Regional Police Report: Massive Fire; Attempted Child Abduction and More

Crystal Lake

Three firefighters sustained minor injuries battling a fire on Carrington Drive near Crystal Lake.

The fire started at 3:30 p.m. The fire engulfed one home and strong winds helped spread it to four nearby homes in the 3200 block of Carrington Drive.

"Crews started a defensive attack on the fire and began protecting exposures," stated Jerry Larsen, fire prevention bureau chief for Crystal Lake Fire Rescue in a press release.

A home at 3217 Carrington .

No residents were injured in the incident. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marsals Office, McHenry County Sheriff's Office and Crystal Lake Fire Rescue, Larsen said.

Des Plaines

Man Tried to Abduct Girl Near Golf Road

Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart's office said the suspect grabbed a 12-year-old girl and tried to drag her into a wooded area in Maine Township on Wednesday.

She fought back. He covered her mouth with his hands, and she bit his hand and escaped.

Police searched the area south of the 9600 block of Golf Road, and enlisted a helicopter and K-9 units in the effort. They found white headphones the offender was reportedly wearing, but nothing further.

The suspect is described as a white male, 20 to 30 years-old, approximately 5’8”- 5’10” tall, and approximately 170 to 190 pounds. He wore an orange and brown hooded sweatshirt and black and white pants.

Sheriff Dart asks anyone with information to call Cook County Sheriff’s Police at 708-865-4896.

Palatine

A 44-year-old man has been sentenced 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for sexually assaulting three minors and taking millions of images of the assaults, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart said today. 

Daniel Sims, of Palatine Township, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child. He originally faced 72 felony counts, including predatory criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, child pornography, aggravated criminal sexual assault, and possession of child pornography. 

During the investigation, Sheriff’s Police detectives found more than 6 million images of his victims engaging in various sexual acts.

Lake Villa

Bicyclist Dies After Being Hit by Car

A woman riding her bike in unincorporated Lake Villa lost her life Thursday afternoon after she was struck by a car, reported the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

The victim, whose identity is not being released pending family notification, was pronounced dead at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

Police responded to the accident scene at about 2:15 p.m. Thursday.

A white 2000 Toyota Camry was traveling south on Route 45 north of Grand Avenue in unincorporated Lake Villa and collided with a bicyclist, who was also traveling south on Route 45, according to a sheriff's press release.

The bicyclist was taken by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where she was pronounced dead.

McHenry County

A McHenry County couple was charged with stealing more than $27,000 worth of Snap-on Tools.

Liliana Bravo and her husband, Milton Chapa, of 3207 S. Cherry Ave., McHenry (close to Island Lake), were arrested and each charged with theft over $10,000, a Class 2 felony, according to McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren.

Nygren said his department received anonymous information from Snap-On that Liliana Bravo, an employee of the tool company located at 3009 Route 176 in Crystal Lake, had been facilitating thefts through her position at the company, Nygren said.

Bravo's husband, Milton Chapa, received the stolen items and then sold them.