Police respond after false report of shooting threat in Gurnee ‘swatting’
Authorities are investigating a “swatting” incident Tuesday morning after someone called in a false report about a shooting threat at a north suburban Gurnee home.
The Lake County sheriff ’s office received reports about 5:15 a.m. about a man threatening to shoot his wife in the 17600 block of Dawn Court in Gurnee, according to a statement from the sheriff ’s office.
Deputies arrived, surrounded the house and made contact with the people inside, the sheriff ’s office said. A man and a woman came outside and were interviewed by police.
Investigators “learned there was no domestic incident and no indication there was going to be a shooting or acts of violence,” the sheriff ’s office said.
Authorities are investigating the case as a “swatting” incident and “further investigation revealed a likely source,” the sheriff ’s office said. Officials did not identify the source.
Luke Wilusz
Lyft driver charged with sexually harassing 17-year-old passenger
A Lyft driver, Anthony Vicari, 40, of Chicago, was charged Monday after allegedly propositioning a 17-year-old passenger for sex earlier this year in west suburban Lyons.
On Oct. 12, Vicari picked the 17-year-old girl up in southwest suburban Worth and began making sexual advances as they drove to her home in Lyons, Roy Hanania, a spokesman for the village of Lyons, said.
When they were stopped at traffic lights, Vicari rubbed the girl’s leg and thigh and asked her about having sex, Hanania said. In addition, Vicari asked the girl to check into a motel with him.
Campbell Matthews, communications manager for the ride-hail giant, called the allegations “horrifying’’ and said ‘‘the driver has been permanently deactivated.”
Vicari admitted to investigators that he had touched the girl’s legs, blaming his actions on a recent divorce and claiming he was “troubled,” Hanania said.
Tom Schuba
Hit-and-run crash sends car into Evanston laundromat
A hit-and-run crash sent a car careening into a laundromat Tuesday morning in north suburban Evanston.
A white car was southbound at 6:47 a.m. in the 100 block of South Elmwood Place when it was hit by a black Nissan that was westbound in the north alley of the 700 block of Howard Street, according to a statement from Evanston police.
The crash caused the white car to lose control and crash into Clean Wash Laundry, 807 Howard St. in Evanston, police said. The black Nissan drove away with “heavy front end damage.” The driver of the white car declined treatment.
Anyone with information should call (847) 866-5064.
Luke Wilusz
Stolen car leads police on high-speed chase for more than 60 miles
Four people were arrested after a highspeed police pursuit that spanned more than 60 miles from Coal City to McCormick Place on Chicago’s South Side.
The pursuit started about 1:30 a.m. when Coal City police officers spotted a suspicious vehicle stopped in the middle of Shabbona Street with its lights off, according to Coal City Police Sgt. Thomas Logan. A person then ran out of a nearby lot and got into the vehicle, which drove off.
Officers were informed by dispatchers that the vehicle had been reported stolen from Naperville, Logan said.
After getting on I-55, the vehicle eventually stopped near McCormick Place, where the four occupants got out and tried to run away, according to Logan. The suspects — a 19-year-old man and three boys, ages 16, 16 and 17, all from the Englewood area — were eventually taken into custody.
Luke Wilusz