Regional Police Report: Chemical Bombs Found, Homes Robbed During Wakes, And More

Palatine

Eight Chemical Bombs Found Near Condominiums

The local bomb squad disarmed and removed eight chemical bombs from a courtyard at a condominium development Sept. 30, police said.

According to the Palatine Police Department, filled with bleach, the eight “Macgyver type bombs,” or homemade chemical bombs were found around the courtyard behind the Randville Condominiums in Palatine at 1116 E. Randville Drive, less than one mile from Palatine High School.

A nearby resident spotted one of the devices and called 911 Sept. 30 about 1:15 p.m. Deputy Fire Chief William Gabrenya said firefighters from a distance were able to confirm the presence of several devices in the courtyard of Randville Condominiums and verified the potential hazard of the chemical bombs.

McHenry

Pair Charged With Committing Buglaries During Wakes

A McHenry man and woman have been arrested for committing residential burglaries throughout McHenry and Boone counties while the homeowners were attending wakes, police said.

Jacquelyn S. Buccholz, 24, and Jason Werner, 26, both of 108 Pleasant View Dr., McHenry (northeast of Johnsburg near Pistakee Lake), on Wednesday were each charged with one count of residential burglary.

Bond was set at $80,000 each, and both Buccholz and Werner are awaiting a court date set by a judge.

Skokie

Leon Goldberg, the 84-year-old man who was struck and killed by a vehicle outside Niles North High School on Oct. 2, was also a Holocaust survivor, according to close friend Sharon Perlman.

Perlman said Goldberg was placed in a number of concentration camps during WW II. He was also recently honored at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie.

"He would often speak to students and educate them about the atrocities he experienced," Perlman said. "I knew Mr. Goldberg for nearly 40 years."

Grayslake

Three Charged In Home Invasion

Three suspects are in custody following an armed home invasion that occurred Sept. 28 night in the 1000 block of Manchester Circle in Grayslake's College Trail neighborhood.

Charges have not been filed yet. A fourth suspect remains at-large. No injuries were reported in relation to this incident.

According to the Grayslake Police Department, three suspects entered the home at 10:38 p.m. The victims, who were not injured, were robbed by two male suspects with handguns and one with a bat. Suspect descriptions were obtained by dispatchers and relayed to responding police units.

According to dispatch reports, a helicopter and thermal imaging cameras were requested in the investigation. Police dogs were also used.

Des Plaines

Mugs Pizza Engulfed In Flames

Des Plaines firefighters extinguished a fire at , early Oct. 3, according to a report from Fire Chief Alan Wax. There were no injuries reported in a blaze that caused extensive damage to the restaurant, as well as smoke damage to other businesses in the strip mall, Wax stated.

The fire department was dispatched to the scene at 5:09 a.m. on Oct. 3, arrived approximately six minutes later, and extinguished the flames within 20 minutes, Wax stated.

“Fire crews did a great job of containing the fire to the occupancy of origin and extinguishing it quickly,” Wax stated.

Investigators are working on determining what caused the fire and what was its point of origin, Wax stated. The fire caused extensive damage, and Mug’s will be closed for an extended period of time, Wax stated.

Lake In The Hills

Man Tries To Kill Himself After Sexual Assault Conviction

A former Lake in the Hills man tried to kill himself after a jury convicted him Wednesday in a sex assault case, according to the Northwest Herald. 

The Northwest Herald reports Robert W. Lucht, 56, emptied the contents of an envelope made out of notebook paper that contained a "granule-like substance" into his mouth and was taken out of the courtroom on stretcher after the apparent attempted suicide, according to the NW Herald. 

The attempted suicide came after a jury found Lucht guilty on three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to a McHenry County State's Attorney's Office press release.