A Park City man accused of strangling his mother to death has been ordered detained until trial.
Kenneth Rixie, 29, will remain in the Lake County jail until his case concludes, Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim ordered after a hearing.
Lake County prosecutors asked the judge to hold Rixie after he was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Dorrie Gessler, 66.
Police were called to the 300 block of Betty Street on Nov. 1 for a report of a disturbance, and found Rixie yelling in the street, authorities said. He told officers that he had hurt his mother, and police found Gessler unresponsive in their home, according to reports.
Police said Rixie told them that he choked his mother twice during an argument.
Firing pistols
Two men who reportedly fired guns in a Grayslake-area neighborhood, hitting two houses and a car, are facing weapons charges, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.
Jabreon Bell, 19, of the 18400 block of West Meander Drive, and Sir Mark Hill, 18, of unincorporated Grayslake, were arrested following the incident.
The sheriff’s office said deputies responded to the Meander Drive area at about 3:45 a.m. on Nov. 1 after receiving reports of gunshots, and they located bullet holes in a car and the houses.
Bell and Hill were located in the area and told police that someone had fired at them. However, deputies said they recovered security video that shows the pair firing pistols. Detectives recovered two pistols from Bell’s house, police said.
Good dogs
Two Lake County sheriff’s deputies and their K9 charges distinguished themselves at a regional competition testing the skills of police dogs and their handlers.
Deputy Kevin Harris and Zeus, along with Deputy John Forlenza and Lux, were among 30 teams that took part in the United States Police Canine Association Region 19 Police Dog I Regional Trials held in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
Harris and Zeus took first place in overall tracking and came in second in narcotics and cadaver-detection competitions. Forlenza and Lux took first in cadaver detection, tied for first in a narcotics-detection category and took third in the overall patrol dog category.
Both teams are eligible to participate in national field trials to be held later this month.
“The success in this competition by Deputy Kevin Harris/K9 Zeus and Deputy John Forlenza/K9 Lux reflect the high level of training and the partnership between the handlers and their K9 partners,” Sheriff John Idleburg said. “Our 10 canine teams are out serving the community each and every day, helping to keep the community safe.”
Police academy
Students who attend a Waukegan high school or are Waukegan residents can learn about the criminal justice system or careers in law enforcement during a youth citizens police academy over the upcoming Christmas holiday break.
Waukegan police will conduct the academy on Dec. 29-31 and Jan 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Applications for the academy must be submitted by Dec. 5. The form can be found via a link on the Waukegan Police Facebook page.
