2 EMPLOYEES CHARGED IN DEATH OF 16-YEAR-OLD AT YOUTH HOME
1 An employee of Allendale Association has been charged with manslaughter in the asphyxiation death Wednesday of Shaquan Allen, 16, of Chicago, at the residential campus in Lake Villa for children and adolescents with moderate to profound emotional and behavioral disabilities.
James Davis, 37, of Round Lake, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and obstruction of justice, and another employee, Justin Serak, 27 of Grafton, Wisconsin, was charged with obstruction of justice, Lake County authorities said Saturday morning.
Bond for Davis was set at $1 million at a court hearing Saturday in Waukegan, and bond for Serak was set at $50,000.
Officials said the two men, who had worked at the campus for several years, responded to a behavioral issue and were trying to get Shaquan back to his room.
Serak grabbed his legs and Davis his upper body, applying a chokehold, officials said.
Lake Villa police and rescue responded to the report of an injury at Allendale campus at 9:58 p.m. Shaquan was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he was pronounced dead at 11:10 p.m.
Officials say fifteen minutes passed between the time Shaquan became unconscious and Allendale staff called 911.
“That is still being investigated,” Lake County State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim said. “It is certainly a trouble to me.”
“We understand that Mr. Davis and Mr. Serak are nervous and haven’t fully told specific details,” the family’s attorney, Cannon Lambert Sr., said.
The two employees initially said they slipped on water, officials said. Police interviewed 16 witnesses who contradicted that account, and Serak admitted he and Davis came up with the story to make Shaquan’s death appear to be an accident, officials said.
Lake Villa Chief of Police Craig Somerville says there have been three staff-involved incidents at Allendale in recent years, including two cases of battery and one of inappropriate text messaging.
“Any time there’s anything like that involving a juvenile, it causes a concern,” Somerville said. “These matters are thoroughly investigated.”
Shaquan’s death remains under investigation, and officials say additional charges could follow.
“The investigation is far from over,” Lake County Sheriff’s Detective Chris Covelli said.
Lambert said he and the family hope additional charges will be brought against Allendale employees.
“You use a chokehold when you want to kill someone,” Lambert said. “They have policies in place for how they’re supposed to deal with residents and how to restrain them.”
Shaquan’s mother, Willie Mae Allen, said Friday that her son had been receiving treatment at Allendale, a private, notfor-profit residential treatment center, for three years. His behavioral problems, she says, were likely due in part to his father’s death in 2007.
“He was only 16 years old. I didn’t send him there for that. I sent him to get help, because I didn’t want to lose him to the streets,” she said.
Shaquan was a ward of the state, but his mother said she last spoke with him two days before his death, and he talked about coming home for spring break.
Allendale officials did not return messages seeking comment Saturday.