Police seek man who caused Mineola Bay search

FOX LAKE – Police are looking for a 29-year-old man who ran from police the evening of June 22 and forced fire departments to search for him in Mineola Bay into Thursday afternoon.

The search was called off when firefighters determined that no one was in the water. The police department also discovered that the the man had called an acquaintance about 7:30 a.m Thursday to say he was OK.

Jason Deacon, who has a last known address of 77 Maude Ave. in Fox Lake, ran from his apartment about 10 p.m Wednesday because police were on the way for a domestic dispute, Fox Lake Police Lt. Joe Gliniewicz said.

Deacon, who has an order of protection against him to not contact his girlfriend, was headed toward Mineola Bay, Gliniewicz said.

On June 10, Deacon was charged with aggravated battery to a pregnant person and domestic battery, according to the Lake County Circuit Clerk’s Office. He was released from the Lake County Jail on $10,000 bond the next day.

About 10:45 p.m. Wednesday, Bryan Husch, who lives on Cora Avenue in Fox Lake, had his girlfriend’s daughter call 911 to report that there was a man out in the bay who appeared to be in trouble, Husch said. Deacon at one point tried to climb onto Husch’s paddle boat, which was in the water, Husch said.

The paddle boat, however, began to fill with water, and Deacon abandoned the boat, Gliniewicz said. Husch did not recognize Deacon but said he appeared to be a strong swimmer.

Deacon swam to a buoy about 70 feet offshore and began to yell, “I don’t want to go to jail, I don’t want to go to jail,” Husch said.

Husch said Deacon at one point was standing close enough to the shore and could have climbed out of the bay if he wanted to.

Divers searched throughout the night, calling off their efforts temporarily at 5 a.m. Thursday, Fox Lake Fire Battalion Chief Ed Lescher said.

Numerous divers were in the water at 7:30 a.m. Thursday to continue the search. Lescher said visibility in the water was zero.

On Thursday morning, neighbors around the area watched as rescue workers searched the bay.

Firefighters called off the search about 1:30 p.m. after it was determined that there was no one in the water, Fox Lake Battalion Chief Tom Preidis said.

Preidis said there were several divers and sonar used to search Mineola Bay.

“We combed that place really well,” Preidis said.

At 7:35 a.m. Thursday, police say Deacon called an acquaintance to say he was on the run from police and that he was OK.

Police received this information about 2 p.m. and notified the fire departments, Gliniewicz said.

However, the phone number was “restricted” on the acquaintance’s caller ID. Deacon did not say where he was “because he doesn’t want to go back to jail,” Gliniewicz said.

Deacon is white and 6 feet tall, weighs 185 pounds, and has neck-length blond hair. He was last seen wearing gray shorts.

Police checked possible places where Deacon might have gone or may be headed, Gliniewicz said. They want to at the very least question him.

Divers, personnel, boats and other equipment arrived at the scene Wednesday night from numerous area fire rescue departments, including Fox Lake, Antioch, Lake Villa, Grayslake, Round Lake, McHenry Township, Spring Grove, Newport, Long Grove, Mount Prospect, Lincolnshire, Waukegan and Gurnee.

The Fox Lake Fire Department did not have an estimate on how much money was spent on the search.