On June 23, 2016, shortly after 2:10 AM, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office received a telephone call from Pleasant Prairie (WI) Police Department, to advise they were taking a report of a vehicular hijacking, which occurred at a gas station in the 7500 block of 118th Avenue, Pleasant Prairie. A nine-year-old boy was inside the vehicle when it was stolen.

Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies immediately began checking I-94 for the vehicle (a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe). At approximately 2:22AM, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies located the stolen vehicle, in the area of I-94 and Route 22, Lincolnshire, and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The driver fled from sheriff’s deputies eastbound on I-94.

Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies pursued the vehicle and the driver eventually stopped at I-294 north of Touhy Avenue, in Des Plaines, after leading deputies on a chase. The driver, who stole the vehicle with the child inside was identified as Michael E. Newhouse, 58, of the 2900 block of 73rd Street, Kenosha, Wisconsin. Newhouse was taken into custody by Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies, without further incident.

The nine-year-old boy was found to be safe in the vehicle, and uninjured. He was reunited with his family.

Newhouse was subsequently charged with two counts of Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding (Class 4 Felonies), Aggravated Reckless Driving (Class 4 Felony), Endangering the Life of a Child (Class A Misdemeanor), and numerous traffic offenses.

Newhouse is being held at the Lake County Jail on $250,000.00 bail and has a return court date of June 29, 2016 at 9:00AM, in courtroom C-120.

Additional charges are possible for Newhouse, including charges from Wisconsin.

The Illinois State Police assisted the Lake County Sheriff’s Office during the pursuit.

Sheriff Curran reminds the public that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.