waukegan

Waukegan police release video of an officer stopping a teens suicide attempt, encourage people to get help

Dec 11, 2018 | kimberlykaczmarek

Waukegan police released body camera footage Monday of a recent incident in which they scrambled to locate a suicidal teenage girl, and found her just in time for an officer to tackle her as she tried to walk in front of an approaching train.

Officers were able to locate the teen by “pinging” her cellphone.

When officers arrived at the scene, a train was approaching. The video shows the teen coming out from behind a railroad mechanical shed, and walking towards the train tracks.

She disobeyed the officer’s commands causing Officer Christopher Harris to run towards the teen as she was headed for the tracks, and tackle her.

The teen was taken to an area hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

Joe Florip, a spokesman for the Waukegan Police Department, said police released the video because they recognize mental health as a huge issue.

“We thought this might be a huge catalyst for people who need help to get some help,” he said. “That’s why we included the suicide hotline number in the press release.”

The Waukegan Police Department is reminding those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts to call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Skeletal remains found in Waukegan woods

Mar 23, 2017 | WLSAM Staff

(WAUKEGAN) Police are investigating after skeletal remains were found on Wednesday in a wooded area in north suburban Waukegan.

Officers were called about 4:30 p.m. to a wooded area near 10th Street and Lewis Avenue, Waukegan police said.

A person told officers he was walking in the woods when he discovered the remains, police said.

The Waukegan Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division was investigating the find. Additional information was not available.

Four charged after Waukegan home invasion, manhunt

Feb 19, 2015 |

photo from Lake County Police

(WAUKEGAN) Four men are accused of a home invasion that led to a manhunt Wednesday morning in north suburban Waukegan.

Charges were filed against Park City residents Jose L. Villegas, 28, and Pablo F. Calix, 19, and Waukegan residents Javier Montes, 21 and Eduardo Solis-Marcelo, 26. Each faces counts of home invasion, residential burglary, unlawful use of a weapon by a street gang member, the Lake County sheriff’s office said in a statement. Villegas was also charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

Police are still looking for a fifth suspect.

The home invasion was reported in the 12000 block of Harrison Avenue in unincorporated Waukegan at 9:50 a.m., according to the sheriff’s office.

The 911 caller gave police a description of the suspects’ vehicle, and a dispatcher broadcast the description to the responding deputies, according to the statement.

A few minutes later, a deputy spotted the vehicle on Stearns School Road near Dilley’s Road in Gurnee, according to the statement. The deputy caught up to the vehicle, which pulled into a driveway in the 5300 block of Conifer Lane in Gurnee.

Two of the men stayed in the vehicle and were taken into custody, according to the statement. Two others ran off into the subdivision but were later arrested.

Gurnee police and K9 officers, Kenosha County K9 and the AIR-ONE Emergency Response Coalition all assisted in the search.

All four men are scheduled for a bond hearing on Feb. 19 at the Lake County Circuit Court in Waukegan.