Three juveniles were arrested after they crashed in a stolen car near Lake Villa, according to police.
Lake Villa Police issued an alert just before midnight on Feb. 20 to let area departments know that a vehicle had been reported stolen. A short time later, a Lake County sheriff’s deputy was on patrol and spotted the vehicle in a subdivision near Grass Lake Road and Illinois Route 59.
As the vehicle passed the officer, the driver fled north on Route 59 and then turned onto eastbound Grass Lake Road.
The deputy was far behind and ended the pursuit near the Grass Lake Road – Painted Lake Road intersection. Shortly thereafter, though, the deputy saw a flash of light as the car crashed near the intersection with Deep Lake Road.
Police and paramedics responded and transported the three juveniles to a hospital. All had non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Criminal charges were pending, police said.
Internet crimes unit
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children team made 13 arrests in 2025, in its ongoing efforts to protect children from victimization.
Those arrests were part of 90 investigations the ICAC undertook last year based on tips from the national ICAC team. The number of arrests is expected to grow as several active investigations proceed.
Investigators rescued five children from continued abuse and exploitation.
“Behind every image and every case file is a real child enduring unimaginable abuse,” Sheriff John Idleburg said. “The work our cybercrime investigators do is difficult and often heartbreaking, but it is absolutely critical. In 2025 alone, our team helped rescue multiple children from continued exploitation.
“That is exactly why we do this work, to protect the innocent and stop predators before they can harm another child,” he said.
In addition to investigations, the ICAC team made numerous presentations to school groups to alert students to online risks.
Legal Aid Clinic gala
The North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic will hold its spring gala on April 29 at the Gorton Center in Lake Forest.
The event’s theme is “Lift Every Voice,” and will bring together members of the legal community, along with local leaders and supporters, to celebrate and financially support the group’s mission of providing legal aid to residents of Lake and north suburban Cook counties.
Entertainment will include Ballet Folklórico Tayahua, a Waukegan ensemble celebrating Mexican and Mexican-American cultural heritage through traditional regional dance and music. The musical group Chicago Latin Groove, and spoken word artist Kyra Wolfe, who is an advocate for domestic violence survivors, are also scheduled to appear.
The event will also recognize Bob Badesch, who recently retired after a 50-year legal career, most recently as the staff attorney for the NSLAC’s domestic violence law practice.
To purchase tickets or learn more about sponsorship opportunities, visit:
https://nslegalaid.org/nslac-11th-anniversary-event/
New police dog vest
Dez, a Round Lake Beach police dog, is the latest K-9 in Lake County to receive a donated protective vest.
Dez was gifted the bullet- and stab-resistant gear from Vested Interest in K-9s, a national charitable organization. The vest will be emblazoned with “In memory of Vincent Difini,” and should be received in about 10 weeks, Round Lake Beach police said in a social media post.
For more information about the charity, call (508) 824-6978. Vested Interest in K-9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail a contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.
