McHenry County Blog

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:

CRYSTAL LAKE MAN SENTENCED TO 19 YEARS FOR AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING AND ATTEMPTED CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT

Steven Hess

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Steven W. Hess, 57, of Crystal Lake, was sentenced to 19 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offenses of Aggravated Kidnapping and Attempted Criminal Sexual Assault. The defendant will be legally required to serve 85% of his sentence.

On December 9, 2009, the defendant confronted his ex-girlfriend, a 53 year old Crystal Lake woman, at her place of employment.

He was able to convince her to get into his car, whereupon he tied a rope around her neck, tied her wrists together with plastic zip ties and drove her to a vacant store where he served as a property manager.

The defendant attempted to force the victim into the basement of the vacant store by striking her with his fists and spraying her face with pepper spray.

Steven Hess

A bystander, who was driving in the area, shouted at the defendant allowing the victim to flee to a nearby business.

The police responded to the area, searched the basement and discovered a makeshift bed, pre-tied ropes, twist ties, knives and other items indicating that the defendant planned to commit a sexual assault.

The defendant was located the following morning after the car that he used to transport the victim was found burning in a field in unincorporated Woodstock.

The defendant later confessed that he intended to have sex with the victim and to post the assault on the internet.

This matter was investigated by Det. Houlihan, Det. Ford, Det. Nystrom and Det. Will of the Crystal Lake Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Blackney.

Steven Hess when he was arrested.

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office about the man who kidnapped a woman from Sam’s Club parking lot who was saved by a Good Samaritan near Taco Bell. Both establishments are on Route 14 in Crystal Lake.

CRYSTAL LAKE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING

AND ATTEMPTED CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Steven W. Hess, 57, plead guilty today to

• the Class X felony offense of Aggravated Kidnapping and
• the class 2 felony offense of Attempted Criminal Sexual Assault.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 6, 2011 and the defendant faces up to 30 years in prison and will be legally required to serve 85% of his sentence.

Photo of Steven W. Hess provided by the McHenry County Sheriff's Department.

On December 9, 2009, it was alleged that the defendant confronted his ex-girlfriend, a 53 year old Crystal Lake woman, at her place of employment.

He was able to convince her to get into his car, whereupon he tied a rope around her neck, tied her wrists together with plastic zip ties and drove her to a vacant store where he served as a property manager.

According to witnesses, the defendant attempted to force the victim into the basement of the vacant store by striking her with his fists and spraying her face with pepper spray.

A bystander, who was driving in the area, shouted at the defendant allowing the victim to flee to a nearby business.

The police responded to the area, searched the basement and discovered a makeshift bed, pre-tied ropes, twist ties, knives and other items indicating that the defendant planned to commit a sexual assault.

The defendant was located the following morning after the car that he used to transport the victim was found burning in a field in unincorporated Woodstock.

The defendant later confessed that he intended to have sex with the victim and to post the assault on the internet.

This matter was investigated by the Crystal Lake Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Blackney.

Deep Spirng and Hilltop was the area where the abduction was attempted.

Not only was there a man following a child home and circling around to drive past the home again in Huntley Wednesday, but on last Friday there was an attempted kidnapping of a girl after she got off a school bus.

The Wonder Lake Police Department apparently faxed the report you see below on Tuesday.

A report from the Wonder Lake Police Department to McHenry High School District 156.

The report says a white man in his late 20′s with brown hair, but bald on top, was driving a black SUV in bad condition (having right front fender damage and scratches on the driver’s side) without a front plate and maybe A10K on the back plate was waiting at the bus stop as the children got off.

After the parents left, he followed a ten-year old girl and asked if she would like a puppy.

She said, “No.”

“Come on, get in.  I’ll show them to you,” he said.

The little girl refused and the guy left the area.

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Ellyn Wrzeski informs McHenry County Blog that Greenwood School parents were informed of the incident on Monday.

This report was sent to Crystal Lake District 47 parents by phone email just after 9 AM:

Name: Suspicious incident

Alert Type: High Importance

Complete Message:

Please be advised that at 7 pm on September 30, District 47 administrators were made aware of a suspicious incident. Apparently, a 13 year old victim was approached by a suspect who tried to give her a piece of paper. The victim ran away and went toward her house. The suspect walked up the victim’s driveway, paused, and left the area in a blue 2000 or 2001 Dodge Caravan. A sketch of the suspect and make and model of the mini-van can be found on the District 47 website.

Possibile suspect vehicle

Please contact the Crystal Lake Police Department’s Investigations Division at 815-459-4481 if you have any information regarding this incident.

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At about 11:45, the Crystal Lake Police sent out this similar notice.  There is a bit more description about the suspect.

Map showing where Fernleaf and Monarch Drives are located south of South High School

On 09/30/2010, @1440 hours, a subject approached a 13 year old victim who was walking home from school in the area of Fernleaf Drive and Monarch Drive, Crystal Lake.

At this time the subject approached the girl and attempted to give her a piece of paper or envelope, but she could not understand what he was saying because he was speaking an unknown foreign language.

The victim ran to her neighbor’s house and she observed the subject walk up her driveway, pause, and then leave the area in a vehicle.

The victim described the suspect as a male, either of Hispanic or Middle Eastern descent, with black hair, dark complexion, clean shaven, between the ages of 45 and 50 years old, wearing a light blue short sleeve button down shirt with black jeans.

The victim described the suspect’s vehicle to be a later model Dodge Caravan which was light blue in color. If anyone has information about the identity of the above subject, please contact the Crystal Lake Police Department at 815-356-3620

Just after noon, Crystal Lake District 47 Communications Director Lori Parrish robo-called to let parents know that a man in a van was trying to talk to North Elementary School students on the way to school.

Her message follows:

“This morning between 8:30-8:45, 2 North Elementary School students were approached by a white mini-van with a black stripe.

“The driver was described as a Hispanic male wearing a dark jacket. His hair was dark, possibly spiky with bangs.

“The students reported that the driver reached over to roll down the window and then tried to talk with them.

“The children ran to school and informed the main office.

“Crystal Lake Police have been involved and shared that they would provide a heightened patrol in the North Elementary School area.”

I was later told that it was little girls that the guy was after.

The following email arrived at 3:04 PM.

I was alerted to look for something by District 47′s Communications Director Lori Parrish’s having robo-called to tell me the same information.

Forewarned, etc.

Alert Name: Attempted Child Abduction

Alert Type: High Importance

Complete Message: This afternoon a female high school student who was walking back to school following her lunch period, was approached by a man in a small silver 4 door vehicle in the east parking lot of Husmann Elementary School. [Emphasis added.]

Crystal Lake Central High School on a spring day.

The student was not harmed and returned to school safely where she informed administration about the situation. The Crystal Lake Police Department is investigating the incident and there will be an increased police presence in the neighborhood this afternoon and in the future. As is the case every day, all of District 47 schools have adult supervision before, during, and after school to help ensure student safety.

We urge you to talk to your children about situations such as this and the appropriate response, such as contacting school staff or the police department.

School Name:Crystal Lake Community School District 47

Sent By: DONN MENDOZA

West Elementary School, Crystal Lake, Illinois

Parents of District 47 children are receiving phone calls about an attempted abduction of a 9-year old girl at the corner of Briarwood and North Avenue on the west end of Crystal Lake.

The girl was walking to school when a 20-40 year old male with tan skin and dark brown hair asked her if she wanted a ride to school.

She said, “No,” and ran down the street several blocks to West Elementary School.

The intersection of Briarwood and North Avenue long after the 13 police officers, mainly Sheriff's Deputies, had left.

The man, driving a tan 4-door sedan, was described as wearing as clean shaven and wearing not glasses or jewelry.

The abduction attempt occurred between 8:35 and 8:47 AM.

Lori Parrish, the Crystal Lake Grade School Communications Director, made the phone call. She asked that parents discuss with their children the problem of “stranger danger.”

No wonder so many parents insist on driving their children to and from school.

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Apparently, the crime took place outside of Crystal Lake’s city limits, because the Crystal Lake Police Department is reporting that the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department has primary jurisdiction.

When I took the photos I measured the distance from North Avenue to the school.  It was two-tenths of a mile.

As I struggle to lose weight, this tee shirt delivers the message to “eat up.”

From where I have stored the photo, it appears that a McHenry County Democrat is the one with a sense of humor.

As I struggle to lose weight, this tee shirt delivers the message to “eat up.”

From where I have stored the photo, it appears that a McHenry County Democrat is the one with a sense of humor.