Behind the Crystal Lake Motel sign you can see the Virginia Street Tax Increment Financing Distict boundary marker, a stone pillar costing $16,000.
Next to The Freeze is the Crystal Lake Motel. The Crystal Lake Police send this report about action taken there Monday right after midnight:
On [Monday] March 5th, 2012 at 12:09 pm, Police were dispatched to the Crystal Lake Motel located at 110 Virginia Street, CL for a report of a robbery.
Upon arrival a witness stated they observed numerous subjects, described as being in their late teens or early twenties, exit motel room #201 along with a male, described as being in his fifties.
The older male subject was escorted out to the parking lot, where he was allowed to enter the driver’s door of a yellow taxi minivan.
While the other subjects walked around the vehicle to gain entry, the older male subject started the vehicle and fled the scene.
The witness also advised that as the taxi cab fled the area it appeared to strike one of the subjects who had attempted to gain entry, knocking her to the ground.
Further, that as the taxi cab fled the motel parking lot; it was pursued by the remaining individuals who had entered a small, white colored vehicle.
As Police responded to the scene they located the Yellow Metro Cab parked across the street a short distance from the motel along Virginia Street.
Police subsequently identified the taxi driver/owner as William Reynolds (M/W/52 years old) of Woodstock.
Upon questioning, Reynolds explained that earlier in the day he had been contacted by a female subject over the phone who offered to have sexual intercourse with Reynolds along with another female subject in exchange for money.
Reynolds stated that he drove to the motel, was invited in expecting to have a sexual encounter, and upon entering Room #201 he was attacked by numerous individuals who were hiding inside.
Reynolds stated that he was kicked and punched about the head and body by several male subjects who demanded money.
Those arrested in the cab driver robbery attempt are, from left to right on the top row, James Zavorski, Austin Busse, William Zavorski, and, on the bottom row, Brandon Stevens and Patricia Stoneburner.
He also stated that two of his assailants displayed knives demanding more money and threatened him with further bodily harm.
Reynolds offered them additional money but stated that he would need to take them to his bank.
At that time, he was escorted out of the motel and led to his vehicle, where his attackers allowed him to get into the vehicle.
At this time he started his taxi and immediately fled the scene.
Reynolds stated that the individuals pursued him westbound on Virginia Street in another vehicle, but stopped following and turned onto North Shore Drive at which time he called police.
Within minutes of the initial call, Officers located the suspects and a vehicle matching the description provided by the witnesses.
Seven of the alleged offenders were taken into custody and the subsequent investigation resulted in all seven being charged with the following offenses.
- James E. Zavorski (M/W D.O.B. 08-08-1993) of 325 Van Buren, Crystal Lake,
- William J. Zavorski (M/W D.O.B. 10-17-1990) of 110 N. Virginia Street, Crystal Lake and
- Brandon M. Stevens (M/W D.O.B. 11-08-1990) of 2204 Edgewood Drive, Woodstock
were charged with one count of Aggravated Battery, one count of Mob Action and one count of Robbery.
Patricia E. Stoneburner (F/W D.O.B. 10-25-1990) of 14411 Kishwaukee Valley Road, Woodstock was charged with one count of Conspiracy to commit Robbery and one count of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Austin M. Busse (M/W D.O.B. 04-12-1983) of 110 N. Virginia Street, Crystal Lake was charged with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery.
One seventeen year old female juvenile of Woodstock was charged as an adult for Robbery.
One seventeen year old male juvenile of Crystal Lake was charged as an adult for one count of Aggravated Battery, one count of Mob Action and one count of Robbery.
Good job, CLPD. Hope they get ‘the books’ thrown at them.
14411 Kishwaukee Valley Road, Woodstock AKA…. McHenry CO PADS what do you expect.
I know using a cab can be expensive… but how much money could these idiots expect to have gotten?
Maybe enough for a “Happy Meal” next door at McDonalds!
… and two of the other idiots list their address as 110 Virginia – the Crystal Lake Motel. The expectations keep getting lower and lower.
I can’t? Did you actually READ the article? It was not a random robbery.
Cindy…. never inferred it was random.
Common sense tells me it was planned, but regardless, call it what you like. Those guys weren’t in the motel room for tea and crumpets.
The jail cell still looks the same planned or not. They still robbed a “cab driver.”
These kids are facing up to 22 years of staring at concrete walls without windows or fresh air, the 18 year olds could be 40 when they leave prison.
What were they thinking or were they thinking?
Robbery, aggravated battery, conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of drug paraphernalia are serious crimes and judges probably will not be lenient for a GROUP who planned to rob using weapons (two knives were taken into custody).
Young people need to think of a stop sign before they do anything.
Stop and think, maybe thinking thru something could prevent a waste of a life.