Police say a man in camouflage was legally bowhunting and no gun was involved after a mother said the man ran at her 12-year-old son and aimed a red dot at him near a soccer complex in Lake Villa Monday evening.

Lake Villa Police Department Deputy Chief James DeCaro said the reported incident happened around 6 p.m. Monday near the Lake Villa Soccer Complex, which sits next to Olive Martin School on Dering Lane.

The police department learned of the incident Tuesday through a Facebook post that said a juvenile was riding his electric bicycle near the soccer complex when he saw a man dressed in camouflage who was reportedly holding a weapon, DeCaro said.

The boy’s mother said in the post, which was shared in a community group, that her 12-year-old son was riding his bike near the soccer fields and Olive Martin School around 6:15 p.m. Monday when he saw a red pickup truck parked in the back of the parking lot by the fields.

She said a man in “full camo gear with an AR style gun jumped out of the bushes and starting running at him.”

The mother said the man had a light and a red dot on the gun and “he had the red dot on my son” as the boy started to ride away.

She said the man then got into his truck and “was driving at him” before her son got onto the trails and rode home.

The mother said her son did not see an orange tip on the end of the gun, which she said airsoft guns usually have.

She said the family went back to the area in their car to try to find the man but he was gone.

DeCaro said the juvenile described the man to police during an interview as having a thin build, wearing camouflage clothing and driving a pickup truck.

DeCaro said Tuesday the incident involved “a possible armed individual” and the police department indicated the weapon may have been a gun.

Police asked anyone who witnessed the incident or saw a suspicious pickup truck in the area to come forward and encouraged residents near Dering Lane and the soccer fields to review home surveillance and doorbell camera video recorded between around 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Monday.

Lake Villa police officers used an updated description of the vehicle to find the man early Wednesday morning, DeCaro said.

DeCaro said the man was identified and interviewed by investigators and was “cooperative and forthcoming” throughout the investigation.

Investigators also obtained video from Lake Villa Township at the soccer complex and reviewed it alongside the information the man gave during the interview, DeCaro said.

“As a result of the investigation, police confirmed that no firearm was involved in this incident,” DeCaro said.

DeCaro said the man was legally bowhunting on adjacent private property at the time and there was no contact between him and the juvenile.

The update did not specifically address the mother’s account that the man ran at her son, aimed a red dot at him and drove his truck toward him.

The police department determined after reviewing the evidence and information gathered during the investigation that no crime occurred, DeCaro said.

The police department thanked members of the public who provided information and assistance during the investigation and Lake Villa Township for providing the video.

DeCaro said the investigation is closed and no criminal charges will be pursued.

Global hip-hop star Travis Scott flew out on his private jet to tour the Volo Museum and bought four collector cars from its showrooms, including a 1989 Lamborghini Countach, the museum said.

The Volo Museum in Volo said in a social media post Tuesday afternoon that Scott flew out on his private jet to visit the museum and purchased four collector cars from its showrooms.

The four cars Scott hand-picked are a 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, a 1955 Chevrolet 150 Sedan Delivery, a 1957 Ford Fairlane and a 1954 Chevrolet 3100.

Scott also toured the museum and was “very humble and kind to all of our employees,” the museum said.

The museum said Scott, who goes by the nickname “La Flame,” wants to bring his family back to visit.

“Thank you, La Flame, for trusting Volo with his next four FIRE rides!” Volo Museum said.

It was not released when Scott visited the museum or how much he paid for the four cars.

Scott, 35, whose real name is Jacques Bermon Webster II, is a native of the Houston area who rose to fame in the 2010s.

His albums include “Rodeo,” “Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight,” “Astroworld” and “Utopia,” which debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2023.

His hit songs include “Sicko Mode” with Drake, “Highest in the Room,” “Fein” and “4×4,” which debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2025.

Scott founded the record label Cactus Jack Records in 2017 and has received 10 Grammy nominations.

His Circus Maximus Tour supporting “Utopia” was reported to have grossed about $209 million, the most for any tour by a solo rapper at the time.

Scott also appeared in director Christopher Nolan’s 2026 film “The Odyssey” and recorded an original song for it.

Scott’s car collection has included a Bugatti Chiron, a LaFerrari and several Lamborghinis, according to a 2024 report by automotive news site Autoevolution.

Lamborghini unveiled the Countach in 1971 and built the supercar for 16 years before phasing it out in 1990, according to an RM Sotheby’s auction listing.

The 25th Anniversary edition, with styling updates by designer Horacio Pagani and a 5.2-liter V12 engine, was the last version of the Countach, the listing said.

An estimated 650 of the anniversary models were built, more than any version of the car before it, the listing said.

A 1989 Countach 25th Anniversary sold for 415,000 Swiss francs at an RM Sotheby’s auction in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 2022.

The 1954 Chevrolet 3100 is a half-ton pickup from Chevrolet’s Advance Design line of trucks, which the automaker built from 1947 until 1955.

The 150 was Chevrolet’s entry-level car line in 1955 and the sedan delivery version was a two-door wagon with solid panels in place of rear side windows, built for businesses to haul goods.

The black Sedan Delivery Scott bought has been customized with a lowered stance, custom wheels and a blue interior, photos shared by the museum show.

The 1957 Ford Fairlane is a pink and brown convertible with whitewall tires and wire wheels.

The Volo Museum traces its roots to 1960 when the Grams family bought a former dairy farm in Volo, according to the museum’s website.

Brothers Greg and Bill Grams, who were teenagers at the time, began collecting and restoring old cars local farmers had stopped using, the museum said.

The museum said a man offered to buy one of the cars even though none were for sale and the brothers’ decision to sell it launched the family’s collector car business. Bill Grams died in May 2020 at 77.

The business has grown from a single pole barn with a gravel floor into a 75-acre attraction that draws about 500,000 visitors a year and is run by three generations of the Grams family.

The museum’s collection features more than 50 famous TV and movie cars, among them Batmobiles from the 1960s “Batman” TV series and the 1989 “Batman” film, KITT from “Knight Rider,” Ecto-1 from “Ghostbusters” and the General Lee from “The Dukes of Hazzard.”

The museum also operates as a collector car dealership and many of the vehicles on display in its showrooms are for sale.

The Volo Museum did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Lake and McHenry County Scanner seeking additional details about Scott’s visit.

Police said in an update that the female who died after being struck by a freight train near Grayslake Central High School Monday afternoon was 19 years old and her death is not believed to be accidental.

The Grayslake Fire Protection District and Grayslake Police Department responded around 4:35 p.m. Monday to the area of North Lake Street and Hillside Avenue near Grayslake Central High School in Grayslake for a report of a person struck by a train.

Firefighters and police officers arrived and found a woman who had been struck by a Canadian National freight train north of Center Street in downtown Grayslake, southeast of where crews were initially dispatched, Grayslake Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Ian Mandigo said.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, Mandigo said.

Grayslake Police Chief Jeff Myhra said in an update Tuesday that the woman was 19 years old.

Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis said the freight train came to a stop at a point where Metra’s North Central Service (NCS) and Milwaukee District North (MD-N) lines cross in Grayslake.

The freight train was traveling on Canadian National Railway’s line, which Metra also uses for the NCS line.

Gillis said Metra could not operate either line north of where the two lines intersect and ran trains as far north as possible during the evening commute before turning them around to offer some level of service on both lines.

Gillis said Monday that full service would not be restored until the freight train was able to move.

The railroad crossings at Center Street, Route 120 and Route 83 were closed while the Lake Street crossing remained open, Mandigo said.

Grayslake police posted a traffic alert asking drivers to use the Lake Street crossing.

Monday’s incident happened a short distance from where Virginia Girmscheid, 60, of Grayslake, was fatally struck by a freight train while riding a bicycle at Lake Street and Hillside Avenue on June 9.

Metra said in June that witnesses described the crossing’s bells and lights activating as Girmscheid rode on the sidewalk into the path of the train.

The Grayslake Police Department and Metra Police Department are investigating the Monday incident, Mandigo said.

Myhra said preliminary investigative findings indicate the woman’s death was an apparent suicide.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office will release the woman’s identity after her family is notified, Myhra said.

“The Grayslake Police Department extends its heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and all those affected by this tragedy. We ask that the family’s privacy be respected during this difficult time,” Myhra said.

The woman’s identity had not been publicly released as of Tuesday evening.

Anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which is available 24 hours a day.

Police are asking residents to check their home cameras after a boy riding a bike near a soccer complex and a school saw a man dressed in camouflage holding a possible gun in Lake Villa Monday evening.

Lake Villa Police Department Deputy Chief James DeCaro said the reported incident happened around 6 p.m. Monday near the Lake Villa Soccer Complex, which sits next to Olive Martin School on Dering Lane.

The police department was made aware of a Facebook post about a suspicious incident.

The post said a juvenile was riding his electric bicycle near the soccer complex when he saw a man dressed in camouflage and possibly holding a weapon, DeCaro said.

DeCaro said the juvenile later described the man to police during an interview as having a thin build, wearing camouflage clothing and driving a pickup truck.

DeCaro said the incident involved a juvenile and “a possible armed individual.”

The police department indicated the weapon may have been a gun.

Police say they are actively investigating and asking anyone who witnessed the incident, saw a suspicious pickup truck in the area around that time or has other information that could help investigators to come forward.

DeCaro said residents near Dering Lane and the soccer fields are also encouraged to review home surveillance, doorbell camera or other video recorded between around 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Monday.

Anyone with information or video is asked to call the Lake Villa Police Department at 847-356-6106 or email police@villageoflakevilla.gov.

Police said in an update that a 51-year-old man shot his elderly parents, his son and his longtime partner before turning the gun on himself inside a Mundelein home Sunday and left suicide notes at the scene and in his vehicle.

Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the deceased on Tuesday as James Schmidt, 80, and Rebecca Schmidt, 77, who lived at the home; their son, Bryan Schmidt, 51, recently of Antioch and formerly of Lake Bluff; their grandson, Maclaine Schmidt, 22, of Lake Bluff; and Nicole Heiser, 37, recently of Antioch and formerly of Lake Bluff.

Maclaine Schmidt was Bryan Schmidt’s son and Heiser was in a long-term relationship with Bryan Schmidt, Banek said.

Mundelein Police Department Deputy Chief Rick Wilfenger said in an update Tuesday that the investigation indicates Bryan Schmidt shot the four “in close proximity of each other before turning the gun on himself.”

The shootings are believed to have happened between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday, Wilfenger said.

Police were not called to the home until later that night.

The Mundelein Police Department responded around 11:45 p.m. Sunday to the home in the 200 block of Wellington Avenue for a well-being check.

Wilfenger said the well-being check was requested by a concerned family member who had been unable to contact one of the victims.

Responding officers made entry to the home and found five adults, including three males and two females, dead inside.

The Mundelein Fire Department responded to the scene and confirmed they were deceased.

All five are believed to have been shot at close range with a handgun, Wilfenger said.

Two handguns were located at the scene.

The Lake County Major Crime Task Force responded to the scene for evidence technician duties, Lake County Major Crime Task Force Spokesman Christopher Covelli said.

Investigators placed crime scene tape around a Volkswagen Jetta parked beside the home in the parking lot of Kristan Funeral Home, whose building sits directly behind the home.

Detectives were seen going door-to-door at neighboring homes.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office collected the deceased for autopsies, Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said.

Detectives located multiple suicide notes left by Bryan Schmidt at the scene and in his vehicle, Wilfenger said.

Wilfenger said detectives retrieved a significant amount of evidence, including electronic devices that will be forensically analyzed.

Wilfenger said in an earlier update Monday that a preliminary investigation by police detectives indicated the five adults were killed in an apparent murder-suicide.

The incident appears to be isolated and there is no threat to the public, Wilfenger said.

Autopsies performed Monday showed James and Rebecca Schmidt each died from multiple gunshot wounds while Maclaine Schmidt and Heiser each died from a gunshot wound of the head, Banek said.

Banek said Bryan Schmidt died from an intraoral gunshot wound of the head, meaning he was shot inside the mouth.

The Mundelein Police Department had no prior contact with Bryan Schmidt or the victims, Wilfenger said.

Detectives, Wilfenger said, continue working to determine any possible motive for the shootings.

“The Mundelein Police Department extends its condolences to the victims loved ones and recognizes the impact this tragedy has had on our community,” Wilfenger said.

Wilfenger asked the public to respect the privacy of the families “during this difficult time.”

The incident remains under investigation by Mundelein police detectives, the Lake County Major Crime Task Force and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

Anyone with additional information relating to the incident is asked to call the Mundelein Police Department at 847-968-4600.

A Waukegan police officer has been charged with felony official misconduct after he allegedly used license plate readers and police databases to track vehicles registered to his co-workers and people tied to them.

Oscar Magpali, an 11-year Waukegan Police Department officer, was charged with five counts of official misconduct, each a Class 3 felony.

The charges follow a criminal investigation into the alleged misuse of law enforcement databases, including automated license plate readers, the Waukegan Police Department and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a joint statement Tuesday.

An initial review identified numerous searches of vehicles registered to department employees and to people associated with those employees, the agencies said.

The department opened separate criminal and administrative investigations based on those findings and notified the state’s attorney’s office, which worked closely with the department throughout the investigation.

The Waukegan Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division conducted the criminal investigation, which included an extensive review of electronic and department records along with witness interviews.

Investigators also examined activity in the Illinois Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) based on the investigation’s findings.

Then-Waukegan Police Chief Edgar Navarro said in July 2024 that the department had expanded its use of Flock Safety license plate reader cameras throughout the community to help solve crimes and deter criminal activity.

The police department and state’s attorney’s office did not say which license plate reader system Magpali is accused of misusing.

Magpali was placed on administrative leave after the initial allegations surfaced, the police department said.

The department’s administrative investigation remains separate from the criminal case.

The police department also launched a department-wide audit of officers’ use of law enforcement databases when the investigation began.

The audit remains ongoing because of the volume of records that need to be reviewed and is meant to identify potential misuse, evaluate compliance with department policies and applicable regulations and determine whether more oversight is needed, the department said.

Magpali was named the Waukegan Police Department’s Employee of the Month for May 2022.

The department said Magpali was assigned to the Patrol Division’s night shift and also served as an evidence technician, field training officer, drone operator and member of the major crime scene unit.

Magpali said in a department profile in May 2022 that he is a combat veteran who served in the military for nine years before joining the Waukegan Police Department and that he was the first in his family to work in law enforcement.

Waukegan Police Chief Elias Agalianos said the department holds its officers “to the highest standards of professionalism and accountability.”

“When allegations of misconduct arise, we are responsible for investigating them thoroughly and impartially, regardless of who is involved,” Agalianos said.

“The integrity of our Department and the community’s trust are paramount,” Agalianos said.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart thanked the Waukegan Police Department for its “thorough and professional investigation.”

“Throughout Lake County, there are hundreds of outstanding police officers who perform their duties ethically and safely,” Rinehart said.

Rinehart said law enforcement professionals are trusted with powerful investigative tools that greatly promote public safety and help solve the most serious cases.

“But no one should abuse that trust,” Rinehart said.

Rinehart said police officers have been trained for years “to never use LEADS for personal reasons” and that every agency agrees with the Illinois State Police not to abuse the system “because it holds so much private information.”

“Any officer who violates these well-settled legal rules will face consequences,” Rinehart said.

The police department and state’s attorney’s office said they remain committed to transparency, accountability and the integrity of law enforcement operations.

Magpali is scheduled to appear in court on November 3.

A 67-year-old man was ejected and died and a woman was left trapped in her car after his minivan collided with her sedan as he turned onto Green Bay Road in Zion Friday evening, police said.

The Zion Police Department and Zion Fire Rescue Department responded around 6:43 p.m. Friday to the intersection of Green Bay Road and Stonebridge Drive in Zion for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.

Zion Police Department Lt. Derek Zaloudek said preliminary findings indicate a black Audi S5 was traveling north on Green Bay Road.

A gold Chevrolet Uplander minivan began turning from Stonebridge Drive onto southbound Green Bay Road and the two vehicles collided.

The collision ejected the 67-year-old man driving the Chevrolet and left the 49-year-old woman driving the Audi trapped inside her car.

The drivers were the only occupants in either vehicle, Zaloudek told Lake and McHenry County Scanner.

A witness, Zaloudek said, performed CPR on the unresponsive man until police officers and firefighters arrived and took over lifesaving efforts.

Both drivers were transported by ambulance to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, according to fire department radio traffic.

Zaloudek said the man was pronounced dead at 7:20 p.m. in the hospital and the woman was evaluated for a lower body injury.

Green Bay Road remained completely shut down for several hours after the crash as police investigated the scene.

The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) was activated and responded.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the hospital and has not publicly released the man’s identity yet.

No citations or charges have been announced as the crash remains under investigation by MCAT and the Zion Police Department.

The coroner has identified an elderly couple, their son, their grandson and the son’s longtime partner as the five killed in an apparent murder-suicide inside the couple’s Mundelein home Sunday evening.

Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the deceased on Tuesday as James Schmidt, 80, and Rebecca Schmidt, 77, both of Mundelein; their son, Bryan Schmidt, 51, recently of Antioch and formerly of Lake Bluff; their grandson, Maclaine Schmidt, 22, of Lake Bluff; and Nicole Heiser, 37, recently of Antioch and formerly of Lake Bluff.

Maclaine Schmidt was Bryan Schmidt’s son and Heiser was in a long-term relationship with Bryan Schmidt, Banek said.

Autopsies performed Monday showed James and Rebecca Schmidt each died from multiple gunshot wounds while Maclaine Schmidt and Heiser each died from a gunshot wound of the head, Banek said.

Banek said Bryan Schmidt died from an intraoral gunshot wound of the head, meaning he was shot inside the mouth.

The Mundelein Police Department responded around 11:45 p.m. Sunday to the 200 block of Wellington Avenue in Mundelein for a well-being check at a home.

Mundelein Police Department Deputy Chief Rick Wilfenger said the well-being check was requested by a concerned family member who had been unable to contact one of the victims.

Responding officers made entry to the home and found five adults, including three males and two females, dead inside, Wilfenger said.

The Mundelein Fire Department responded to the scene and confirmed they were deceased.

Wilfenger said all five are believed to have been shot at close range with a handgun.

Two handguns were located at the scene.

The Lake County Major Crime Task Force responded to the scene for evidence technician duties, Lake County Major Crime Task Force Spokesman Christopher Covelli said.

Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said the coroner’s office collected the deceased for autopsies.

Investigators placed crime scene tape around a Volkswagen Jetta in the parking lot of Kristan Funeral Home, which is directly behind the home.

Detectives were seen going door-to-door at neighboring homes.

Wilfenger said in an update Monday that a preliminary investigation by police detectives indicated the five adults were killed in an apparent murder-suicide.

Four of the deceased were family members while the fifth is believed to have been in a domestic relationship with the suspect, Wilfenger said.

James and Rebecca Schmidt lived at the Wellington Avenue home, Banek said.

“The Mundelein Police Department extends its condolences to the victims loved ones and recognizes the impact this tragedy has had on our community,” Wilfenger said.

Wilfenger said the incident appears to be isolated and there is no threat to the public.

It is unclear what led up to the shootings.

The incident remains under investigation by Mundelein police detectives, the Lake County Major Crime Task Force and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

Anyone with additional information relating to the investigation is asked to call the Mundelein Police Department at 847-968-4600.

A man was flown to a trauma center by a helicopter that landed at a nearby middle school after he was seriously injured in an apparent electric bicycle crash in Woodstock Saturday evening, fire officials said.

The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District and Woodstock Police Department responded around 9:23 p.m. Saturday to the 1000 block of Greenwood Circle in Woodstock for a report of a traumatic injury involving an electric bicycle.

A dispatcher advised that the rider was unconscious and the caller was reporting it sounded like he was snoring, according to fire department radio traffic.

Fire crews responding asked dispatchers to check the status of a LifeNet medical helicopter.

Firefighters and paramedics reported finding a person down on the road, according to the fire department radio traffic.

Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said paramedics arrived at the parking lot of a residential complex and found the adult male who had suffered serious injuries in an apparent electric bicycle crash.

No other vehicles were reported to be involved, Vucha said.

Vucha said a medical helicopter was requested to respond to assist with transporting the man to a regional trauma center due to the nature of his injuries.

A landing zone was established at Northwood Middle School, 2121 North Seminary Avenue, by additional fire crews and the helicopter landed just after 9:50 p.m.

The man was transferred to the flight crew at Northwood Middle School and airlifted to Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside in Rockford, Vucha said.

The victim’s current condition was not released. It was not immediately known what caused the crash.

The crash remains under investigation by the Woodstock Police Department.

The former McHenry County chief judge whose name is on the courthouse died of cancer, the coroner’s office said, as county employees paid their respects when his funeral procession passed the building in Woodstock Monday.

Michael J. Sullivan, 85, of Woodstock, died of cancer at his home on October 10, the McHenry County Coroner’s Office told Lake and McHenry County Scanner.

County employees assembled outside the Michael J. Sullivan Judicial Center in Woodstock to pay their last respects as Sullivan’s funeral procession passed by the courthouse Monday morning.

Purple and black bunting was draped over the courthouse entrance as employees, including uniformed officers, lined the sidewalk out front.

“Judge Sullivan, whose reputation for fairness and equality under the law was legendary, was a titan who left an indelible mark on McHenry County jurisprudence, from its modernization to the creation of specialty courts,” McHenry County Government said in a social media post.

Sullivan died peacefully “after a short but brave battle with cancer,” according to his obituary.

His family thanked his medical teams at Northwestern Medicine, including its Warrenville Cancer Center, his home health care team and Journey Care Hospice for their care, the obituary said.

Sullivan was born in Chicago in 1941 and graduated from Marmion Academy in Aurora in 1959 and Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1963, according to the obituary.

He received his law degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1966 and started his legal career at Allstate before he and his wife moved from Chicago to Woodstock in 1969, when he took a job with the local law firm Jocelyn & Green.

Sullivan was appointed an associate judge on December 6, 1976, for the 19th Judicial Circuit, which then covered Lake and McHenry counties, according to a 2019 McHenry County Board resolution honoring him.

He was elected a resident circuit judge for McHenry County in December 1984 and served as the county’s presiding judge from 1992 until 2002, the resolution said.

His fellow judges elected him the first chief judge of the 22nd Judicial Circuit when McHenry County split from Lake County and the 19th Judicial Circuit in December 2006.

Establishing McHenry County as a circuit of its own was a point of special pride for Sullivan, his family said in the obituary.

Sullivan oversaw the creation of the circuit’s Mental Health Court, Drug Court and Domestic Violence Court as chief judge and helped bring electronic filing and electronic court records to the circuit, the resolution said.

He retired in December 2018 after more than four decades as a judge and the McHenry County Courthouse in Woodstock was renamed the Michael J. Sullivan Judicial Center in his honor on September 19, 2019.

The resolution renaming the building described Sullivan as “a man of honor, humility, integrity and dedication.”

“Judge Sullivan was the greatest man I’ve ever met. He worked harder than anyone I’ve ever seen,” 22nd Judicial Circuit Trial Court Administrator Dan Wallis told Lake and McHenry County Scanner after Sullivan’s death.

McHenry County Chief Judge Michael Feetterer said in a statement that Sullivan “set the standard for excellence as a Court Leader” and always put the 22nd Circuit first.

“He will truly be missed,” Feetterer said.

Sullivan had been a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Woodstock since 1969, his obituary said.

Sullivan was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years and leaves behind four children and nine grandchildren.

A wake was held Sunday at Justen Funeral Home & Crematory, 3700 West Charles J. Miller Road in McHenry.

A funeral Mass was held Monday morning at St. Mary Catholic Church, 312 Lincoln Avenue in Woodstock.

The family asked that memorial donations be made to the Woodstock Food Pantry in lieu of flowers.

A woman died after being struck by a freight train near Grayslake Central High School Monday afternoon, halting Metra service on two lines and closing railroad crossings during the evening rush.

The Grayslake Fire Protection District and Grayslake Police Department responded around 4:35 p.m. Monday to the area of North Lake Street and Hillside Avenue near Grayslake Central High School in Grayslake for a report of a person struck by a train.

Grayslake Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Ian Mandigo said the woman was struck north of Center Street, southeast of where crews were initially dispatched.

An adult female was pronounced dead at the scene, Mandigo said.

Initial emergency radio traffic indicated the victim was possibly a juvenile.

Mandigo said her exact age was not immediately known.

Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis said the freight train struck the woman and came to a stop at a point where Metra’s North Central Service (NCS) and Milwaukee District North (MD-N) lines cross in Grayslake.

The freight train was traveling on Canadian National Railway’s line, which Metra also uses for the NCS line.

Gillis said Metra could not operate either line north of where the two lines intersect.

Metra was running trains as far north as possible during the evening commute and then turning them around to offer some level of service on both lines, Gillis said.

Gillis said full service would not be restored until the freight train is able to move.

The railroad crossings at Center Street, Route 120 and Route 83 were closed while the Lake Street crossing remained open, Mandigo said.

The Grayslake Police Department posted a traffic alert asking drivers to use the Lake Street crossing.

“Motorists are strongly encouraged to avoid the affected areas, seek alternate routes through or around Grayslake, and use caution due to anticipated traffic congestion and delays,” Mandigo said.

It was not immediately known when the crossings would reopen.

Gillis said it was not yet known whether Canadian National, Metra or Grayslake police would lead the investigation.

Monday’s incident happened a short distance from where Virginia Girmscheid, 60, of Grayslake, was fatally struck by a freight train while riding a bicycle at Lake Street and Hillside Avenue on June 9.

Metra said in June that witnesses described the crossing’s bells and lights activating as Girmscheid rode on the sidewalk into the path of the train.

The victim in Monday’s incident has not been publicly identified yet.

“The Grayslake Fire Protection District extends its condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased,” Mandigo said.

Mandigo said the fire protection district would release more details later Monday night.

Gillis said Metra may also provide an update later Monday night.

Police said in an update that the five adults found shot to death inside a Mundelein home late Sunday night during a well-being check requested by a concerned family member were killed in an apparent murder-suicide.

The Mundelein Police Department responded around 11:45 p.m. Sunday to the 200 block of Wellington Avenue in Mundelein for a well-being check at a home.

Mundelein Police Department Deputy Chief Rick Wilfenger said the well-being check was requested by a concerned family member who had been unable to contact one of the victims.

Responding officers made entry to the home and found five adults, including three males and two females, dead inside, Wilfenger said.

The Mundelein Fire Department responded to the scene and confirmed they were deceased.

Wilfenger said all five are believed to have been shot at close range with a handgun.

Two handguns were located at the scene.

The Lake County Major Crime Task Force responded to the scene for evidence technician duties, Lake County Major Crime Task Force Spokesman Christopher Covelli said.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office collected the deceased for autopsies, Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said.

Investigators placed crime scene tape around a Volkswagen Jetta in the parking lot of Kristan Funeral Home, which is directly behind the home.

Detectives were seen going door-to-door at neighboring homes.

Wilfenger said in an update Monday that a preliminary investigation by police detectives indicated the five adults were killed in an apparent murder-suicide.

Four of the deceased were family members while the fifth is believed to have been in a domestic relationship with the suspect, Wilfenger said.

Two of the deceased lived at the Wellington Avenue home.

“The Mundelein Police Department extends its condolences to the victims loved ones and recognizes the impact this tragedy has had on our community,” Wilfenger said.

Wilfenger said the incident appears to be isolated and there is no threat to the public.

The coroner’s office, Wilfenger said, was performing autopsies Monday and confirming the identities of the deceased.

The identities of the deceased had not been publicly released as of Monday evening.

The incident remains under investigation by Mundelein police detectives, the Lake County Major Crime Task Force and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

Anyone with additional information relating to the investigation is asked to call the Mundelein Police Department at 847-968-4600.

Staff at a church preschool found a piece of metal debris possibly from an aircraft outside their building during morning checks in Barrington Hills Monday, prompting an FAA investigation, police said.

The Barrington Hills Police Department responded around 8:26 a.m. Monday to Noah’s Ark Christian Academy at Barrington United Methodist Church, 98 Algonquin Road in Barrington Hills, for a report of metal debris found on the property.

Staff at the preschool found the debris outside their building on the grounds during their morning security checks, Barrington Hills Police Department Deputy Chief Jason Currie said.

Currie said the responding officer’s preliminary investigation indicated the object was around 3 feet by 4 feet in size and was possibly from an aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was contacted and is investigating the incident, Currie said.

“The FAA is in possession of the part and is investigating,” FAA Public Affairs Specialist Steve Kulm said in a statement to Lake and McHenry County Scanner.

The FAA did not release details about what kind of part was found, which aircraft it may have come from or when it may have landed on the property.

It was not immediately known whether anything was damaged.

The Village of Barrington Hills also published a notice about the debris Monday afternoon.

Noah’s Ark Christian Academy offers preschool programs for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds along with a kindergarten program, according to its website.

The school is a ministry of Barrington United Methodist Church, which sits at the southeast corner of Algonquin Road and Route 59.

The discovery comes about 15 months after part of a Delta Air Lines jet’s wing landed in a driveway in Raleigh, North Carolina.

A 911 caller reported around 8:30 a.m. on July 2, 2025, that an object believed to be an airplane part was blocking a driveway outside a Raleigh home, according to ABC11 in Raleigh.

Raleigh police responded and called in the FAA, which took over the investigation.

Delta said the object was part of the left wing’s trailing edge flap from Delta Flight 3247, a Boeing 737-900 that had landed safely at Raleigh-Durham International Airport around 11 p.m. the night before after a flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The airline said crews found a portion of the flap was missing after the plane landed.

The FAA confirmed the part came from the Delta jet and police reported no injuries or property damage.

The coroner has released the identity of a 23-year-old Lake Villa man who was ejected and died when the speeding Audi he was driving crashed into trees near McHenry early Thursday.

The Wauconda Fire District and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 1:35 a.m. Thursday to the area of West Dowell Road and West Neville Road in unincorporated McHenry for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said an Audi S4 had crashed into trees on the Lake County side of the county line.

Deputies arrived and found the driver critically injured, Covelli said.

Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the victim on Monday as Jose Hernandez, 23, of unincorporated Lake Villa.

Covelli said a preliminary investigation showed a McHenry County Sheriff’s Office deputy clocked the Audi on radar traveling 74 mph in a 35 mph zone as Hernandez traveled eastbound on Dowell Road toward Neville Road.

The deputy attempted to turn around and Hernandez appeared to accelerate and lost control, Covelli said.

The Audi was found about 200 feet off the road after striking several trees.

The car split into several pieces and Hernandez was ejected, Covelli said.

The McHenry County sheriff’s deputy initially reported the driver was ejected and barely breathing when he came upon the crash, which he described as “very bad” and said the car was “completely destroyed,” according to police radio traffic.

Hernandez was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room, Banek said.

The coroner’s office responded to the hospital and an autopsy was completed Thursday.

Preliminary autopsy results show Hernandez died of blunt force injuries as a result of the crash, Banek said.

The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team.

A Gurnee man who prosecutors say “made a career as a burglar” starting as a juvenile is accused of forcing his way into a Waukegan home through the garage and stealing $3,000 in cash and a $5,000 ATV.

Michael B. Edwards, 46, of Gurnee, was charged with one count of residential burglary, a Class 1 felony, and one count of theft, a Class 3 felony.

The residents of a home in the 1800 block of North Jackson Street in Waukegan noticed an unknown man on their property through their surveillance system on August 17 and called police.

The residents returned home and Waukegan police officers swept the house but found no one inside, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Garrett Miller said.

Miller said the home was in disarray and it appeared someone had rummaged through drawers, which the residents confirmed was not how they had left it.

Officers noticed signs of forced entry into the attached garage and the door handle appeared to have been struck with force, Miller said.

The residents told police around $3,000 in cash was missing from the home along with Oculus virtual reality glasses that retail for around $700, a Samsung Galaxy S10, clothing, two wristwatches, a tactical cooler and a pink and white Honda ATV valued at around $5,000, Miller said.

A Waukegan Police Department detective provided the North Chicago Police Department with still images of the suspect taken by the residents’ surveillance system during the incident.

North Chicago police officers positively identified the man in the images as Edwards based on previous contact they had with him, Miller said.

A Lake County judge issued a warrant for Edwards’ arrest on the residential burglary and theft charges.

Edwards was arrested by the Waukegan Police Department on that warrant and warrants in three other burglary cases and taken to the Lake County Jail.

Edwards is also charged in those cases with five counts of burglary, a Class 2 felony, one count of theft, a Class 3 felony, and one count of criminal damage to property, a Class A misdemeanor, in connection with incidents in Waukegan and Winthrop Harbor, court records show.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Edwards pending trial when he appeared in First Appearance Court.

Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petition following a detention hearing and ordered Edwards to remain held in the Lake County Jail pending trial.

Nerheim said Edwards is on parole for residential burglary in two Cook County cases and has a documented history of burglaries and residential burglaries along with Illinois Department of Corrections sentences.

Edwards was sentenced to six years in prison on residential burglary charges on April 19, 2024, Miller said.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Dino Katris said at the detention hearing that Edwards’ record begins with a juvenile residential burglary in 1996 and includes four residential burglary convictions that carried a combined 28 years in prison and a robbery conviction that carried a seven-year sentence.

Edwards, then 39, of Waukegan, was charged with burglary in 2019 after Gurnee police said a tip on social media identified him as the man seen in surveillance images breaking into vehicles in Gurnee.

“It is clear then that defendant is undeterred by court order, and continues to engage in highly dangerous behavior putting the entire community at risk,” Miller said.

Katris argued that Edwards “made a career as a burglar” and that court conditions would not protect the public because his parole conditions had not worked.

Lake County Assistant Public Defender Gregg Wolpoff said Edwards maintains his innocence and asked that he be released with pre-trial conditions.

Edwards is scheduled to appear in court again on October 29 for a preliminary hearing.

Five adults, including two females and three males, were discovered dead after being shot in a home in Mundelein late Sunday evening, police said.

The Mundelein Police Department responded around 11:45 p.m. Sunday to the 200 block of Wellington Avenue in Mundelein for a well-being check at a home.

Mundelein Deputy Police Chief Rick Wilfenger said responding officers arrived and made entry to the home.

Officers located five adults, including three males and two females, dead inside the home.

The Mundelein Fire Department responded to the scene and confirmed they were deceased.

Wilfenger said all five sustained apparent gunshot wounds.

“The five adults appear to be family members or in a domestic relationship,” he said.

Two handguns were recovered at the scene.

It is unclear if any of the deceased were among the suspect(s) or if any suspect(s) were on the run.

The Lake County Major Crime Task Force responded to the scene for evidence technician duties, according to Lake County Major Crime Task Force Spokesman Christopher Covelli.

Investigators placed crime scene tape around a Volkswagen Jetta in the parking lot of Kristan Funeral Home, which is directly behind the home.

Detectives were seen going door-to-door at neighboring homes.

“Further information will be released as it becomes available. This appears to be an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public,” Wilfenger said.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene to collect the deceased for autopsies, which are scheduled for Monday, Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said.

Newton said the identities of the deceased are temporarily being withheld.

The incident remains under investigation by Mundelein police detectives, the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

Anyone with additional information relating to the investigation is asked to call the Mundelein Police Department at 847-968-4600.

A 9-year-old boy riding a miniature gas-powered motorcycle was transported to the hospital after he pulled out in front of a driver and collided with her vehicle in Vernon Hills, police said.

The Countryside Fire Protection District and Vernon Hills Police Department responded around 4:36 p.m. on October 10 to the area of Russet Way and Creekside Drive in Vernon Hills for a report of a crash with injuries.

Vernon Hills Deputy Police Chief Shannon Holubetz said a 9-year-old boy riding a miniature gas-powered motorcycle was involved in a crash with a car.

Holubetz said the investigation determined the boy failed to yield to the motorist when he pulled out in front of her onto Creekside Drive from Russet Way.

Fire crews arrived and confirmed one pediatric patient, according to fire department radio traffic.

The boy was transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with what were believed to be minor injuries, Holubetz said.

The motorist was not injured, he added.

“Accidents involving children on motorized equipment are becoming far too common,” Vernon Hills Police Chief Patrick L. Kreis said.

Kreis said parents “must understand what they are buying their children and have an absolute responsibility to ensure these so-called toys are being operated in a safe manner.”

Holubetz said a new Illinois law takes effect January 1 and places broad new restrictions on both gas- and electric-powered mobility devices, including e-bikes, mini-bikes and scooters.

Riders under 16 will generally be prohibited from operating the devices on public land under the new law and misuse can result in confiscation of the device and potential liability for the parent, Holubetz said.

Holubetz said anyone with questions about the law should contact the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office or their local police department.

The Chicago Bears will take over the McHenry Outdoor Theater later this month for a family event with the team’s mascot, giveaways and a screening of “Little Giants,” a first in the drive-in’s 75-year history, the theater announced.

The Chicago Bears Drive-In Takeover kicks off at 5 p.m. on October 27, at the McHenry Outdoor Theater, 1510 Chapel Hill Road in Lakemoor.

It is the first time the Chicago Bears have taken over the drive-in in its 75-year history, the theater said.

The Chicago Bears organization will be on-site with a Chicago Bears Kids Club pop-up, photo opportunities, exclusive giveaways, Bears-themed yard games and a Mini Monsters Clinic, along with appearances by team mascot Staley the Bear and the Monster Squad.

Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite Bears gear, the theater said.

Families can settle into their vehicles after the festivities for a showing of the 1994 football movie “Little Giants,” starring Rick Moranis, which begins at 7:30 p.m..

Admission is $30 per carload and one ticket gets everyone in the vehicle into the event.

Buses, RVs and semis are not allowed and the event will be held rain or shine, the theater said.

“This is exactly the kind of event that makes the McHenry Outdoor Theater such a special place,” McHenry Outdoor Theater owner Scott Dehn said.

Dehn said the drive-in has been creating memories for 75 years and having the Chicago Bears join for an event like this is something the theater is “incredibly excited about.”

“Unofficially, we’ve had a few Chicago Bears players visit the drive-in over the years, including tight end Colston Loveland this past season,” McHenry Outdoor Theater Marketing Director Joe Cicero said.

Cicero said Loveland’s picture from that visit reached a million views on the theater’s social media.

“So having the Chicago Bears officially take over the drive-in is next level, and we couldn’t be more excited! Go Bears!” Cicero said.

The McHenry Outdoor Theater opened as the Skyline Drive-In on July 20, 1951.

The property, which carries a McHenry mailing address, was annexed from McHenry into Lakemoor in 2020.

The drive-in has featured movies, comedians, concerts and even Major League Baseball over the years and is one of just over 300 remaining drive-in theaters in the United States, the theater said.

Major League Baseball selected the McHenry Outdoor Theater as one of only four drive-ins in the country to host an America250 celebration on July 4, which included a showing of “The Sandlot” and a live screening of the Cubs vs. Cardinals game.

Tickets are available on the theater’s website at goldenagecinemas.com.

Thousands of people turned out for “No Kings” rallies across Lake and McHenry counties Saturday as the groups behind the protests against President Donald Trump shifted their focus to urging people to vote early.

The No Kings Coalition billed Saturday as a national day of action centered on nonpartisan voter engagement and event listings described No Kings: Vote Early as “not purely a protest” but a day aimed at helping people make a plan to vote early.

Indivisible, a progressive movement organization with chapters across the United States, is the lead organizer of No Kings.

Groups planned five rallies in Lake County and three in McHenry County, according to the event listings.

The rallies drew thousands of people combined, including nearly 2,000 at the Gurnee, Highland Park, Buffalo Grove and Deerfield rallies and hundreds estimated at each of the three McHenry County rallies.

Indivisible Barrington’s rally began in the Barrington Metra station parking lot before participants headed with signs to the corner of Main Street and Northwest Highway.

“The signs say it all—a blue wave is rising,” Indivisible Barrington said while sharing photos from the rally.

An estimated 1,200 people attended the Gurnee rally hosted by Northeast Lake County Indivisible (NELC-Indivisible) from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Hunt Club Road and Grand Avenue, where the group has held all three previous No Kings protests.

An estimated 450 people gathered outside Highland Park City Hall, 1707 St. Johns Avenue, for the Highland Park rally from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Speakers included ACLU of Illinois Executive Director Colleen K. Connell, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center Executive Director Dulce Ortiz and Center for Immigrant Progress Executive Director Carmen Patlán, Indivisible Highland Park said.

Poet and author Janea Harris, a co-founder of Insight Advocacy, Northwestern University PhD student Rohan Kota and a Highland Park High School senior who is co-president of the school’s debate club also spoke, the group said.

Nic DeGrazia of Bitter Jester Studios served as master of ceremonies.

The ACLU of Illinois, Center for Immigrant Progress, Chicago Area Peace Action, Indivisible Illinois, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center, North Shore Says NO and Third Act Illinois supported the event, Indivisible Highland Park said.

“Seeing so many neighbors, families, and friends show up for democracy and the early vote was inspiring,” Indivisible Highland Park said.

About 300 people combined attended the Buffalo Grove rally at McHenry Road and Lake Cook Road, where attendees were asked to bring items to donate to a food pantry, and the Deerfield rally, a honk-and-wave event at Deerfield Road and Waukegan Road.

Hundreds of people gathered on the Fox River bridge at Algonquin Road and Harrison Street in Algonquin for the (Out)Rage Against The Regime rally from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Hundreds more lined Route 31 at McCullom Lake Road in McHenry for Indivisible McHenry County’s rally from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Indivisible Crystal Lake’s rally also drew a large crowd of people along Route 14 in front of Binny’s, 5380 Northwest Highway in Crystal Lake, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“Thanks to the millions who took to the streets in 3,000 No Kings III Vote Early events around the country. Now take this energy to the ballot box!” Indivisible Barrington said after the rallies.

Saturday’s turnout was smaller than the third round of No Kings protests against Trump and his administration on March 28, which drew well over 10,000 people across Lake and McHenry counties.

Organizers estimated 5,000 to 6,000 people attended the Gurnee rally on March 28, after an estimated 4,500 attended the first in June 2025 and 7,000 attended the second in October 2025.

Organizers estimated around 3,000 people attended the McHenry rally on March 28.

Early voting for the November 3 general election, which has been available at the Lake County Main Courthouse in Waukegan since September 24, expands to 18 sites across Lake County on Monday.

McHenry County will expand early voting from the McHenry County Election Center, 410 South Eastwood Drive in Woodstock, to 12 locations across the county on Monday, officials said.

Early voting in both counties runs through November 2 and eligible residents who are not registered can register in person when they vote, county officials said.

A Richmond man is accused of beating a man in the face with a metal pipe, leaving him with serious facial injuries, after finding him with his estranged wife in Barrington Hills, then fighting officers who tracked him down, prosecutors said.

James R. Garrett, 38, of Richmond, was charged with one count of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, a Class 3 felony, and one count of aggravated battery to a peace officer, a Class 2 felony, along with two counts of resisting a peace officer causing injury, which are Class 4 felonies.

Garrett went to a location in Barrington Hills on October 11 and found his soon-to-be ex-wife there with another man, McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Theodore J. Smith III said in court.

Garrett allegedly struck the man with a metal pipe on the left side of his face around 8:42 p.m., causing multiple lacerations and bruising, a nasal bone fracture and a nasal bridge fracture, according to a criminal complaint.

The man also had bruising on the right side of his back, a scratch on his left forearm and a laceration on his left shin, the complaint said.

Smith said Garrett hit the man several times and the man was hospitalized with serious injuries.

Officers were also concerned the man may have suffered a broken orbital bone on the left side of his face, Smith said.

Garrett fled the scene and the Barrington Hills Police Department asked the Richmond Police Department to try to find him, Smith said.

Richmond officers found Garrett at his home in the 3600 block of Overlook Drive in Richmond and called McHenry County Sheriff’s Office deputies to back them up as they tried to arrest him, McHenry County Judge Jeffrey J. Altman said in court.

Garrett did not follow the officers’ orders and struck and fought with them until he was subdued on the ground, Smith said.

Garrett allegedly hit a deputy in the face with his left hand around 9:38 p.m., leaving a mark on the deputy’s right cheek and knocking off his glasses, according to a separate criminal complaint.

Garrett pulled away from deputies, held his arms tight against his body and kept twisting and pulling away as they tried to handcuff him, the complaint said.

Two deputies fell on the driveway during the struggle and injured their knees, the complaint said.

Smith said in court that two officers had red marks on their faces where Garrett allegedly swung at and hit them and he gave the judge photos of the officers’ injuries.

Garrett was booked into the McHenry County Jail around 11:50 p.m., according to jail records.

The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed petitions to detain Garrett pending trial in both cases, arguing his release would pose a real and present threat to the safety of others.

Altman denied the petitions following an Initial Appearance Court hearing and released Garrett with pre-trial conditions.

Altman found there was clear and convincing evidence Garrett committed the detainable offense and that he poses a real and present threat to the safety of the victim and the community at large.

The judge said Garrett went to where the man was in Barrington Hills, fled and returned to his home, where the officers who tried to arrest him suffered injuries, including bruising and scrapes to their knees and an injury to the face of at least one officer.

Altman did not find evidence that the charges involving the officers are offenses that allow for detention.

The judge also considered Garrett’s lack of prior criminal history and noted an emergency order of protection is currently active against Garrett, which the judge said appeared to have been sought by Garrett’s wife.

Altman found conditions could mitigate the threat Garrett poses and placed him under the supervision of the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services with GPS monitoring.

Garrett was also ordered to have no contact with the victim, stay five miles away from the man’s Barrington Hills home, not possess a firearm or other dangerous weapon and follow the order of protection.

He is barred from drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs or prescription drugs without a valid prescription, must submit to random testing and must schedule an anger management evaluation within seven days of his release and follow the provider’s recommendations.

Smith argued Garrett is “clearly a danger” not only to the victim he is accused of beating but to anyone because of how he fought with the officers who came to arrest him.

Smith said that if Garrett were placed on electronic or GPS monitoring, he would be at home near things he could pick up and use as a weapon and would likely fight officers again if they had to arrest him for violating an order of protection or an order to stay away from the man.

Smith also said the attack did not happen at Garrett’s home and that Garrett took time to travel to where the victim was, which showed his intentions.

Garrett’s defense attorney argued that officers knocked on Garrett’s door, reached in and tried to grab him and force him out of his home before he swung at them.

The defense attorney said there was no allegation Garrett grabbed a weapon during the arrest and argued that aggravated battery to a peace officer is excluded from the offenses that allow a defendant to be detained.

Garrett’s defense attorney said the only other witness to the Barrington Hills incident was Garrett’s wife and claimed she was having an affair with the victim, which the defense attorney said was why Garrett was there and was “infuriated.”

The defense attorney also said no metal pipe or other metal object was found. The attorney noted Garrett has no criminal history and asked Altman to release him with conditions.

Garrett is scheduled to appear in court again on November 17 for a preliminary hearing and a review of his pre-trial release conditions.

A 79-year-old man was cited for driving without a license after he turned the wrong way pulling out of his driveway, overcorrected and crashed a minivan into a neighboring home in Buffalo Grove.

The Buffalo Grove Fire Department and Buffalo Grove Police Department responded around 12:30 p.m. Monday to the 2100 block of Apple Hill Lane in Buffalo Grove for a report of a vehicle into a building.

The Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, Deerfield-Bannockburn and Countryside fire protection districts were also dispatched to the scene as mutual aid.

The minivan, a white Honda Odyssey, struck the brick corner of the two-story home and came to rest against it.

Buffalo Grove Police Department Sgt. Meghan Hansen said the driver turned the wrong way while pulling out of his driveway.

The driver told police he overcorrected, lost control of the Honda and struck the corner of an adjacent home, Hansen said.

The driver, a 79-year-old Buffalo Grove man, was issued two citations for improper lane usage and driving without a license, Hansen said.

No injuries were reported. A damage estimate was not immediately available.

A tow truck responded to remove the Honda, which had its airbags deployed, from the scene.

The Buffalo Grove Building Department also responded to evaluate the structure of the home.

It was not immediately known whether anyone was inside the home at the time or whether the home was deemed safe to occupy.

A man who had been told to leave a Waukegan grocery store allegedly came back, threatened the owners and stole cash from the register before telling a judge in court he wanted to be deported to Venezuela.

Jose Gregorio Caraballo Rodriguez, 27, of Waukegan, was charged with one count of robbery, a Class 2 felony, along with one count of criminal trespass to land, a Class B misdemeanor, and one count of disorderly conduct, a Class C misdemeanor.

The Waukegan Police Department responded around 12:39 p.m. on September 24 to Super Mercado Mas X Menos, a grocery store at 1412 Grand Avenue in Waukegan, for a 911 call about a man who had previously been told to leave.

One of the store’s owners told the responding officer that Caraballo Rodriguez had previously been at the grocery store and the restaurant next door, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Jonathan Moy said.

The owner and his wife jointly own both businesses.

Caraballo Rodriguez allegedly caused a disturbance earlier in the day that led to him being told to leave the businesses and not to come back.

He initially complied but later came back into the store where he took a spray can of deodorant and sprayed it on himself, Moy said.

Moy said the husband told Caraballo Rodriguez to leave, which caused an argument between him and the couple.

Caraballo Rodriguez allegedly began throwing things from the shelves and making threats toward the owners.

The husband went to the back of the store to call 911 while his wife was behind one of the cash registers, Moy said.

Caraballo Rodriguez, Moy said, kept making threats toward the wife, who froze because she was afraid he might hurt her.

Caraballo Rodriguez then allegedly went behind the open register where the wife was and took the money that was inside.

He walked toward the main area of the grocery store afterward and stayed there until officers arrived and took him into custody, Moy said.

Caraballo Rodriguez appeared for a First Appearance Court hearing and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him pending trial.

“I want to be deported to Venezuela,” Caraballo Rodriguez said through an interpreter after Lake County Judge Paul Novak asked whether he would hire his own attorney or request a public defender.

Novak appointed the Lake County Public Defender’s Office to represent him.

Novak later warned Caraballo Rodriguez that he would have him removed from the courtroom if he did not stop talking while Moy laid out the allegations against him.

Novak found probable cause and ordered Caraballo Rodriguez held until a detention hearing.

Lake County Assistant Public Defender Gregg Wolpoff said during the detention hearing that Caraballo Rodriguez is homeless and lost his job about three months ago.

Wolpoff said Caraballo Rodriguez has been diagnosed with a number of mental health issues that he believes, from speaking with him, include depression and anxiety.

He does not have access to medication right now and is seeking release so he can get a mental health evaluation, Wolpoff said.

Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petition and ordered Caraballo Rodriguez to have no contact with the owners or the store.

Nerheim said robbery is a violent offense and Caraballo Rodriguez allegedly committed it while he was on pre-trial release in other cases.

“The threat of the imminent use of force against the victims and taking property is very concerning towards the victims’ safety and the community at large,” Moy said.

Moy said Caraballo Rodriguez had already ignored the owners’ initial trespass warnings when he went back into the store.

“There are no indications that this Defendant will follow any court orders,” Moy said.

Nerheim also applied to the robbery case a finding from a separate pending felony case against Caraballo Rodriguez that there is a bona fide doubt about his fitness to stand trial.

The pending cases include an aggravated battery case and a criminal trespass case, Nerheim said.

Nerheim said a warrant issued in July after Caraballo Rodriguez failed to appear in court in one of those cases was returned on September 16.

Caraballo Rodriguez remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on October 27 for a status hearing on his fitness evaluation.

Two men were flown to the hospital after separate falls, one with a serious head injury in Cary and the other a man in his 80s who fell from a ladder while caulking outside a home in McHenry, fire officials said.

The Cary Fire Protection District responded around 3:46 p.m. on October 5 to the 300 block of Crystal Street in Cary for a report of a fall victim.

Crews located an adult male patient suffering from a serious head injury as a result of a fall, Cary Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said.

“Due to the severity of his injuries, a medical helicopter was requested,” Vucha said.

The helicopter met the ambulance carrying the man at the helipad of Mercyhealth Hospital and Physician Clinic in Crystal Lake.

A LifeNet medical helicopter then airlifted him to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for further treatment.

The McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded around 1:44 p.m. on October 7 to the 4000 block of Lauren Court in McHenry for a report of a fall victim.

McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Dave Harwood said a man in his 80s had fallen from a ladder while doing caulking work outside the house.

The man did not have any obvious serious injuries but a medical helicopter was called as a precaution due to his age, Harwood said.

An ambulance transported him to the LifeNet helicopter base at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital.

The man was transferred to the flight crew and flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center for further evaluation, Harwood said.

Updates on the conditions of the two men were not immediately available.

A Crystal Lake Republican running for McHenry County Board attended the rally before the 2021 Capitol riot but left before the violence, his party said, while Democrats say he turned his back on the Constitution.

Dan Hickey, of Crystal Lake, is the Republican candidate for McHenry County Board District 2 and is challenging incumbent Democrat Gloria Van Hof, also of Crystal Lake, in the November 3 election.

Hickey, an insurance agent and business owner, has lived in McHenry County since 1997, according to his campaign website.

Thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump attended a rally at the Ellipse near the White House on January 6, 2021, before marching to the U.S. Capitol, where rioters broke through police lines and stormed the building as Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

McHenry County Republican Party Chairman Eric Hendricks, who also represents District 3 on the County Board, said in a statement that Hickey attended the demonstration in Washington, D.C. but did not enter the Capitol or engage in any illegal activity.

“In fact, Dan Hickey had already left and was in Pennsylvania when he first became aware of what was occurring,” Hendricks said.

Hendricks said the party supports every citizen’s First Amendment right to peacefully assemble, “regardless of whether one supports the underlying message or not.”

Hendricks told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the party knew Hickey had been at the Capitol before its nomination committee selected him as the District 2 candidate and that the party researches potential candidates’ pasts as part of its vetting.

Hendricks said Hickey “attended lawfully, was never even suspected of breaking a law nor personally witnessed any of the events.”

The Democratic Party of McHenry County said in a statement that Hickey “turned his back on the Constitution and the rule of law” when he chose to attend the events at the Capitol.

The party said rallygoers heard Trump urge the crowd to march to the Capitol and tell them, “if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

“Thousands, including Mr. Hickey, marched down Pennsylvania Avenue shortly after that speech at Ellipse Park concluded, quickly overcoming police barricades and breaching the building,” the party said.

The party said public service requires defending democracy rather than standing with a mob that sought to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.

“I find it concerning that they’re accusing him of criminal activity,” Hendricks said of the Democrats’ statement.

Hendricks said in his statement that it was no coincidence the issue surfaced weeks before Election Day.

Hendricks said the Democratic Party and Van Hof would rather talk about January 6 than defend what he called her “abysmal record.”

“Raise taxes and then change the subject? That’s the Chicago way, and McHenry County deserves better,” Hendricks said.

Hendricks said District 2 voters are far more interested in where candidates stand on county issues than in a manufactured controversy over Hickey’s lawful attendance at a political event more than five years ago.

Hendricks called it an “October surprise” when asked whether he had information showing Democrats were behind it and said their attempt was “an absolute flop.”

“The McHenry County Republican Party had sources months ago letting us know that they were planning on using this information later on,” Hendricks said. Hendricks did not identify the sources.

Democratic Party of McHenry County Chair Ruth Scifo said that she does not know who sent the tips about Hickey’s attendance or whether they have any ties to the party. “They weren’t made officially by us,” Scifo said.

Hendricks also said in his statement that Van Hof’s surrogates would rather distract voters than confront the fact that she has “supported the maximum property tax hike proposed every single year she has been in office.”

The Democratic Party disputed that and said Van Hof and the other Democrats on the County Board voted last November against the levy the Republican-majority board narrowly passed, which raised the county’s levy by the inflation-tied limit.

County Board minutes show Van Hof voted in November 2023 and November 2024 for levies that took part, but not all, of the inflationary increase allowed under the tax cap.

Last November, Van Hof voted against a so-called lookback levy of about $73.8 million with a partial abatement on the first vote and then voted for it twice before it failed, the minutes show.

The lookback would have returned the county’s levy to its level before voters approved a sales tax in March 2024 to fund the Mental Health Board.

Hendricks also voted against the levy that ultimately passed 9-8, according to the minutes.

The Democratic Party said Democrats also oppose the Home Rule referendum that County Board Republicans placed on the November 3 ballot because it could remove property tax caps and allow the county to raise levies without voter approval.

“Currently the Republicans, who are in the majority and have been for as long as I can remember, are facing an approximate $7.3 million gap in their budget,” Scifo said.

Van Hof put the projected deficit higher, at $8.3 million, in a candidate questionnaire.

Scifo blamed the gap on raises for elected officials and staff, higher health care costs and what she called Republicans’ “fiscal mismanagement and failure to take modest increases below the voter-approved levy for years.”

Scifo said Republicans have put county services at risk of cuts and residents in line for property tax and fee increases.

“We should all be ‘distracted’ by the situation they and current Republican candidates intend to put us in. Yes, McHenry County deserves better,” Scifo said.

Hickey did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Lake and McHenry County Scanner. Van Hof did not respond to a request for comment.

Early voting is underway at the McHenry County Election Center in Woodstock and will expand to other early voting locations on Monday ahead of the November 3 election.

A 28-year-old man on parole for a gun conviction is accused of bringing a loaded handgun to his job and leaving it in his locker, where managers found it while tracking down an overwhelming cannabis odor in Waukegan, prosecutors said.

Jorell L. Devost, 28, of Waukegan, was charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender, a Class X felony, and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, a Class 2 felony.

Visual Pak, a contract packaging company at 3505 Birchwood Drive in Waukegan that has a night shift, called the Waukegan Police Department in the early morning hours of October 2 after finding a handgun in a paper bag in a locker at the business.

An employee had complained about the overwhelming odor of cannabis in the locker room and management found the locker the odor was coming from, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Dino Katris said.

Inside the locker was a paper bag holding a 9mm handgun loaded with a live round in the chamber, Katris said.

Katris said surveillance video reviewed after police were called showed Devost, an employee, entering the business with the paper bag and going to the locker room.

Devost became combative when he was interviewed and argued that he has a Second Amendment right, Katris said.

Devost was arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail.

Lake County Judge Gabriel Conroe found probable cause for the charges during a First Appearance Court hearing and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Devost pending trial.

Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petition following a detention hearing and ordered Devost to remain in custody pending trial.

Nerheim said the loaded 9mm handgun, which had a round in the chamber, was found in Devost’s unlocked locker in the employee locker room while he was on parole and that Devost has a history of firearm-related offenses.

Devost pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon in February 2019, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Eryka Jones said at the detention hearing.

He was arrested for burglary in July 2020, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March 2021, Jones said.

Jones said Devost was arrested again for unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon in August 2022 and pleaded guilty in that case in March 2023.

Katris said Devost had just served a seven-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections for unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and was on supervised release for that offense when he allegedly possessed the loaded gun.

Jones argued Devost has shown a pattern of reoffending once he is released from prison.

“This Defendant is dangerous. He continues to possess firearms despite our legislature having decided that he lost his second amendment right when he was convicted of felony offenses,” Katris said.

“In fact, this Defendant leaving a loaded 9mm in a paper bag in a communal work locker room area is so dangerous it is fortunate that one of the Defendant’s co-workers did not unknowingly handle that bag and accidentally shoot themselves,” Katris said.

“Court conditions will not work. This Defendant is on supervised release for a gun offense when he committed this new gun offense,” Katris said.

“It is completely reasonable for this Court to reason that this Defendant would give the same respect to this Court’s orders as he has to his parole conditions,” Katris said.

Rayne Galbraith, an attorney with the Lake County Public Defender’s Office, argued at the detention hearing that Devost lives with his father in Waukegan, is not a flight risk, has a good job and is taking GED classes at the College of Lake County.

Devost remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on October 28 for a preliminary hearing.