On Saturday, April 27, 2019, at approximately 4:00AM, Algonquin Police requested the assistance of a Lake County Sheriff’s Canine Team to assist in the track of a man wanted after firing a handgun during a domestic dispute, in the 1000 block of Applewood Lane, Algonquin.
The incident occurred around 11:00PM on April 26th, and several of the man’s family members fled the home, uninjured. Initially, it was believed the armed man was barricaded inside the home, but following a thorough search by Algonquin Police and members of the McHenry County SWAT Team, it was determined the man fled prior to the initial response by Algonquin Police.
Deputy John Forlenza and K9 Dax arrived on the scene at approximately 5:00AM and began a track. K9 Dax tracked the man from his residence to a residential area southeast of his home. After approximately 15 minutes, K9 Dax detected the strong scent of the man, and he was observed running eastbound, approximately 200 feet ahead of Deputy Forlenza and K9 Dax. Deputy Forlenza warned the man to stop or K9 Dax would be released, as K9 Dax aggressively barked.
The man, Lestek Zujko, 51, of the 1000 block of Applewood Lane, surrendered and was taken into custody, where it was determined he was armed with a firearm and additional ammunition. Zujko was subsequently charged by Algonquin Police with two counts of reckless discharge of a firearm, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of assault, and one count of domestic battery. He remains held in the McHenry County Jail.
Sheriff John Idleburg said, “This is yet another extraordinary track and apprehension by Deputy Forlenza and his partner, K9 Dax. Our Canine Teams train very hard to keep our community safe and are often called in situations where violent offenders have fled, after inflicting harm on others. We are very lucky to have four extremely dedicated and proven Canine Teams at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.”
Sheriff Idleburg reminds the public all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.