies requiring classroom doors to remain locked during instructional periods, but alleges that those procedures were not followed on the day of the attack.

A teacher unlocked the door to the classroom to let the suspect student, who arrived late, into the room in violation of the mandatory procedures, the suit said.

The complaint said the suspect student immediately verbally confronted the victim, which escalated but there was no effort made to separate the students or summon security personnel.

The suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times, leaving her with the loss of a kidney, internal injuries, pain, emotional distress and medical expenses, the suit said.

The complaint said that the district maintained an alternative education program for students whose behavior posed a risk to others.

Bawcum said the school failed to enforce its own safety rules and failed to use its alternative program to address the risk posed by the offending student, who has a history of disciplinary issues.

“This is an outrageous betrayal of the school’s students and families,” Bawcum said.

“Parents send their kids to school with the expectation and the assurance that the school administrators and teachers will put the safety and best interests of their students first. To then find out it was an empty promise – that the policies and procedures intended to keep their children safe were not even being implemented – that is a massive abuse of parental trust, one that cannot be ignored,” he said.

Burke said that Zion-Benton administrators should have known the violent student posed a danger to her classmates and they should have taken appropriate measures to prevent the attack that they “could have easily foreseen, based on the assailant’s record at this and previous schools.”

The Zion Police Department and Zion Fire-Rescue Department responded around 8:50 a.m. that day to Zion-Benton Township High School, 3901 21st Street in Zion, for a stabbing.

Zion Deputy Police Chief Christopher Sweeting said an incident between two students led to one being stabbed.

Officers rendered aid to the 17-year-old victim until paramedics arrived and took over care.

She was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with critical injuries, Sweeting said.

The school resource officer at District 126 was able to obtain the offender information and the suspect, a 17-year-old girl, fled but was quickly arrested off campus.

Zion Police Department Lt. Paul Kehrli said Monday that the suspect, whose identity was not released because she is a minor, was referred to the juvenile justice system on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, which is a Class 3 felony.

She was transported to the Robert W. Depke Juvenile Complex Center in Vernon Hills for secure detention, Kehrli said.

Zion-Benton School District 126 said in a statement that the incident on campus was “isolated” and the school was placed on “Code Yellow” out of an abundance of caution.

The injured student and her mother are seeking a judgment against the school, the attacker and that student’s parent, along with restitution for medical expenses.

Meteorologists are warning about strong to severe weather in northern Illinois that could bring tornadoes, along with wind gusts up to 70 mph and hail, Thursday afternoon into the evening.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a hazardous weather outlook on Thursday morning for Lake, McHenry, Winnebago, Kane, Cook, Will, DuPage, Boone, Ogle, Lee, DeKalb, LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy, Kankakee, Livingston, Iroquois and Ford counties.

The outlook said portions of northeast and north central Illinois will see a thunderstorm risk and elevated wind risk.

The NWS said waves of showers and thunderstorms are expected throughout the day on Thursday.

The timing for the primary severe weather threat is expected between 3 and 9 p.m., the NWS said.

The outlook said damaging winds in excess of 70 mph and possible tornadoes will be the primary severe threats. Hail up to a quarter in size is also possible.

The greatest threat of tornadoes later Thursday will be across northwestern Illinois near Interstate 39 and west.

The NWS has rated the area as a Level 3 of 5 for tornado risk and a Level 3 of 5 for damaging wind risk.

Locally heavy rainfall will accompany the storms and may result in some instances of flooding, particularly in low-lying areas, the outlook said.

Gusty southerly winds up to 45 to 50 mph are expected outside of thunderstorms.

The NWS said additional waves of showers and storms are possible on Friday afternoon into Saturday morning. A few of the storms may be severe.

Residents are urged to have multiple ways to get weather warnings and stay up-to-date on the forecast.

Multiple fire departments were called after a fire burned approximately 20 acres of a cornfield near Huntley Saturday afternoon, fire officials said.

The Huntley Fire Protection District responded around 4:03 p.m. Saturday to the area of Route 47 and Big Timber Road in unincorporated Huntley for a report of a brush fire.

Fire crews arrived and found an active fire in the cornfield west of Route 47 along Big Timber Road.

The fire was not accessible from the roadway and brush trucks were called to the scene to aid in extinguishment.

Huntley Fire Protection District Acting Battalion Chief Todd Penkava said the fire was called in to 911 by a passerby.

The fire burned approximately 20 acres and it took approximately two hours to extinguish, Penkava said.

The Pingree Grove & Countryside Fire Protection District and the Rutland Dundee Fire Protection District responded to assist.

The fire occurred in an area that has no fire hydrants, Penkava said. A water tender truck was also dispatched.

Firefighters stopped the fire before it could damage any structures.

No road closures were needed and no one was injured, Penkava said.

An ambulance was dispatched to the scene for a farmer but he did not require transport to the hospital.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known and remains under investigation by the Huntley Fire Protection District.

A driver was arrested and charged with driving nearly three times over the legal limit after crashing into his neighbor’s house, coming within just inches of striking an elderly woman inside, in Woodstock.

Keven J. Walton, 22, of Woodstock, was charged with two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving on a suspended license, failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash and illegal transportation of alcohol by a driver.

The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District and Woodstock Police Department responded around 7:58 p.m. to the 2400 block of Applewood Lane in Woodstock for a report of a vehicle crash.

Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said crews were responding and informed that a vehicle possibly struck a home.

Firefighters arrived a short time later and confirmed a vehicle, driven by Walton, had driven into a residence on the corner of Aspen Drive and Applewood Lane, Vucha said.

The collision caused moderate damage to both the vehicle and the home. The car struck the corner of the house near the chimney.

The home was occupied by an elderly woman, who was seated within inches of the point of impact, Vucha said.

“Despite being so close to where the vehicle struck the home, she was not injured,” he said.

Walton refused medical attention at the scene. He was arrested by police officers following field sobriety testing.

An officer noted in a report that Walton was driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.220, which is nearly three times the legal limit.

The report said Walton showed signs of slow and slurred speech along with bloodshot, glassy, watery eyes. He also showed swaying and balance issues while standing, the report said.

Walton had multiple indicators of impairment during standardized field sobriety testing, the report added.

The Woodstock Building and Planning Department was requested to evaluate the damage to the home.

Vucha said Nicor Gas was requested to the scene to mitigate a small natural gas leak caused by the crash.

Firefighters remained at the scene until nearly 10 p.m. assisting with minor cleanup and ensuring the resident had the information and resources needed.

The home remains habitable. Court records show Walton lives next door to the house that he hit, in the 2400 block of Aspen Drive.

Walton was released from custody on pre-trial release and given a notice to appear in court on April 9 for a plea hearing.

Court records show he has multiple other active cases for driving on a suspended license in McHenry County.

A Barrington man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for selling drugs throughout the Chicagoland area, including fentanyl-laced drugs that led to the death of a 20-year-old man in Lake Barrington.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded on December 1, 2022, to a residence in the 25600 block of North Countryside Drive in Lake Barrington for a death investigation.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said at the time that the victim was a male who lived at the residence.

He was later identified as Joshua L. Burks, 20, of Lake Barrington.

Sheriff’s detectives conducted an investigation and the Lake County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy on Burks.

It was determined that Burks died of a drug overdose, Covelli said. Fentanyl was a contributing drug to his death.

Detectives discovered Burks had been communicating with Luke G. Napolitano, 23, of Barrington.

Sheriff’s detectives determined Napolitano was responsible for selling the victim drugs the day prior to his death, Covelli said.

Covelli said investigators learned Napolitano was selling drugs in Lake, DuPage and Cook counties.

Detectives consulted with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office due to the drug dealing in multiple counties.

A statewide grand jury was convened on June 9, 2023, and the jury issued an indictment charging Napolitano with drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 2 felony.

Napolitano was also facing drug-related charges in Cook and DuPage Counties.

A Lee County judge issued an arrest warrant for Napolitano following the indictment and set the bond at $1 million.

Napolitano was held in the Cook County Jail on previous charges in Cook County and later transferred to the Lake County Jail on the new charges.

“Drug traffickers, like this man, prey on those who are vulnerable and struggling with addiction. There is no place in our society for drug pushers who profit from other’s struggles,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said at the time of his arrest.

“I am grateful for the work of our staff and their collaboration with colleagues from across the region. It is our hope that these charges begin to bring closure to the victim’s family,” Idleburg said.

A Lake County jury found Napolitano guilty of the charges in April 2025.

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office prosecuted Napolitano on the drug-induced homicide charges in Lake County due to the multi-county crime.

A sentencing hearing was held on Monday and Lake County Judge Christopher Lombardo sentenced Napolitano to 12 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

“While this sentence in no way makes up for the loss felt by the family of Joshua Burks, it is my hope that it provides some healing and relief,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said.

“Fentanyl-laced drugs have devastated Illinois families and communities, and I will continue to use my authority to hold individuals accountable for distributing fentanyl-laced drugs,” Raoul said.

Napolitano’s sentence will be served consecutively to a 10-year sentence he received in a separate case where he was convicted of selling fentanyl to an undercover officer with the Illinois State Police.