An Uber driver was robbed and beaten early Thursday by four men who stole the driver’s car, the Lake County sheriff’s office said.
The driver, 56, told police that he responded to a request for a ride and he picked up four men on Elizabeth Avenue in Zion. He drove them to an address in the 38900 block of Stonewood Drive in Beach Park and dropped them off around 12:10 a.m.
When they arrived, the four men began beating him and shoved him out of his car, a 2010 Mercedes-Benz, before driving off in the vehicle.
The man called 911 from a gas station. Police tracked his cellphone to the intersection of Green Bay Road and 33rd Street, where it was apparently thrown from the vehicle. The man was taken to the hospital for treatment of numerous facial injuries.
Anyone with information about the gray Mercedes 350 is asked to call police at (847) 377-4000.
Guilty verdict
An Ingleside man could face prison time after he was found guilty earlier this month on charges that he had drugs in his system when he struck a pedestrian with his vehicle.
A Lake County jury returned a guilty verdict against Brian King, 41, for aggravated driving with any amount of drugs in his urine following a three-day trial that concluded Aug. 17.
King was arrested in connection with a June 2021 crash in which Michael Brennan, 53, was killed.
Authorities said Brennan was walking in the grass along the shoulder near the Illinois Route 12 and Route 59 when he was struck by King’s vehicle.
Samples taken from King showed he had eight controlled substances in his system, including methamphetamine, authorities said.
“Our team secured justice for Michael through this verdict,” State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said after the jury’s decision. “I am so proud of the excellent efforts of the Sheriff’s Office, trial prosecutors, and victim-support professionals who all worked together in this heartbreaking case.”
King is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 13 for the Class 2 felony.
Hate crime charges
Two Lake Villa-area men have been charged with hate crimes for defacing businesses in Round Lake Beach with spray-painted swastikas, police said.
David M. Dolan, 18, and Anthony P. Shields, 19, both of Lake Villa Township, were charged with a hate crime as well as criminal defacement of property. Police said they were called Tuesday at 3:30 a.m. to the Walmart store on Route 83 after employees reported someone had spray-painted an exterior door.
While officers responded to the store, other police spotted Dolan and Shields riding bicycles near the Hainesville Road intersection with Rollins Road. They were stopped and found to be in possession of spray paint.
They made statement to police implicating themselves in the spray painting of the Walmart and several other businesses with Nazi symbols and hate speech, police said.
Be on the lookout
Antioch police are warning residents to take precautions after investigating several incidents of car thieves canvassing village neighborhoods.
In the most recent incident, thieves stole a Kia SUV from the Woods of Antioch subdivision around 1 a.m. Thursday. The owner had left the fob inside the vehicle, which was parked in the driveway, police said.
On Aug. 19, thieves unsuccessfully tried to steal a Toyota Camry, but damaged the car and the garage door of the residence where it was parked. That incident happened in the Tiffany Farms neighborhood. A day before, two people were reported apparently canvassing the Windmill Creek neighborhood, though no thefts were reported there.
“We are alerting residents following a local spike in activity related to a countywide car theft ring,” Police Chief Geoff Guttschow said. “We ask that residents help our investigators by reporting any suspicious activity.
“Even if the activity might not seem like anything, it might be a significant lead for our investigators,” he said. “Also, I want to remind everyone to call the police if they see a car theft in progress and to NOT intervene. In the past, we have had video footage of some car thieves carrying guns. It is not worth risking your life to stop a car theft.”
Pistol possession
Zion police arrested two men recently after officers found a pistol in their possession.
Police said they stopped the two Zion residents for a “pedestrian code violation” around 4:20 p.m. on Aug. 19 in the 2300 block of 28th Street. Officers recognized one of the men, Braylin Harper, 19, of Zion, who had an active arrest warrant for firearms felony theft.
His friend, Levi Harris, also 19, was found to have a semi-automatic pistol on him, and that Harris was ineligible to possess a FOID card or a concealed carry permit. The pistol, police determined, was the same one Harper is alleged to have stolen.
Harris was charged with three firearm felony counts, and Harper was ordered held in lieu of $25,000 bail for the arrest warrant.
