McHenry County Blog

A press release from the Crystal Lake Police Department:

On March 25, 2012 at approximately 5 p.m., two (2) unidentified juvenile males were observed damaging headstones in the Mount Thabor Cemetery located at 2700 Mount Thabor Road in Crystal Lake, IL.

A McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy on patrol was notified by a passerby of the incident and responded to the scene.

Upon arriving, the Deputy observed two male juveniles fleeing the area and initiated a foot pursuit but was unable to apprehend the offenders.

In the days following the incident, an investigation ensued and suspect information was developed during a neighborhood canvass conducted in the Bryn Mawr Sub-Division.

On March 30^th, police spoke with two thirteen year old male juveniles who subsequently admitted to being responsible for the damage. The juveniles, one who is a resident of Crystal Lake and the other, a resident of Woodstock were both charged under the Cemetery Protection Act 765ILCS 835/1(b) Class 2 Felony and 765ILCS 835/1(b-5) Class 4 Felony.

In total, seventeen tombstones had been either knocked over or damaged by the two juveniles causing an estimated $3,300 in damage.

Both juveniles will be referred to McHenry County Court Services and petitioned into Juvenile Court.

According to the offenders, their motivation for committing these acts was “boredom”.

The following press release from Crystal Lake Crime Stoppers seeks help in identifying Sunday Mt. Thabor Cemetery vandals:

CRIME OF THE WEEK

Crime Stoppers and the Crystal Lake Police Department are seeking information that will help solve a case involving Criminal Damage to Property.

The Crystal Lake Police Department needs your help with solving a report of Criminal Damage to Property.

On 03/25/12 at approximately 5:00PM two (2) unknown male Caucasian subjects wearing jeans and black T-shirts were observed damaging head stones in the Mt. Thabor Cemetery at 270 Mt. Thabor Rd.

The subjects ran away from the area though the open field into the Bryn Mawr subdivision.

After further investigation it appears approximately twenty (20) headstones were damaged.

Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards of up to $1000.00 for information leading to the arrest and filing of criminal charges against offenders.

Tips can also be texted anonymously to “TIP411” (847411) with the keyword “TIPCLPD” within the text.

CRIME STOPPERS DOES NOT USE CALLER I.D.
If you have any information about this crime, or any other crime, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-762-STOP (7867).

You may also call the Crystal Lake Police Department Investigations Division at 815-459-4481. This number also does not use caller I.D.

No, we’re not talking about Congressman Joe Walsh today.

We’re talking about Joe Gottemoller, the mild-mannered attorney who is running for the McHenry County Board in District 3.

He put out his distinctive signs early in the campaign.

Before the first snow.

With his long last name, he figured out he could gain name identification by emphasizing his first name.

Now, one of his signs is missing a big circle where the “Joe” could be found.

Joe Gottemoller's first name got excised from one of his four by four foot yard signs.

At first it seems like a stunt worthy of Chicago politics.

You know, one where someone throws a brick through the front window of your campaign office.

Or, even more likely to be newsworthy, sets off a small bomb that does minimal damage to your office.

But, thinking about it a bit, I figure some guy named Joe probably just wanted to put his name on his bedroom wall.

This is as good a place as any to share Gottemoller’s walk piece and a letter sent to potential constituents:

The front of Joe Gottemoller's walk piece. "Together we can promote a smaller and more fiscally-sound government for McHenry County," he says.

The back of Joe Gottemoller's walk piece features his family and an endorsement from State Senator Pam Althoff.

Here’s the letter he sent out last week with people endorsing him along its letterhead (click to enlarge):

Joe Gottemoller's letter touts endorsements by the Northwest and Daily Herald, plus gives some of his background.

On Gottemoller’s letterhead are Aaron Shepley, Pam Althoff, Don Brewer, Steve Cuda, Dan Curran, Ralph Dawson, Sam Diamond, Robert Fetzner, Richard Flood, William M. Franz, David Gervais, Nancy Gonsiorek, John Heisler, Bill LeFew, Bob Miller, Gary Reese, Fred Roedinger, Brian Sager, Jim Thorpe and Barb Wheeler.

Gottmoller’s web site can be found here.

A press release from the Crystal Lake Police Department:

Autumncrest Drive and Deerhaven Drive in Crystal Lake.

On Sunday, January 22nd, 2012, at approximately 8:10 P.M., Crystal Lake Police responded to the corner of Autumncrest Drive and Deerhaven Drive after receiving information of an individual damaging a stop sign with what appeared to be a crow-bar.

The witness, a Crystal Lake Street Department employee who was salting streets at the time, contacted police immediately with the license plate number and description of the suspect’s vehicle.

Cleveland L. Wiggins

Within minutes the suspect vehicle was located and stopped by Crystal Lake Park District Police at Candlewood Drive and Alexandra Blvd.

The vehicle was occupied by two male adults and one male juvenile.

All three subjects were detained and transported to the Crystal Lake Police Department.

During subsequent investigation it was revealed that all three individuals were responsible for at least 24 separate acts of reported damage which targeted unoccupied parked vehicles and mailboxes between Saturday, January 21st, 2012 and Sunday evening January 22nd, 2012.

The majority of the damage occurred in the southwest area of the City, which included eight vehicles damaged with one windshield broken and sixteen mailboxes.

The estimated damages collectively exceed $3,000.00 dollars.

Zachary J. Mecko

The offenders:

• Cleveland L. Wiggins an 18 year old male residing at 764 Weston Drive, Crystal Lake and
• Zachary J. Mecko an 18 year old male residing at 1024 Butler Drive, Crystal Lake

were each charged with

Two Counts of Criminal Damage to Property,

Class A Misdemeanors.

Additional counts may be added pending review by the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The juvenile offender, who is also a Crystal Lake resident, was charged with One Count of Criminal Damage to Property and released to his parents.

The adults were processed and released after posting $150.00 cash bond with a court date of March 13th, 2012.

This press release has come from the McHenry Police Department:

Over 100 Vehicles damaged in the early morning hours of November 3, 2010

During the early morning hours of Wednesday November 3rd, 2010 the McHenry Police Department began to receive reports of multiple broken vehicle windows.

Further investigation resulted in the investigation of over 100 separate Criminal Damage To Property calls for broken windows on vehicles that were left parked overnight in driveways.

The locations of the incidents appear to be random at this time as they are throughout the McHenry area.

If anyone has any information on this or any crime please contact the McHenry Police Department at 815/363-2200 or the McHenry Police Tipline at 815/363-2124.