A husband and wife have been charged with stealing and laundering almost $300,000 in funds from a business in Hawthorn Woods where they were employed, police said.

The owner of Monoceros Corporation made a theft report on March 23, 2025, with the Hawthorn Woods Police Department.

The owner of the Hawthorn Woods-based business reported suspected financial misconduct involving two former employees, according to Hawthorn Woods Deputy Police Chief Sarah Canada.

The employees were identified as Edward Lebak, 59, and Beth Lebak, 58, both of Neillsville, Wisconsin.

Edward Lebak was employed as a site superintendent and Beth Lebak served as the office manager, Canada said.

Both were employed by the company from 2019 through 2023.

Canada said a forensic audit of the company’s financial records included a review of QuickBooks files, bank account statements, credit card statements and other financial documents.

The investigation revealed that the Lebaks misappropriated more than $280,000 in company funds, Canada said.

Police did not say what Lebaks did with the funds after allegedly misappropriating them.

The case was presented to a Lake County grand jury and they returned indictments against the Lebaks on July 15.

Both were charged with theft by deception, money laundering over $100,000, conspiracy to commit a financial crime over $100,000 and continuing a financial crimes enterprise. All charges are Class 1 felonies.

Arrest warrants were issued for the couple and they were arrested on Tuesday.

Beth Lebak and Edward Lebak appeared in First Appearance Court on Wednesday. The charges against them are non-detainable under the Illinois SAFE-T Act.

Lake County Judge Randie Bruno released the couple with pre-trial conditions that include a no-contact order with the business or its owner.

The two are scheduled to appear in court again on August 13 to be arraigned on the charges.

$200,000 in damage was caused and firefighters had to use 30,000 gallons of water to extinguish a fire that broke out in a kiln at a firewood supplier in Lake in the Hills.

The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department responded around 11:27 a.m. Sunday to Lumberjacks Inc., 8195 Pyott Road in Lake in the Hills, for a possible mulch fire.

Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department Battalion Chief Darrell Cook said firefighters arrived and found a fire in one of the wood kilns on the property.

The incident was upgraded to a Working Fire response and then upgraded again to a box alarm through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS).

The upgrades brought the Algonquin, Barrington, Carpentersville, Cary, Fox River Grove, Huntley, Marengo, McHenry, Nunda Rural, Wauconda, Woodstock, Wonder Lake and Union fire departments to assist.

Firefighters deployed two hose lines and an aerial master stream to extinguish the fire, Cook said.

No fire hydrants were in the immediate area and a rural water supply was established with tender trucks hauling in water to the scene.

Approximately 30,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the fire, Cook said.

Employees of Lumberjacks used machinery to assist in removing materials from the kilns to aid firefighters in extinguishing the blaze.

“Firefighters took great care to protect adjacent gasoline and diesel tanks/pumps and a vast supply of firewood during the fire suppression effort,” Cook said.

No civilians or firefighters were injured. Damage was estimated to be $200,000.

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

Many fire and police departments are actively searching by water and land along the Des Plaines River in Libertyville Friday morning for a young man who disappeared Thursday.

The missing person is a 30-year-old male white, with red hair and blue eyes. A friend of the man’s mother said the family did not wish to release his name yet.

The searches began Thursday afternoon along the Des Plaines River Trail off of West Oak Spring Road and near Lake Minear Beach in Libertyville.

The man was last seen at Lake Minear Beach. He weighs 140 pounds and is 5-foot-10.

Lake County Forest Preserves police officers – along with K-9s from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Mundelein Police Department, Waukegan Police Department and Arlington Heights Police Department – were seen searching along the trail.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said the sheriff’s office also assisted with a drone unit and an inland boat.

The searches continued through the evening before resuming Friday morning.

Boats and swift water technicians from departments across Lake and McHenry counties were requested just after 10 a.m. Friday through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS).

Equipment and personnel gathered at the Oak Spring Road Canoe Launch and in the parking lot of Lake Minear Beach as they searched both the Des Plaines River and Lake Minear.

At least nine specialized swift water rescue technicians were at the scene. Responders were also using ATVs on the river trail to search.

Lake County Forest Preserves Police Chief Ron Davis said the 30-year-old man was reported missing after leaving his Evanston home.

He was last seen near a Lake County forest preserve, Davis said, adding that police have conducted an extensive search with help from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and local fire departments.

“Despite these efforts, authorities have not located him, and the investigation remains active,” Davis said late Friday morning.

Two suspects have been charged as adults after five suspects, who were armed with machine guns, carjacked a mother and her child at Target in Waukegan and led police on a high-speed pursuit through Lake County.

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. on March 17, 2024, at the Target, 3050 North Lewis Avenue in Waukegan.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Jeffrey Facklam said a suspect armed with a handgun pointed it at a woman’s head while demanding her car.

The woman was frightened and told the suspect that she needed to get her son out of the car first, Facklam said.

Then-Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Scott Chastain said the 33-year-old Waukegan woman was able to remove her young son from her dark gray 2015 Dodge Durango.

Four or five suspects then fled in the Dodge southbound on Lewis Avenue from the scene.

A witness who saw the incident unfolding called 911 and provided dispatchers with a description of the main suspect.

Elijah Monette, 22, of Zion, matched the description of the main carjacking suspect, Facklam said.

Facklam said a Flock camera later alerted officers to the location of the stolen Dodge.

Officers spotted the stolen vehicle around 2:40 p.m. and attempted to stop it.

The Dodge failed to stop, made evasive maneuvers and a police pursuit ensued, Facklam said. Numerous police departments assisted in the chase.

The chase traveled through Wadsworth and entered into the Gurnee area on Hunt Club Road.

The Dodge sideswiped another occupied vehicle at Hunt Club Road and Grand Avenue in Gurnee, Chastain said.

The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) responded to the Gurnee crash to conduct an investigation.

During the chase, the Dodge lost its front driver-side tire and the vehicle was driving on the rim.

The pursuit continued southbound on Hunt Club Road and went eastbound on Route 120 through Park City before briefly entering back into Waukegan.

The chase, which reached speeds of 120 mph at one point, then went south into North Chicago where it came to an end in a grassy lot near Argonne Drive and Kennedy Drive.

Approximately six subjects fled on foot from the Dodge, Facklam said.

Numerous police departments, consisting of dozens of police officers, responded to the scene alongside drones and canine units, police officials said.

A perimeter was set up and a search ensued for the suspects. Chastain said officers took four suspects into custody.

Monette was charged in March 2024 with two counts of aggravated vehicular hijacking, possession of a machine gun, possession of a stolen vehicle, five counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and resisting a peace officer causing injury.

In addition to Monette, J’Keveon Lewis, 20, of Zion, was charged with possession of a machine gun, possession of a stolen vehicle and five counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

The driver of the vehicle, J’Corey Lewis, 17, of Waukegan, is being tried as an adult in Lake County Circuit Court on a slew of charges.

Javarion Tiller, 18, and Christopher Arline, 19, who were both juveniles at the time and were initially charged as such, have since been charged as adults as of earlier this month.

The two were charged with nearly two dozen charges each, including armed violence, possession of a machine gun and aggravated vehicular hijacking.

J’Keveon Lewis admitted he knew the car was stolen and also said that he possessed multiple guns in the car, Facklam said.

J’Keveon Lewis also said he videotaped himself on Snapchat with the guns as well as took a video of the police chasing after the stolen car, Facklam said.

Everyone in the car was reported to be armed with guns. Four guns, some of which had “switch” devices rendering them fully automatic, were recovered, Chastain said.

One of the handguns had an extended magazine with a 30-round capacity and another gun was stolen.

Chastain said two Waukegan police squad cars sustained minor damage in the chase when one was struck by flying debris and the other experienced a blown tire.

“This was a horrific crime that occurred in broad daylight with no regard for human life, based on the actions of the offenders,” Chastain said after the arrests.

Court records show Monette pleaded guilty in February to one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking, a Class X felony.

Lake County Judge James Booras sentenced Monette to 21 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

“What started as a terrifying ordeal for a mother and her young son, resulted in a high-speed chase that jeopardized the safety of the community,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, whose office handled the prosecution, said.

“The collaboration between my office and the Waukegan Police Department was instrumental in our ability to hold this individual responsible for this crime and compromising public safety,” Raoul added.

“It is a pleasure to learn of the court decision resulting from the combined efforts of Waukegan Patrol Officers, Waukegan Criminal Investigators, and the Attorney General’s Office,” Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Craig Neal said after the sentencing hearing.

“Working collaboratively, we were able to successfully hold suspects accountable for their crimes while committing an aggravated vehicular hijacking. This horrendous act forever impacted the life of a victim and their family. Our hope is the justice served acts as a deterrent for others seeking to commit such crimes,” Neal said.

The cases against J’Keveon Lewis and J’Corey Lewis, along with Arline and Tiller, remain pending in Lake County Circuit Court.

Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted petitions to detain Arline and Tiller in custody after they were charged as adults earlier this month.

The National Weather Service says eastern Lake County experienced winds of 80-90 mph during intense storms that brought at least seven tornadoes to the Chicago area Monday, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said Thursday that heat and oppressive humidity across the region on Monday resulted in “extreme instability, providing ample fuel for severe weather.”

“A subtle weather disturbance interacting with the extreme instability yielded a fairly narrow corridor of thunderstorms from eastern Wisconsin into northeast Illinois in the late morning,” the weather service said.

“With an unseasonably high degree of wind shear in place, some of the storms quickly became severe,” the NWS said.

Intense supercell thunderstorms produced several confirmed tornado paths, extensive straight-line wind damage and damaging hail up to three inches in diameter, as they tracked southeastward into the early to mid-afternoon on Monday.

A line of severe storms originating from eastern Wisconsin caused additional scattered wind damage to portions of the Chicago metro area in the mid to late afternoon.

The NWS said that they have confirmed a total of seven tornadoes so far from the severe weather event.

Those included EF-0 tornadoes in Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Downers Grove, Romeoville, Orland Park, Country Club Hills and Glenwood, and Lynwood.

The majority of the damage that occurred in and near the Chicago metropolitan area was caused by strong to destructive straight-line winds.

Portions of southern Cook and eastern Will counties, including Chicago Heights, Ford Heights, Sauk Village, Steger, Crete, Monee, University Park, Frankfort and Beecher, were among the hardest hit areas and experienced 80-90+ mph wind gusts that led to substantial tree damage and multiple instances of structural damage.

“The exceptionally moist air mass in place was conducive to torrential rainfall rates with the strongest storms, which resulted in areas of flooding. This included instances of notable flash flooding in some of the suburbs just outside of the city of Chicago,” the weather service said.

“The reality is that northern Illinois is experiencing a level of severe weather unlike what we’ve seen in recent years. In fact, our service area has already experienced more storms this year than in all of 2025, with five months remaining in the year,” ComEd said.

More than 530,000 customers were impacted by power outages.

Maywood, Crestwood, Bolingbrook, University Park, Chicago Heights, Glen Ellyn, Skokie, Waukegan and Libertyville were among the hardest hit, ComEd said.

Data showeds 11% of customers — over 32,000 homes and businesses — in Lake County remained without power as of noon on Tuesday.

More than 2,300 personnel were deployed across northern Illinois and were “working around the clock” to restore service earlier this week.

In Waukegan, flooding was reported on Green Bay Road north of Belvidere Road.

Waukegan Public Works crews are still tending to several calls, like downed trees.

In one case, a downed tree was reportedly completely blocking Yorkhouse Road east of Lewis Avenue.

In Gurnee, flooding was reported on Washington Street under Route 21 and parts of Grand Avenue on the east side of town.

A part of a tree fell on power lines in the yard of a home near West Keith Avenue and Green Place in unincorporated Waukegan.

In Zion, downed power lines caught the back of a house on fire in the 2900 block of Gilboa Avenue.

The Zion-Benton Public Library lost power and closed early.

In Lake Bluff, a vehicle stalled due to flooding at the Route 176 viaduct under Sheridan Road.

Significant flooding was reported on Audrey Nixon Boulevard at Sheridan Road in North Chicago.

In Lake Forest, emergency crews responded to live power lines that were down on Route 43 north of Conway Road.

Some drivers were reportedly driving over the wires as emergency responders scrambled to control traffic and shut down the road.

At Riverwoods Road and Duffy Lane in Lincolnshire, motorists were forced to detour due to power lines that fell.

In Deerfield, a tree fell and blocked the roadway at Deerfield Road and Woodward Avenue.

The Port Clinton Parking Garage in Highland Park experienced flooding and is closed until pump repairs are complete.

Malfunctioning traffic signals were also reported throughout the county.

The railroad gates on Route 137 just east of Route 41 in North Chicago malfunctioned, causing a major traffic backup during rush hour.

A myriad of other facilities like the Lake Forest Recreation Center, Lake Bluff Recreation Center and Lake Bluff Public Library were forced to close. The Waukegan City Hall building also lost power and closed.

Police conducted an extensive search but were unable to find anyone after a woman claimed to have seen a young child standing alone in Barrington in the middle of the night.

The Barrington Police Department responded late in the evening on July 23 and into the morning of July 24 to a suspicious circumstances incident.

A woman called authorities to report she had seen a “young child” standing along the road, Barrington Police Chief David Daigle said.

She said she saw the child standing on the side of Hillside Avenue.

Officers made contact with the complainant, who estimated the child was approximately eight years old.

Officers responded to the general area and conducted a search but were unable to locate any wandering children.

The Palatine Police Department had a canine unit on duty and responded to assist in a track. The dog did not hit on anything.

The Arlington Heights Police Department had a drone unit available and responded to conduct an air search but it also ended without results.

Police officers were seen in the area of Lincoln Avenue and Hough Street, staged at the Salem United Methodist Church, around 2 a.m.

“Truth is we don’t even know if there was a kid or was it the figment of someone’s imagination,” Daigle said.

The police chief said his department has not received any reports of missing children.

Six people were transported to the hospital after a car failed to yield at a stop sign and caused a crash that left one person trapped in Zion Friday evening, authorities said.

The Zion Police Department and Zion Fire Department responded around 5:15 p.m.  Friday to 26th Street and Lewis Avenue in Zion for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.

Police officers and firefighter/medics arrived to find a 2019 Honda Accord sedan and a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV involved with heavy damage.

Both vehicles had a driver and two passengers, Zion Police Department Lt. Derek Zaloudek said.

One of the passengers of the Jeep was trapped and had to be extricated by firefighters.

Additional ambulances from the Beach Park, Winthrop Harbor and Zion fire departments responded to the scene.

The Honda – driven by a 19-year-old woman from Zion – was traveling westbound on 26th Street approaching Lewis Avenue, Zaloudek said.

The woman “told officers that she stopped at the stop sign posted for westbound traffic and then proceeded into the intersection, failing to see the northbound Jeep,” which was driven by a 56-year-old Waukegan man, Zaloudek said. A collision then occurred.

The man and his two passengers in the Jeep, along with the woman and her two passengers in the Honda, were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers issued citations to the woman for failure to yield the right of way to approaching vehicles.

The man driving the Jeep was cited for driving with a revoked license.

Zion police officers and firefighters were kept busy with another crash that occurred at around 6:30 p.m. at Route 173 and Lorelei Drive.

In that crash, a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a 2010 Ford Edge collided after the Jeep, which was traveling southbound on Lorelei Drive, failed to yield at the stop sign for the Ford, which was traveling westbound on Route 173, Zaloudek said.

Crews evaluated four people – one from the Jeep and three from the Ford – but no one was transported to the hospital.

The driver of the Jeep – a 19-year-old from Zion – was cited for failing to yield the right of way at an intersection, Zaloudek added.

Good Samaritans helped save vintage sports cars and firefighters rescued two dogs after a fire caused significant damage to a house in Wonder Lake, leaving a family homeless Thursday morning.

The Wonder Lake Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 11:35 a.m. Thursday to the 7400 block of Salem Road in Wonder Lake for a report of a structure fire.

Wonder Lake Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Chris Kozel said firefighters arrived on the scene in less than two minutes and found a single-family, raised ranch-style house.

Smoke was coming from the roof and flames were coming from the rear deck.

Some tradesmen were working in the neighborhood and driving past the house when they noticed the fire, Kozel said.

The workers called 911 and soon after worked alongside the fire department in removing several vintage sports cars from the garage of the home.

The Mustang cars were not damaged, Kozel said. The residents were not home at the time of the fire.

A Working Fire response upgrade was requested to bring numerous fire departments to the scene to help extinguish the fire.

Kozel said two large dogs were still inside the home and were quickly located by firefighters and removed from the burning structure.

The house sustained heavy smoke and fire damage throughout the second floor and roof.

The fire was brought under control in approximately 20-25 minutes, Kozel said.

It was deemed uninhabitable and the family of three, along with their two dogs, was left displaced.

The American Red Cross was notified and responded to assist them. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.

The McHenry, Spring Grove, Hebron, Harvard, Wauconda, Richmond, Woodstock, Crystal Lake, Cary and Marengo fire departments assisted during the incident.

Kozel said investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire but it is possible that the fire started accidentally through discarded smoking materials.

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

The sheriff has announced murder charges against two suspects accused of beating a man to death, dismembering his body and disposing of it, which sparked an extensive missing person investigation.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday that they had solved a missing person case that spurred an extensive investigation spanning more than eight months.

The sheriff’s office in early November received a report that Ruslan Furman, 51, who was last seen at his home in the 26500 block of North Route 83 in unincorporated Mundelein, had gone missing.

Sheriff’s detectives launched an “exhaustive investigation” into Furman’s disappearance, pursuing “every available lead and methodically piecing together” evidence over the following months, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said.

Detectives carried out numerous search warrants, conducted extensive forensic examinations, reviewed surveillance footage, interviewed potential witnesses and sent material to the Northeast Illinois Regional Crime Laboratory.

Sheriff’s detectives learned that Furman had been visiting acquaintances, Dmitry Bogatiryov, 52, of Mundelein and Damen Voranoff, 56, of Mundelein, around the time of his disappearance.

The three were together at Bogatiryov’s home in the 26600 block of Kenwood Court in unincorporated Mundelein, Covelli said.

Detectives found Bogatiryov’s living room had recently been remodeled, including freshly stained hardwood flooring and a fresh coat of paint on the walls.

They suspected Furman had been the victim of foul play at Bogatiryov’s home based on the investigation and obtained a search warrant for Bogatiryov’s residence, Covelli said.

Detectives carried out the search and located suspected blood spatter on portions of the wall and suspected blood beneath the freshly stained hardwood flooring.

Covelli said sheriff’s detectives cut pieces of drywall and the subflooring and sent them to the crime lab, which confirmed it was Furman’s blood.

A reciprocating saw was recovered from Bogatiryov’s home that appeared to contain blood and laboratory testing later confirmed it was blood belonging to Furman.

Further investigation revealed a burn pile near Bogatiryov’s residence, Covelli said.

Detectives recovered charred furniture remnants from a couch that was previously in Bogatiryov’s home from the burn pile.

Sheriff’s detectives also obtained video surveillance of Bogatiryov and Voranoff purchasing muriatic acid and other suspicious items at a hardware store.

Covelli said it is believed that Bogatiryov and Voranoff beat Furman to death and left him to die inside Bogatiryov’s home.

Detectives further believe the two suspects dismembered Furman’s body and disposed of his remains.

Sheriff’s detectives, specialized dive teams, fire personnel and partner law enforcement agencies searched Diamond Lake for Furman’s remains on several occasions but were unable to locate them.

“Detectives continue pursuing investigative leads in an effort to recover his remains,” Covelli said.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the evidence gathered during the investigation and presented the case to a Lake County grand jury on Wednesday.

The grand jury returned indictments charging Bogatiryov and Voranoff with first-degree murder.

Both suspects were already being held in custody on unrelated charges and are scheduled to appear in First Appearance Court on Thursday.

The separate cases they are charged in stem from drug and weapons charges.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Theis said Voranoff was found with 14 guns and over 1,000 grams of cannabis, consisting of flower and THC cartridge pods.

Voranoff does not have a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card or concealed carry license. He does not have an extensive criminal history, Theis said, adding that he was on pre-trial release for a misdemeanor child endangerment case.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Dino Katris said Bogatiryov was found with four guns, 1,437 grams of flower cannabis, 1,227 grams of cannabis oil and 75 grams of cannabis wax.

Bogatiryov also does not have a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card.

The two were arrested early on in the case on the drug and gun charges after search warrants were carried on November 11 for crime-related evidence at Furman’s and Bogatiryov’s residences.

A heavy police presence consisting of police canines, detectives and SWAT team members was seen in the area as the warrant was carried out, with investigators arresting both men.

“This investigation reflects the dedication and persistence of our detectives, who never stopped working to find the truth and seek justice for Mr. Furman and his loved ones. From the day he was reported missing, our investigators followed every lead, worked through every piece of evidence, and stayed focused on holding those responsible accountable,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.

“These charges are the result of months of hard work by our detectives and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. While today’s indictments are an important step, our work is not over. We will continue searching for Mr. Furman’s remains so his family can have final closure,” Idleburg said.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said they recognize Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Chief Deputy of Criminal Investigations Jeffrey Facklam for his “partnership, diligence, and assistance” throughout the extensive investigation.

The state’s attorney’s office intends to file a petition to detain both suspects in custody while awaiting trial on the new case.

Authorities on Wednesday evening recovered a partial human head in the Fox River near McHenry close to where a U.S. Marine veteran died when an intoxicated and speeding boater crashed into her boat.

The Nunda Rural Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday to the 2100 block of Colby Drive in unincorporated McHenry.

A 911 caller reported finding a possible body part along the Fox River.

Deputies and firefighters arrived and found the human remains and notified the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police were also notified and responded to the scene.

Deputies had shut down Colby Drive in both directions and crime scene tape was established in the area where the discovery occurred.

The Nunda Rural Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office both confirmed they responded to the scene but deferred comment to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein confirmed to Lake and McHenry County Scanner on Thursday morning that his office recovered a partial human head found in the Fox River.

The discovery was made in close proximity, south of where Magdalena Jablonska, 48, of Des Plaines, died last weekend.

Rein said his office has not been able to positively identify the remains that were found yet.

“We understand how difficult this uncertainty is for the families and loved ones awaiting answers, and our team is working diligently and with the utmost care to establish a positive identification as quickly as possible. We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as this process continues,” Rein said.

Jablonska and her fiancé were riding in a boat north on the Fox River in a no-wake zone when a second boat crashed into their boat from behind around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Jablonska was instantly killed and her fiancé and their dog were injured. The man was transported to a local hospital by ambulance with advanced life support care, McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Chris Kozel said.

One neighbor told Lake and McHenry County Scanner at the scene on Colby Drive on Wednesday that they would be relieved if the remains were found because it would help with closure.

Residents in the neighborhood have been afraid to walk to the edge of the river at their homes because they know the flow is in their direction.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said that Richard M. Stevenson, 45, of Lisle, was operating a 31-foot black and orange 2026 South Bay boat on the river.

Stevenson’s vessel overtook the second boat, a white and green 1997 Crownline, in the area of the 1800 block of South Fernwood Lane in unincorporated McHenry, the complaint said.

A witness told investigators that Stevenson’s boat was traveling at “full throttle” as it entered the no-wake zone and crashed into the other boat, the complaint said.

Bystanders said the two boats were both traveling north on the river when the bigger boat was speeding and ran over the smaller boat in a no-wake zone.

Jablonska was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, according to McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein.

The complaint said the impact resulted in Jablonska being decapitated and prosecutors said earlier this week that first responders had not located all of her remains following the crash.

The complaint said a toxicology report showed Stevenson’s blood alcohol content was 0.236, which is almost three times the legal drinking limit. Prosecutors said in court his blood alcohol content was 0.200.

Prosecutors said that Stevenson was driving the boat at approximately 80 mph and had been drinking Fireball Whisky.

The victim’s brother, Marcin Jablonski, said that Magdalena was “always the sunshine wherever she went.”

“As a U.S. Marine, it was natural that Magdalena was always helping someone in need,” Jablonski said.

Stevenson was charged with one count of reckless homicide, a Class 3 felony, and two counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing a crash involving death, a Class 2 felony.

A LinkedIn profile for Stevenson said he was a Vice President at Stevenson Crane Service, Inc., based in Bolingbrook, and the company says it has since terminated his employment.

Two of the three occupants of the offending boat fled the area, prosecutors said. A bystander chased after Stevenson and ensured he remained at the scene until police arrived.

Multiple witnesses reported to officers that Stevenson had been consuming alcohol throughout the day while operating the vessel and was driving at high rates of speed on both the Chain O’ Lakes and the Fox River just prior to crashing into the Crownline, prosecutors said.

Stevenson remains held in the McHenry County Jail after the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him pending trial, which was granted by McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb during an Initial Appearance Court hearing on Monday.

“This man was a ticking time-bomb and that bomb went off this past Saturday on the Fox River,” McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office Deputy Chief Brian Miller said during the hearing.

Illinois Conservation Police said this week that they are seeking the public’s help in determining what happened prior to the crash.

Anyone who witnessed the events leading up to the crash or have useful surveillance video should complete an online incident report form.

No funeral services have been announced yet for Jablonska.

A jury convicted an unlicensed daycare facility owner in Crystal Lake of causing an 11-month-old baby to stop breathing and breaking his ribs during an attack, which was caught on video taken by a “courageous” child witness.

The Crystal Lake Police Department said in April 2024 that they were notified by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) about an aggravated battery to a child that occurred in the 1400 block of Woodscreek Circle in Crystal Lake.

Crystal Lake Deputy Police Chief Richard Neumann said an investigation was immediately initiated into the offense.

Investigators learned that the offender, identified as Ann Migliorato, 63, was operating an unlicensed childcare facility.

Additional evidence revealed that the offender physically injured a child who was in her care at the facility, Neumann said.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said that Migliorato battered the child, an 11-month-old boy, around 4 p.m. on April 11, 2024.

Migliorato applied pressure to the infant’s chest, causing a rib “or ribs” to be fractured, the complaint said.

A grand jury indictment said the child stopped breathing and went limp when Migliorato forcefully applied pressure to his chest.

The complaint said Migliorato strangled the infant by applying pressure to his neck, causing a lack of oxygen.

McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Ashley Romito said a video of the incident was recorded by a 10-year-old, who believed a crime was in progress and used a cell phone to document what she was seeing.

The video showed Migliorato physically abusing and berating the infant victim, Romito said.

She was changing the boy’s diaper in front of several other children at the illegal daycare business that she was running out of her home, Romito said.

Romito said the infant lost consciousness and experienced broken ribs.

Migliorato was charged with aggravated battery to a child causing great bodily harm, a Class X felony, and operating a child care facility without a license, a Class A misdemeanor.

A three-day jury trial began this week and ended with the jury finding Migliorato guilty of all charges following an hour of deliberation on Wednesday.

Prosecutors said during the trial that a “courageous” 10-year-old girl attending the daycare became alarmed by the way Migliorato was handling the 11-month-old during a diaper change.

The child discreetly used a cell phone to record what she was witnessing as she feared the child was being harmed, prosecutors said.

The girl later showed the video to her mother, who contacted DCFS, triggering the investigation that ultimately led to Migliorato’s prosecution.

The video, which was shown to the jury, captured Migliorato forcefully changing the infant’s diaper by using her body weight to push the baby’s legs above his head while restraining him.

The infant could be heard crying before making gurgling and grunting sounds consistent with pressure being applied to his neck or chest.

The baby struggled to free himself as Migliorato was heard saying, “Every day I’m sick of this with you. Now you are going to pee again, no you’re not. No, you’re not. You’re not peeing all over me.”

She continued pinning the infant while telling him, “I told you, I don’t play, dude.”

The infant became increasingly lethargic and his right arm went limp, at which time Migliorato said, “You might want to give your mom a run for the money, and everyone else in town, but not me.”

Medical testimony at trial indicated that the infant suffered a fractured rib during the timeframe depicted in the video. Physicians also determined that he had two additional healing rib fractures consistent with prior abuse.

Neumann said Migliorato, who resides at the residence where the facility was being run, was taken into custody without incident.

She appeared before a judge and was ordered detained pending trial after prosecutors filed a petition to detain, court records show.

Attorney Russell Luchtenburg, who is representing Migliorato, previously filed a motion to suppress evidence, saying that the video should be quashed as evidence at trial.

Luchtenburg argued the video was recorded without Migliorato’s knowledge and obtained through “illegal eavesdropping” in violation of state law.

He argued the video would be “greatly prejudiced” to his client if admitted into evidence.

Romito said in response to the motion that the recording was lawful and admissible.

The prosecutor said Migliorato’s words to a non-verbal infant are not a “private conversation” and the recording falls within the statutory exception for documenting suspected crimes, with the eavesdropping law having no application to the visual portion of the video.

McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis denied the motion to suppress the video at trial, finding that the video did not meet the “private conversation” definition in the eavesdropping statute.

McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said after the trial that children “should never have to protect one another” from the very adults entrusted with their care.

“Yet in this case, the courage and quick thinking of one young child to record what was happening helped expose the truth and secure justice for this victim. We hope this verdict sends a clear message that those who abuse children will be held accountable,” Freese said.

Migliorato is set to be sentenced on October 8.

No one was hurt but four residents were left homeless after a fire left their home uninhabitable and sent flames shooting out the windows in Beach Park Tuesday evening.

The Beach Park Fire Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office and numerous automatic aid fire departments responded around 8:08 p.m. Tuesday to the 38600 block of North Linden Avenue in Beach Park for a report of a structure fire.

Firefighters received a report of black smoke coming from a home and that a person ran back inside the house.

A fire engine crew with the Beach Park Fire Department arrived at 8:10 p.m. and found fire coming out of two windows of the two-story home, Beach Park Fire Chief Tom Stahl said.

Firefighters confirmed everyone was out of the house and deployed hose lines.

The fire was brought under control within around 10 minutes, Stahl said.

A box alarm through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System was requested for additional resources, but that was later cancelled at around 8:35 p.m.

No injuries were reported.

The house is uninhabitable and four residents have been displaced, Stahl said.

The Beach Park Fire Department was assisted by the Zion, Pleasant Prairie, Newport Township and Winthrop Harbor fire departments.

The fire remains under investigation, and a damage estimate was not immediately available.

A Libertyville man has been sentenced to six months in prison for mailing threatening letters to federal district judges appointed by President Donald Trump, telling them to “be careful,” accompanied by photos of ammo.

James Lebuhn, 66, of Libertyville, was charged in the U.S. District Court in Chicago in March with two counts of mailing a threatening communication.

Court documents said Lebuhn mailed letters in March 2025 to U.S. District Court judges in Amarillo, Texas, and Fort Pierce, Florida.

Lebuhn mailed the letters for the purpose of making a “true threat” and knowing that the letters would be viewed as such, court documents say.

Lebuhn also “recklessly disregarded the substantial risk” that others would regard the communications as a threat when mailing the letters, the charges allege.

The letters said, “THE CITIZENS DO NOT LIKE WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO OUR DEMOCRACY. THEY KNOW WHO YOU ARE.”

The language was followed by photographs of two ammunition rounds and the words, “BE CAREFUL. THE LEVEL OF ANGER IS RISING.”

Court documents do not name which judges were targeted but Judge Aileen M. Cannon was the only sitting district judge in the Fort Pierce, Florida, courthouse and Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk was the only sitting district judge in the Amarillo, Texas, courthouse.

Both were appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term in office when he appointed over 230 judges to federal positions.

LeBuhn also mailed similarly threatening letters to employees of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Protective Service investigated the case.

LeBuhn pleaded guilty earlier this year to the charges and U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis sentenced LeBuhn on Tuesday to six months in federal prison while fining him $5,000.

“Judges are empowered and entrusted to make difficult and controversial decisions on cases and controversies before them,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Rothblatt said in a sentencing memorandum.

“The public may vehemently disagree with those decisions, and there are myriad ways for individuals to communicate such disagreement under the First Amendment. True threats of violence, and the fear and disruption they cause, have consequences and will not be tolerated,” Rothblatt said.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Andrew Boutros previously said his office was committed to holding those accountable who seek to “intimidate and instill fear in members of the federal government.”

“When a threat such as this occurs, our Office will find, arrest, and prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law,” Boutros said.

United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said that the charges should “serve as a warning” to others contemplating such behavior in “today’s times of increasing threats of violence.”

“I applaud the investigative efforts of our agents in this District and the prosecution team in the Northern District of Illinois for their outstanding work,” Raybould said.

Police say they have issued citations to a driver who caused a crash that resulted in the death of a Buffalo Grove High School security guard, who was hailed a hero for trying to shield students from the collision.

Orlando Rivas, 52, of Buffalo Grove, died in the hospital on April 24 after being involved in a crash outside Buffalo Grove High School, 1100 West Dundee Road in Buffalo Grove, on April 21.

The Buffalo Grove Police Department and Buffalo Grove Fire Department responded around 3:20 p.m. and found a car and a pedestrian, later identified as Rivas, involved at the entrance-exit to the parking lot off Dundee Road east of Arlington Heights Road.

Police said Rivas, a staff member of the high school, was suffering from life-threatening injuries.

The crash originated on school grounds as a dark-colored four-door sedan was attempting to exit the parking lot onto Dundee Road.

The vehicle left the roadway and struck a pole, which then struck Rivas, police officials said.

School officials said the incident occurred after school ended and cars were turning onto Dundee Road during dismissal.

Buffalo Grove police officers were on the scene “immediately” and provided emergency medical aid to Rivas before paramedics arrived, police officials said.

Rivas was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge where he was in critical condition. Rivas died in the hospital a few days later.

Police said in an update on Wednesday that the driver of the sedan, a 41-year-old Elmwood Park woman, issued citations for failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash, driving on the sidewalk and failure to exercise due care to a pedestrian.

“Orlando Rivas represented the very best of our community,” Buffalo Grove Police Chief Brian Budds said.

“His dedication to the safety and well-being of students and staff was evident every day, and his final act speaks volumes about his character. Our hearts are with his family, the students and staff of Buffalo Grove High School, and all those grieving this profound loss,” Budds said.

The police department posthumously recognized Rivas last month with a Citizen Award for Valor during a village board meeting.

Buffalo Grove High School Principal Jeff Wardle said Rivas quickly became a trusted and familiar presence at our school, known for making students, families and visitors feel “welcomed, valued, and safe.”

“His life was defined by service to others and a continued commitment to supporting and guiding young people. Life without him will be less bright,” Wardle said.

A vigil was held at Buffalo Grove High School in late April to pay tribute to Rivas and several people, including his oldest daughter, spoke.

Wardle said in a letter to the school community that Rivas was part of the campus safety team and was supervising students at the crosswalk.

“As the situation quickly unfolded, he took action to protect students standing nearby. Our entire Buffalo Grove High School community is holding him and his family close during an incredibly difficult time,” Wardle said.

The principal expressed gratitude for the “immediate response and support” from the school resource officer, the Buffalo Grove police and fire departments, other staff members, first responders and community members who provided aid.

“Their quick actions and care made a meaningful difference in a very difficult moment. Events like this can significantly impact students and staff,” Wardle said.

The Chicago White Sox in April said they were honoring Rivas for “heroically acting” to shield students during the crash.

Rivas was a father of four and the son of longtime White Sox chef Roy Vias. “Orlando’s selfless actions and commitment to protecting others will not be forgotten,” the White Sox said.

Dundee Road was shut down for approximately three and a half hours following the incident.

The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) was activated to conduct an investigation, which concluded with them recently issuing citations to the driver.

Police officials say the driver of the vehicle involved was cooperative in the investigation.

Village officials said Rivas is remembered for the “extraordinary care and compassion” he brought to the high school community each day.

“In his final moments, his actions reflected a deep commitment to protecting others, and his act of quiet heroism will not be forgotten,” officials said. Rivas leaves behind his wife, Erin, and children.

Family friend Michelle Bolano said Rivas made a “split-second decision” when he shielded students, who he was helping cross the street, from a falling pole that was struck by a car.

“In that moment, as in all moments of his life up until now, he thought only of others. Orlando’s actions were not part of a job description, they were a reflection of the extraordinary courage, selflessness, and care for others that defines the way Orlando lives his life. He has a gift of connecting with everyone he meets so genuinely and with so much infectious joy,” Bolano said.

“While his passing leaves an immeasurable void for all who knew and loved him, his legacy will never fade. Orlando’s remarkable ability to connect with everyone he interacted with will never be forgotten. He was a light in the world for all that knew and loved him and he lived everyday of his life with a joyful spirit, unwavering selflessness, and enduring compassion for others,” she added.

The driver who was cited is scheduled to appear at Cook County’s Third District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows on Thursday.

A civil lawsuit brought by Rivas’ wife remains active in Cook County Circuit Court.

A jury ruled that a woman fatally shot by police while armed with knives in Mundelein was a homicide, as the family’s attorney calls it “an important first step” while demanding charges and saying they have met with the state’s attorney.

Attorney Kevin O’Connor and the family of 37-year-old Mary Alice Love held a press conference outside the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan on Wednesday afternoon.

O’Connor said a coroner’s inquest was held on Wednesday morning and the jury ruled Love’s death was a homicide.

An inquest is a legal public hearing into the manner of death in which the coroner and six jurors sit and evidence is presented to determine the manner and circumstances surrounding a death.

Inquests assist in detecting foul play or hazardous conditions, according to the coroner’s office. Family members can attend and learn the facts surrounding the death of a loved one.

“Today was a significant victory for the Love family,” he said.

“There was a Coroner’s Inquest that involved an independent jury who had to rule whether or not Mary Alice Love’s death was undetermined, accidental, suicide, or homicide. The Village of Mundelein and its police department had put out a narrative that Mary Alice Love was trying to commit suicide which is why this encounter happened,” O’Connor said.

“A jury has now concluded that this was not suicide, it was a homicide by Sergeant Christopher Brigano,” O’Connor said.

The entire family met with Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart and his team after the inquest to discuss the criminal aspect of the case.

“The family is very pleased with the outcome of that meeting. Mr. Rinehart indicated that the last piece of evidence that the underlying investigating team was waiting for was the jury’s decision from the Coroner’s Inquest,” O’Connor said.

The attorney and the family have repeatedly called for criminal charges against Brigano.

Love was shot multiple times and killed by Brigano while police were responding to a report that Love was suicidal at her home in the 1100 block of Ashbrook Drive in Mundelein on May 11.

Love’s mother, Jeffry, called 911 and told dispatchers that her daughter had asked her to call the police so they could kill her, according to video and audio released by the Mundelein Police Department on Monday.

The dispatcher assured the woman that help was on the way as she told him she was worried that officers would kill her granddaughter.

Love’s sister, who was not at the scene, also called 911 and told dispatchers she was concerned that Love was home alone with her sister and that the Lake County Crisis Center had been contacted by the family.

Officers arrived and encountered Love’s mother, Jeffry, at the front door.

Officers were seen attempting to get her to exit away from the home for her safety, but she refused and asked the officers to come inside, the video showed. Love was sitting on the back patio of the house at that time.

Officers walked through the house with Jeffry towards the back patio door, and officers reported Love was armed on the patio with a knife.

Officers tried to get Jeffry, who was standing at the back door next to the officers, away from the door to safety, the video showed.

Two officers attempted to physically guide the mother away from the door, and she appeared to fall over.

Love got up from a chair on the patio and walked toward the rear sliding glass door while holding the knives.

Love began yelling at the officers and opened the door before Brigano fired four times at her, causing her to fall and drop the knives on the back patio.

Officers immediately summoned firefighter/paramedics, who were already staging nearby until the scene was deemed safe.

Love was rushed to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where she was pronounced dead.

An independent investigation is being conducted by the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Around 80-100 people, including family members and relatives of Love, carried out a protest in front of the Mundelein Village Hall last month.

Several speakers spent around an hour addressing the crowd, calling for transparency and accountability.

A significant portion of the protesters made signs like “Help before harm,” “Her life mattered,” “Mental healthcare not bullets,” “Justice 4 Mary Alice,” and “Crisis does not equal threat.”

The family and members of the community have also spoken out at Mundelein Village Board meetings.

A woman whose mother was friends with Love emotionally spoke during a board meeting last month and said that she is disappointed by the “lack of concern” shown by local officials.

“When a family is grieving the loss of a loved one, they should not have to fight for information. They should not have to fight for transparency, and they should not have to fight to protect the dignity and the memory of a loved one,” she said.

Christoper “Brotha” Blanks, the founder of the Black Abolition Movement for the Mind, asked the village board to create a civilian office of police accountability for the village.

Blanks expressed skepticism of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force’s investigation, saying that it is not truly “independent” due to possible conflicts of interest among the investigators.

The family of Love previously released nine demands, including the termination of Brigano, suspension of two other officers, the release of all body-worn camera footage and dispatch recordings, having the Illinois State Police and U.S. Department of Justice conduct an independent investigation, retracting and correcting alleged false statements, publicly apologizing to Love’s family, identifying all officers involved and holding a community accountability meeting.

O’Connor previously said that Brigano, an 18-year veteran of the Mundelein Police Department, “failed on pretty much every level” despite being trained in crisis intervention training (CIT).

“It was a series of tactical errors from the start,” O’Connor said, adding that police improperly addressed the situation and instead escalated it.

O’Connor said Love got up from the chair and was asking the police what they were doing to her mother when she was shot.

O’Connor added that officers failed to establish verbal communication with Love and did give her an opportunity to comply.

“And what could they have done? Back up. Back up and wait for the crisis intervention people to come,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor also said that police tried to blame Jeffry for the incident “to throw salt on the wound.”

“This man [Brigano] should be fired, there is no question. He should be fired.”

“If this is your leader, if this is your sergeant training these other officers, get that poison out of that department. He’s only going to teach them bad things.”

A vintage sports car was damaged after a fire broke out in the garage of a townhouse in a new residential development in Crystal Lake Sunday afternoon, fire officials said.

The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue responded around 1:06 p.m. Sunday to the 600 block of Water’s Edge Boulevard in Crystal Lake for a report of a structure fire.

Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Battalion Chief James Sustek said the fire department was already working at the scene of a different fire in another part of the city when the incident was dispatched.

The Carpentersville Fire Department, Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts, Cary Fire Protection District, West Dundee Fire Department and a Crystal Lake Fire Rescue chief responded.

Firefighters encountered a large multi-family residential building with smoke coming from the garage of the middle townhouse unit, Sustek said.

The incident was upgraded to a Working Fire response to bring additional resources to the scene.

Firefighters deployed two hose lines and quickly brought the fire under control at 1:27 p.m., Sustek said.

Fire crews had to cut through the garage door of the residence to access the fire.

Firefighters also conducted a search of all fire townhouse units in the building.

Sustek said the fire was confined to the garage of the unit. No fire extension or damage was found in the adjoining residences.

Firefighters ventilated the townhouse and completed minor overhaul operations to ensure there was no hidden fire extension.

The homeowners were inside the residence when the fire began, Sustek said.

They were alerted by the activation of their smoke alarms and the odor of smoke, allowing them to safely evacuate before firefighters arrived.

No residents or firefighter injuries were reported. The estimated damage to the property was $50,000.

Sustek said the home remained habitable as the property management company already had a clean-up crew on the way that same day.

A vintage sports car was inside the garage where the fire occurred. The car was later removed from the garage.

The Algonquin, Huntley, McHenry, Barrington-Countryside and Wauconda fire departments also assisted.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department and Nunda Rural Fire Protection District investigators.

A Gurnee man has been arrested and charged with murder after prosecutors say he fatally stabbed a 34-year-old man, whom he did not know, shortly after an attempted theft in North Chicago.

Felix O. Medina, 48, of Gurnee, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, a Class M felony.

The North Chicago Police Department and North Chicago Fire Department responded around 12:20 a.m. July 19 to 10th Street just east of Adams Street on the border of North Chicago and Waukegan for a report of a person who was stabbed.

Officers arrived and found the victim, who Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified as Irwin Gonzalez-Pena, 34, of North Chicago.

Gonzalez-Pena was transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where he was later pronounced dead, Banek said.

An autopsy performed showed Gonzalez-Pena died as a result of a sharp force injury, Banek said. He had been stabbed in the torso.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Jeffery Facklam said officers spoke to a witness, a friend of Gonzalez-Pena, who reported he was followed down the street by a man, later identified as Medina.

Medina approached the friend and pushed him. Gonzalez-Pena caught up to his friend and the suspect and a fight started.

Medina pulled something from behind his back and swung at Gonzalez-Pena.

Gonzalez-Pena and his friend began running away from the suspect but the victim suddenly collapsed not far down the street.

The friend realized Gonzalez-Pena had been stabbed and sought help.

Police were later able to identify the suspect who stabbed the victim as Medina.

Medina, Gonzalez-Pena, the witness and a fourth person were all at a liquor store down the street from where the victim was stabbed.

Police were able to recover surveillance video from the store. It showed Medina and another subject entering the liquor store to make a purchase.

Medina returned to the liquor store wearing the same clothing about three hours later, just before the murder.

The video showed Gonzalez-Pena, Gonzalez-Pena’s friend, Medina and a fourth subject, who has since been identified by investigators.

The fourth subject was seen lunging at the victim’s friend and grabbing his wallet after the friend had taken out the wallet in front of the store.

Gonzalez-Pena was seen speaking to the theft suspect, who then got into a vehicle and left the area.

The video showed the victim’s friend leaving the front of the liquor store and walking down the street. Medina was seen following him.

Gonzalez-Pena then caught up to Medina and additional surveillance video showed the three subjects walking down the street where Medina eventually caught up to the victim’s friend.

A short scuffle appeared to ensue between the three people. Medina then stabbed Gonzalez-Pena, who was unarmed.

Gonzalez-Pena’s friend also did not have a weapon.

Medina was identified by multiple people as the person in the liquor store who followed the victim’s friend down the street.

Crime scene tape surrounded a Jeep Liberty SUV, which was parked in the eastbound lanes of 10th Street facing westbound.

Police officers and detectives were seen searching for evidence along 10th Street and interviewing several people. The crime scene tape was taken down at around 1:40 a.m.

Gonzalez-Pena was from Venezuela and his wife created a GoFundMe account to help send his body back to the country for burial.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Medina pending trial and Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the request following a detention hearing on Tuesday afternoon.

“The defendant poses a real and present threat to the witnesses and the general community. The defendant followed someone he did not know and started a physical altercation with that person. During the altercation, the defendant was armed with and used a deadly weapon,” Facklam said.

Medina was on pre-trial release after having just been charged with burglary in Waukegan a month earlier. Facklam said Medina was the lookout while a second suspect broke a window to the business and burglarized it.

Prosecutors say he did not comply with the release conditions after failing to check in with pre-trial services monitoring in that case. Medina has additional prior criminal history besides the two recent cases.

Medina remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on August 18 for a preliminary hearing.

A woman who was killed by an intoxicated and speeding boater in a crash on the Fox River near McHenry was a U.S. Marine veteran, described as “the sunshine,” and her fiancé, who was with her, witnessed her death.

Magdalena Jablonska, 48, of Des Plaines, died on Saturday after being involved in a boat crash on the Fox River south of the McHenry Dam.

Jablonska and her fiancé were riding in a boat north on the river in a no-wake zone when a second boat crashed into their boat from behind around 2:30 p.m.

Jablonska was instantly killed and her fiancé was injured and transported to the hospital.

The victim’s brother, Marcin Jablonski, said that Magdalena was “always the sunshine wherever she went.”

“As a U.S. Marine, it was natural that Magdalena was always helping someone in need,” Jablonski said.

“Magdalena was the sunshine in every place she went, and one of her favorite things to do was help dogs in need,” he said. “Please pray for my family in this difficult time.”

A GoFundMe account was created by the family to raise funds to donate to a dog shelter in honor of Jablonska. The account has raised over $12,000 as of Wednesday.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said that Richard M. Stevenson, 45, of Lisle, was operating a 31-foot black and orange 2026 South Bay boat on the Fox River.

Stevenson’s vessel overtook the second boat, a white and green 1997 Crownline, in the area of the 1800 block of South Fernwood Lane in unincorporated McHenry, the complaint said.

A witness told investigators that Stevenson’s boat was traveling at “full throttle” as it entered the no-wake zone and crashed into the other boat, the complaint said.

Jablonska was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, according to McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein and McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Chris Kozel.

The complaint said the impact resulted in Jablonska being decapitated. Prosecutors said her remains were still missing as of Monday.

A LinkedIn profile for Stevenson said he was a Vice President at Stevenson Crane Service, Inc., based in Bolingbrook, which advertises itself as a leader in crane rentals, aerial and material handling rentals, and rigging and heavy haul services.

The company told Lake and McHenry County Scanner on Tuesday afternoon that his employment in the equipment sales department was terminated.

“He held no leadership role, had no involvement in company operations and no ownership interest in the company,” the company said in a statement. When asked to clarify his exact position with the company, an attorney for Stevenson Crane Service refused to answer.

“Our thoughts are with those impacted by this tragedy,” the company said. The President of Stevenson Crane Service is Donna Stevenson, the mother of Richard Stevenson.

Rein said an autopsy showed Jablonska died as a result of blunt force injuries to her head and body. Her official cause and manner of death remain under investigation.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police also responded to the scene, in addition to 18 fire personnel with the McHenry Township Fire Protection District, Kozel said.

All other occupants involved in the crash were out of the water when the fire department arrived.

Officers made contact with Stevenson, who was in the trees off the shoreline near where his boat came to rest, and he was later transported to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry.

The complaint said a toxicology report showed Stevenson’s blood alcohol content was 0.236, which is almost three times the legal drinking limit. Prosecutors said in court his blood alcohol content was 0.200.

Stevenson was charged with one count of reckless homicide, a Class 3 felony, and two counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing a crash involving death, a Class 2 felony.

McHenry resident Cody Bingham told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that he was at a celebration of life party at a home on the east side of the Fox River.

He was among the first people at the scene and found Jablonska dead.

Bingham brought the small white vessel, in which the victim was an occupant, to a nearby dock on the east side of the Fox River.

The second person on the smaller boat was transported to a local hospital by ambulance with advanced life support care, Kozel said.

The second boat involved, which was a larger triple-engine vessel, came to rest in the timber on the west bank of the Fox River.

Stevenson is the owner of the larger boat that ran aground, according to police radio traffic.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police arrested Stevenson and transported him to the McHenry County Jail on the felony charges, jail records show.

Bystanders said the two boats were both traveling north on the river when the bigger boat was speeding and ran over the smaller boat in a no-wake zone.

Prosecutors and witnesses said there were five people involved in total. A dog was in one of the boats and survived.

Two of the occupants of the offending boat fled the area, prosecutors said.

A bystander chased after the operator of the boat, with officers making contact with him in the general area of the crash.

One of the two passengers who fled the area took an Uber from the scene but was later in contact with police. A police canine and officers were actively searching for the remaining passenger.

It is unclear whether the two passengers who fled would be charged.

Stevenson was seen talking with first responders in the area of the crash before being transported to the hospital and later arrested.

Court documents said Stevenson refused to voluntarily submit to chemical testing for intoxication. His driver’s license has been automatically suspended for the refusal.

Multiple witnesses reported to officers that Stevenson had been consuming alcohol throughout the day while operating the vessel and was driving at high rates of speed on both the Chain O’ Lakes and the Fox River just prior to crashing into the Crownline, prosecutors said.

Fire officials and sheriff’s officials said the Fox River was closed between the Stratton Lock and Holiday Hills due to the incident. The river later reopened around 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Stevenson appeared in Initial Appearance Court on Monday afternoon where the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him pending trial, arguing he poses a real and present danger to the community.

McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the request after finding there were no conditions of release that could mitigate the threat Stevenson poses.

Attorney Patrick Walsh, who is representing Stevenson, had asked the court to release his client from custody on pre-trial conditions while he awaits trial.

Prosecutors said during the hearing that Stevenson was driving the boat at approximately 80 mph and had been drinking Fireball Whisky.

“This man was a ticking time-bomb and that bomb went off this past Saturday on the Fox River,” McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office Deputy Chief Brian Miller said during the hearing.

McHenry Fire Chief Steve Spraker called the incident “tragic” and said it was a reminder that emergencies can “take many forms and that firefighters must be prepared for all of them.”

“Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and everyone affected by this tragedy. We are also grateful for the outstanding teamwork between all of the agencies that worked together throughout this difficult incident,” Spraker said.

Illinois Conservation Police said this week that they are seeking the public’s help in determining what happened prior to the crash.

Conservation police are leading the investigation and are asking to hear from anyone who witnessed the crash, observed either vessel before or after the collision, or may have information related to the incident.

Investigators say they are seeking any photographs or video taken in the area around the time of the crash, including cell phone video, security camera footage or video recorded while boating on the Fox River.

Witnesses can contact conservation police by completing an online incident report form.

Court records show Stevenson has previously been charged in DuPage County in at least three driving under the influence cases.

He also has prior charges for resisting an officer, fleeing or attempting to elude police and battery. He additionally has three prior occasions where he was charged with reckless driving and four prior misdemeanor speeding offenses.

“Our rivers and lakes should be places where families can safely enjoy time together, not places where the reckless and impaired can turn a summer day into a tragedy. No family should have to endure the unimaginable loss suffered in this case,” McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said.

“Our prayers go out to the victim’s family, and while nothing can undo the tragedy that occurred on the Fox River, our office is committed to pursuing justice for her, her loved ones, and our community,” Freese said.

No funeral services have been announced yet for Jablonska.

Stevenson is scheduled to appear in McHenry County Circuit Court again on August 5 at 9 a.m. for a status of preliminary hearing.

The incident remains under investigation by the Illinois Conservation Police and the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.

A vice president has been fired from his mother’s company after being charged with operating a boat intoxicated and driving 80 mph when he crashed into another boat, killing an innocent woman on the Fox River near McHenry.

The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. Saturday and McHenry Township Fire Protection District crews arrived to find a crash involving two boats on the Fox River south of the McHenry Dam after receiving multiple 911 calls about the incident.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said that Richard M. Stevenson, 45, of Lisle, was operating a 31-foot black and orange 2026 South Bay boat on the Fox River.

Stevenson’s vessel overtook the second boat, a white and green 1997 Crownline, in the area of the 1800 block of South Fernwood Lane in unincorporated McHenry, the complaint said.

A witness told investigators that Stevenson’s boat was traveling at “full throttle” as it entered the no-wake zone and crashed into the other boat, the complaint said.

Magdalena Jablonska, 48, of Des Plaines, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, according to McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein and McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Chris Kozel.

The complaint said the impact resulted in Jablonska being decapitated. Prosecutors said her remains were still missing as of Monday.

A LinkedIn profile for Stevenson said he is a Vice President at Stevenson Crane Service, Inc., based in Bolingbrook, which advertises itself as a leader in crane rentals, aerial and material handling rentals, and rigging and heavy haul services.

The company told Lake and McHenry County Scanner on Tuesday afternoon that his employment in the equipment sales department was terminated.

“He held no leadership role, had no involvement in company operations and no ownership interest in the company,” the company said in a statement. When asked to clarify his exact position with the company, an attorney for Stevenson Crane Service refused to answer.

“Our thoughts are with those impacted by this tragedy,” the company said. The President of Stevenson Crane Service is Donna Stevenson, the mother of Richard Stevenson.

The McHenry County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene to take possession of Jablonska for an autopsy, which was performed on Tuesday morning.

Rein said the autopsy showed Jablonska died as a result of blunt force injuries to her head and body. Her official cause and manner of death remain under investigation.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police also responded to the scene, in addition to 18 fire personnel, Kozel said.

All other occupants involved in the crash were out of the water when the fire department arrived.

Officers made contact with Stevenson in the area and he was later transported to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry.

The complaint said a toxicology report showed Stevenson’s blood alcohol content was 0.236, which is almost three times the legal drinking limit.

Stevenson was charged with one count of reckless homicide, a Class 3 felony, and two counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing a crash involving death, a Class 2 felony.

McHenry resident Cody Bingham told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that he was at a celebration of life party at a home on the east side of the Fox River.

He was among the first people at the scene and found Jablonska dead.

Bingham brought the small white vessel, in which the victim was an occupant, to a nearby dock on the east side of the Fox River.

The second person on the smaller boat was transported to a local hospital by ambulance with advanced life support care, Kozel said.

The second boat involved, which was a larger triple-engine vessel, came to rest in the timber on the west bank of the Fox River.

Stevenson is the owner of the larger boat that ran aground, according to police radio traffic.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police arrested Stevenson and transported him to the McHenry County Jail on the felony charges, jail records show.

Bystanders said the two boats were both traveling north on the river when the bigger boat was speeding and ran over the smaller boat in a no-wake zone.

Kozel said a total of four people were involved between the two boats but witnesses and prosecutors said there were five people involved in total. A dog was in one of the boats and survived.

The occupants of the offending boat left the vessel before emergency crews arrived, witnesses said.

A bystander chased after one of them, suspected to be the operator, and another reportedly left the scene in an Uber. A police canine and officers were also actively searching the area for the third occupant.

It is unclear whether the female who left the scene in the Uber, reportedly traveling to Antioch, or the third occupant would be charged with any offenses.

Stevenson was seen talking with first responders in the area of the crash before being transported to the hospital and later arrested.

Court documents said Stevenson refused to voluntarily submit to chemical testing for intoxication. His driver’s license has been automatically suspended for the refusal.

Fire officials and sheriff’s officials said the Fox River was closed between the Stratton Lock and Holiday Hills due to the incident. The river later reopened around 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Stevenson appeared in Initial Appearance Court on Monday afternoon where the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him pending trial, arguing he poses a real and present danger to the community.

McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the request after finding there were no conditions of release that could mitigate the threat Stevenson poses.

Attorney Patrick Walsh, who is representing Stevenson, had asked the court to release his client from custody on pre-trial conditions while he awaits trial.

Prosecutors said during the hearing that Stevenson was driving the boat at approximately 80 mph and had been drinking Fireball Whisky.

Prosecutors also said that Jablonska was in a relationship with the male victim who was transported to the hospital.

McHenry Fire Chief Steve Spraker called the incident “tragic” and said it was a reminder that emergencies can “take many forms and that firefighters must be prepared for all of them.”

Spraker said the fire district utilized side-scan sonar and conducted in-water search operations.

“These are highly specialized skills that require extensive training, countless hours of practice, and ongoing investment in equipment. We train long before these incidents occur so that when someone calls for help, our personnel are ready,” Spraker said.

“Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and everyone affected by this tragedy. We are also grateful for the outstanding teamwork between all of the agencies that worked together throughout this difficult incident,” the fire chief said.

Illinois Conservation Police say they are seeking the public’s help in determining what happened prior to the crash.

Conservation police are leading the investigation and are asking to hear from anyone who witnessed the crash, observed either vessel before or after the collision, or may have information related to the incident.

Investigators say they are seeking any photographs or video taken in the area around the time of the crash, including cell phone video, security camera footage or video recorded while boating on the Fox River.

Witnesses can contact conservation police by completing an online incident report form.

Court records show Stevenson has previously been charged in DuPage County in at least three driving under the influence cases. He also has prior charges for resisting an officer, fleeing or attempting to elude police and battery.

Stevenson is scheduled to appear in McHenry County Circuit Court again on August 5 at 9 a.m. for a status of preliminary hearing.

The incident remains under investigation by the Illinois Conservation Police and the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.

Two wheels detached from a trailer and one of them hit a man riding an electric scooter on Route 41 in Gurnee, causing him to suffer critical and life-threatening injuries Monday evening.

The Gurnee Police Department and Gurnee Fire Department responded around 5:25 p.m. Monday to northbound Route 41 near the Grand Avenue exit in Gurnee for a report of a vehicle crash.

Gurnee Battalion Fire Chief Nick Perry said he was returning to Gurnee Fire Station #1 after an unrelated call when several people flagged him down for the crash.

The crash involved a Ford F-450 and an electric scooter.

An ambulance responded, and firefighter/paramedics rushed the 60-year-old scooter rider to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with critical injuries.

A preliminary investigation shows the 60-year-old man from Park City was riding his e-scooter northbound along the shoulder of Route 41, Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor said.

At the same time, the Ford, driven by a 45-year-old Waukegan man, was traveling northbound on Route 41.

The Ford was pulling a trailer with a front-loader, Gaylor said.

“During the incident, two wheels became detached from the trailer. One of the wheels struck the scooter rider, causing life-threatening injuries,” Gaylor said.

The man is listed in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon.

The man driving the Ford was not injured, Gaylor said. He remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.

Due to the severity of the crash, the Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) of Lake County was requested to help investigate the crash.

The northbound lanes of Route 41 were shut down at Washington Street for several hours while investigators worked the scene.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Deputy Unit assisted with road closures.

Ernie’s Wrecker Service and Lin-Mar Towing & Recovery responded to remove both the F-450 and the trailer with the front-loader.

The northbound lanes were reopened at around 10 p.m.

Authorities are asking anyone with footage of the crash to contact the Gurnee Police Department.

“Anyone who may have captured the incident on a vehicle dash camera is asked to contact the Gurnee Police Department,” Gaylor said.

“Investigators are particularly interested in footage recorded near U.S. Route 41 and Grand Avenue around 5:25 p.m. on July 27,” Gaylor added.

The crash remains under investigation by the Gurnee Police Department and MCAT.

The coroner has released the identity of a 36-year-old woman who died after she was struck by a Metra train while reportedly walking along the train tracks in Woodstock Wednesday.

The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District, Woodstock Police Department and Metra Police Department responded around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday to the area of Amsterdam Street and Washington Street for a train crash.

Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said fire crews arrived and found a pedestrian who had been struck by a train.

McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein identified the victim on Tuesday as Jessica Martin, 36, of Woodstock.

Paramedics pronounced Martin dead at the scene.

The fire district cleared the scene, which was turned over to the police department for their investigation, Vucha said.

Metra spokeswoman Meg Thomas-Reile said Martin was not at a train crossing and may have been walking along the tracks at the time.

Investigators were downloading surveillance video to determine what exactly she was doing, Thomas-Reile said last week.

The crash involved Metra Train #676, which had left Harvard at 9:20 p.m. and was due to arrive in Woodstock at 9:33 a.m.

Thomas-Reile said the collision occurred approximately a quarter-mile northwest of the Woodstock Metra station along the Union Pacific Northwest (UP-NW) line.

The McHenry County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene to take possession of Martin for an autopsy.

The autopsy showed Martin died as a result of blunt force injuries to her body and head.

Toxicology testing is pending and her manner of death remains under investigation, Rein said.

No injuries were reported on the train.

The train involved was released from the scene around 1 a.m. and ran express to Chicago, Thomas-Reile said. It was originally scheduled to arrive downtown at 11:10 p.m.

An elderly driver was injured after he accidentally accelerated while parking and crashed into the Cold Stone ice cream shop in Vernon Hills Monday evening, leaving it temporarily closed.

The Vernon Hills Police Department, Countryside Fire Protection District and Mundelein Fire Department responded around 5:05 p.m. Monday to Cold Stone Creamery at The Shops at Aspen Pointe shopping center, 281 West Townline Road in Vernon Hills, for a report of a vehicle crash.

A preliminary investigation shows a 75-year-old man was attempting to park his Audi Q4 when he accidentally confused the accelerator and brake pedal, Vernon Hills Deputy Police Chief Shannon Holubetz said.

The Audi then crashed into the front of the ice cream shop and caused significant damage.

The driver suffered minor and non-life-threatening injuries.

He was not trapped and firefighters did not need to extricate him.

Paramedics transported him to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for treatment.

The shift commander for the Countryside Fire Protection District said that around four people, including employees, were inside the store at the time.

No customers or employees were injured.

The crash left debris and broken glass scattered on the sidewalk and in the store.

Multiple chairs and tables were also knocked down.

A structural collapse technician with the Countryside Fire Protection District responded to evaluate the building’s structural integrity.

The technician did not find any immediate concerns with the structure, the shift commander said.

Firefighters remained on scene to assist with damage removal.

A flatbed tow truck with Ernie’s Wrecker Service responded and removed the Audi, which sustained heavy front-end damage.

Holubetz said the Vernon Hills Building Department also responded and deemed the building structurally sound.

Officers later cordoned off the sidewalk and front of the store with caution tape while damage restoration crews worked.

The ice cream shop remains closed as of Tuesday afternoon for cleaning and repairs.

“No citations have been issued at this time,” Holubetz added.

The coroner has released the identity of a woman who died after an alleged intoxicated boater driving at 80 mph rode over her boat, instantly killing her on the Fox River near McHenry Saturday.

Magdalena Jablonska, 48, of Des Plaines, died on Saturday afternoon on the Fox River in the area of the 1800 block of South Fernwood Lane in unincorporated McHenry, according to McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein.

The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. and McHenry Township Fire Protection District crews arrived to find a crash involving two boats on the river south of the McHenry Dam after receiving multiple 911 calls about the incident.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said that Richard M. Stevenson, 45, of Lisle, was operating a 31-foot black and orange 2026 South Bay boat on the Fox River.

Stevenson’s vessel overtook the second boat, a white and green 1997 Crownline, the complaint said.

A witness told investigators that Stevenson’s boat was traveling at “full throttle” as it entered the no-wake zone and crashed into the other boat, the complaint said.

Jablonska was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Chris Kozel said.

The complaint said the impact resulted in Jablonska being decapitated. Prosecutors said her remains were still missing as of Monday.

The McHenry County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene to take possession of Jablonska for an autopsy, which was performed on Tuesday morning.

Rein said the autopsy showed Jablonska died as a result of blunt force injuries to her head and body. Her official cause and manner of death remain under investigation.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police also responded to the scene, in addition to 18 fire personnel, Kozel said.

All other occupants involved in the crash were out of the water when the fire department arrived.

Officers made contact with Stevenson in the area and he was later transported to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry.

The complaint said a toxicology report showed Stevenson’s blood alcohol content was 0.236, which is almost three times the legal drinking limit.

Stevenson was charged with one count of reckless homicide, a Class 3 felony, and two counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing a crash involving death, a Class 2 felony.

McHenry resident Cody Bingham told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that he was at a celebration of life party at a home on the east side of the Fox River.

He was among the first people at the scene and found Jablonska dead.

Bingham brought the small white vessel, in which the victim was an occupant, to a nearby dock on the east side of the Fox River.

The second person on the smaller boat was transported to a local hospital by ambulance with advanced life support care, Kozel said.

The second boat involved, which was a larger triple-engine vessel, came to rest in the timber on the west bank of the Fox River.

Stevenson is the owner of the larger boat that ran aground, according to police radio traffic.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police arrested Stevenson and transported him to the McHenry County Jail on the felony charges, jail records show.

Bystanders said the two boats were both traveling north on the river when the bigger boat was speeding and ran over the smaller boat in a no-wake zone.

Kozel said a total of four people were involved between the two boats but witnesses and prosecutors said there were five people involved in total. A dog was in one of the boats and survived.

The occupants of the offending boat left the vessel before emergency crews arrived, witnesses said.

A bystander chased after one of them, suspected to be the operator, and another reportedly left the scene in an Uber. A police canine and officers were also actively searching the area for the third occupant.

It is unclear whether the female who left the scene in the Uber, reportedly traveling to Antioch, or the third occupant would be charged with any offenses.

Stevenson was seen talking with first responders in the area of the crash before being transported to the hospital and later arrested.

Court documents said Stevenson refused to voluntarily submit to chemical testing for intoxication. His driver’s license has been automatically suspended for the refusal.

Fire officials and sheriff’s officials said the Fox River was closed between the Stratton Lock and Holiday Hills due to the incident. The river later reopened around 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Stevenson appeared in Initial Appearance Court on Monday afternoon where the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him pending trial, arguing he poses a real and present danger to the community.

McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the request after finding there were no conditions of release that could mitigate the threat Stevenson poses.

Attorney Patrick Walsh, who is representing Stevenson, had asked the court to release his client from custody on pre-trial conditions while he awaits trial.

Prosecutors said during the hearing that Stevenson was driving the boat at approximately 80 mph and had been drinking Fireball Whisky.

Prosecutors also said that Jablonska was in a relationship with the male victim who was transported to the hospital.

A LinkedIn profile for Stevenson said he is a Vice President at Stevenson Crane Service, Inc., based in Bolingbrook, which advertises itself as a leader in crane rentals, aerial and material handling rentals, and rigging and heavy haul services.

McHenry Fire Chief Steve Spraker called the incident “tragic” and said it was a reminder that emergencies can “take many forms and that firefighters must be prepared for all of them.”

Spraker said the fire district utilized side-scan sonar and conducted in-water search operations.

“These are highly specialized skills that require extensive training, countless hours of practice, and ongoing investment in equipment. We train long before these incidents occur so that when someone calls for help, our personnel are ready,” Spraker said.

“Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and everyone affected by this tragedy. We are also grateful for the outstanding teamwork between all of the agencies that worked together throughout this difficult incident,” the fire chief said.

Illinois Conservation Police say they are seeking the public’s help in determining what happened prior to the crash.

Conservation police are leading the investigation and are asking to hear from anyone who witnessed the crash, observed either vessel before or after the collision, or may have information related to the incident.

Investigators say they are seeking any photographs or video taken in the area around the time of the crash, including cell phone video, security camera footage or video recorded while boating on the Fox River.

Witnesses can contact conservation police by completing an online incident report form.

Court records show Stevenson has previously been charged in DuPage County in at least three driving under the influence cases. He also has prior charges for resisting an officer, fleeing or attempting to elude police and battery.

Stevenson is scheduled to appear in McHenry County Circuit Court again on August 5 at 9 a.m. for a status of preliminary hearing.

The incident remains under investigation by the Illinois Conservation Police and the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.

Officials say parts of Lake County were among the hardest hit by severe storms that brought destructive winds and downpours Monday, as crews continue working to restore power, which remains out for over 10% of the county as of Tuesday.

ComEd said in a statement that many customers who remain without power following Monday’s storms are “frustrated – and we get it.”

“The reality is that northern Illinois is experiencing a level of severe weather unlike what we’ve seen in recent years. In fact, our service area has already experienced more storms this year than in all of 2025, with five months remaining in the year,” the company said.

ComEd said storms are becoming more frequent, more powerful and more destructive.

Monday’s storm brought heavy rain, hail and wind gusts exceeding 80 mph, causing widespread damage across the region, including downed trees and power lines.

More than 530,000 customers were impacted by power outages and approximately 290,000 have been restored as of Tuesday morning.

Maywood, Crestwood, Bolingbrook, University Park, Chicago Heights, Glen Ellyn, Skokie, Waukegan and Libertyville were among the hardest hit, ComEd said.

Data shows 11% of customers — over 32,000 homes and businesses — in Lake County remained without power as of almost noon on Tuesday.

The company said that when storms cause this level of damage across dozens of communities at the same time, restoration becomes “significantly more complex.”

Crews must first assess damage, clear hazards and rebuild damaged infrastructure before power can be safely restored, ComEd said.

Roads must be cleared of downed trees before crews can even access damaged equipment.

More than 2,300 personnel are being deployed on Tuesday across northern Illinois and crews are “working around the clock” to restore service as safely and quickly as possible.

ComEd said they expect 80% of interruptions to be restored by Wednesday at noon and the vast majority of impacted customers restored by 10 p.m. on Friday.

NWS Chicago Survey Teams are planning to visit DuPage and southern Cook counties, and nearby areas, to assess potential tornado damage.

The first round of storms began entering Lake and McHenry counties just before 11 a.m. Monday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Chicago issued severe thunderstorm warnings for parts of both counties.

The second round of storms moved into Lake County at around 3:35 p.m., with the severe portions affecting the eastern half of the county.

In Waukegan, flooding was reported on Green Bay Road north of Belvidere Road.

Waukegan Public Works crews are still tending to several calls, like downed trees.

In one case, a downed tree was reportedly completely blocking Yorkhouse Road east of Lewis Avenue.

“Our Public Works crews are out in full force clearing storm debris, with crews focusing on main roads first before moving into neighborhoods and side streets,” the City of Waukegan said.

In Gurnee, flooding was reported on Washington Street under Route 21 and parts of Grand Avenue on the east side of town.

A part of a tree fell on power lines in the yard of a home near West Keith Avenue and Green Place in unincorporated Waukegan.

In Zion, downed power lines caught the back of a house on fire in the 2900 block of Gilboa Avenue.

The Zion-Benton Public Library lost power and closed early.

In Lake Bluff, a vehicle stalled due to flooding at the Route 176 viaduct under Sheridan Road.

Significant flooding was reported on Audrey Nixon Boulevard at Sheridan Road in North Chicago.

In Lake Forest, emergency crews responded to live power lines that were down on Route 43 north of Conway Road.

Some drivers were reportedly driving over the wires as emergency responders scrambled to control traffic and shut down the road.

At Riverwoods Road and Duffy Lane in Lincolnshire, motorists were forced to detour due to power lines that fell.

In Deerfield, a tree fell and blocked the roadway at Deerfield Road and Woodward Avenue.

The Port Clinton Parking Garage in Highland Park experienced flooding and is closed until pump repairs are complete.

Malfunctioning traffic signals were also reported throughout the county.

The railroad gates on Route 137 just east of Route 41 in North Chicago malfunctioned, causing a major traffic backup during rush hour.

A myriad of other facilities like the Lake Forest Recreation Center, Lake Bluff Recreation Center and Lake Bluff Public Library were forced to close.

The Waukegan City Hall building also lost power and closed.

A spokesperson for ComEd told Lake & McHenry County Scanner that ComEd was monitoring the storms and increased staffing.

Around 300,000 ComEd customers across the region were affected by the storms.

“When heavy storms like this hit, ComEd always prioritizes restoration for critical infrastructure like hospitals, nursing homes and schools, followed by dispatching crews to the hardest hit areas to make repairs that will bring the most amount of customers back online,” the spokesperson said.

County officials urged drivers to slow down and exercise extra caution.

“Turn around, don’t drown!” the Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) said.

Anyone who comes across a downed power line should assume it is live and should stay away. They should also call ComEd at 800-334-7661.

An elderly couple was uninjured after their car crashed into the corner of their home’s garage, causing structural damage, in Gurnee Saturday afternoon, fire officials said.

The Gurnee Fire Department and Gurnee Police Department responded around 3:43 p.m. Saturday to the 1800 block of Sycamor Lane in Gurnee for a vehicle crash with injuries.

Fire crews arrived and found a car that had struck a single-family house.

Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Gramer said the crash involved a Honda Civic that hit the attached garage.

Two occupants were in the car, an 86-year-old male driver and an 82-year-old female passenger.

Both occupants were evaluated by paramedics and refused transport to the hospital, Gramer said.

Gramer said it is unclear whether the two homeowners were pulling into the garage or pulling out of the garage when it occurred.

The garage door was partially down when the car struck the corner of the structure.

Gramer said moderate damage occurred and some structural elements were involved.

The corner of the garage is load-bearing and fire crews, the Gurnee Building Department and a board-up company worked to evaluate the damage and secure the garage. The car was then removed from the structure.

Additional fire department resources were called to the scene as some members are on the structural collapse team for MABAS Divisions 4 and 5, Gramer said.

Electricity was shut off to the garage, which is unoccupiable. The home itself remains livable.

The Gurnee Police Department was investigating the cause of the crash.