On August 12, 2017, Lake County Sheriff’s Detectives and members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Gang Task Force were conducting an auto theft/car burglary saturation patrol. During the detail, a Lake County Sheriff’s Sergeant conducted a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle. The driver, Christopher B. Brooks, 19, of the 500 block of Lakehurst Road, Waukegan, was arrested and subsequently charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle (class 1 felony), residential burglary (class 1 felony), and theft of a motor vehicle (class 3 felony). Brooks stole the vehicle on August 7, 2017 from a residence in the 15100 block of West Yorkhouse Road, Wadsworth.
A passenger in the stolen vehicle, Dominique Pierre Austin, 20, of the 1000 block of Christine Lane, Antioch, was arrested after Sheriff’s Deputies discovered he had a failure to appear arrest warrant for obstructing justice.
Brooks remains held in the Lake County Jail on $25,000.00 bail. His next court date is August 17, 2017 at 1:30PM in courtroom C-120.
Austin was processed at the Lake County Jail on the arrest warrant and released on his recognizance. He is next due to appear in court on August 23, 2017 at 9:00AM in courtroom C-404.
On August 9, 2017, a Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy located a 17 year-old male in possession of a stolen vehicle in the 39200 block of North Aberdeen Lane, Beach Park. The juvenile was arrested and subsequently petitioned to the Lake County Juvenile Court System on the charge of possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
The juvenile was transported to the Hulse Juvenile Detention Facility in unincorporated Vernon Hills pending juvenile court proceedings.
Sheriff Mark Curran said, “We have seen an increase in car thefts and car burglaries throughout Lake County this summer. Our Sheriff’s Detectives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Gang Task Force will continue investigating these crimes, but one of the best ways to prevent this from happening to you is to lock your car doors. Most of the cars stolen or burglarized are unlocked with a key fob left inside. Remember these safety tips: lock your cars, remove your valuables, turn on exterior home lights at night, and report suspicious activity.”
Sheriff Curran reminds the public the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.