Brian Pemble, a Capron man who was then 35, was stocking the beer cooler when two masked men in black hoodies came in demanding money, one pistol-whipped him and the other shot him in the thigh.

Assistant State’s Attorney Ashley Romito set the scene Tuesday during opening statements for jurors hearing the case of Walter Moran.

Moran, 32, of Cicero, is charged with armed robbery, armed violence and aggravated battery discharging a firearm, Class X felonies, in the case. He is accused of shooting Pemble, now 40, in the thigh when Pemble was unable to open the safe, although Moran’s attorney denied he was the gunman.

Antonio Pedrote, who Romito said entered the convenience store with Moran and was also armed, first pistol-whipped Pemble. The two assailants are seen on surveillance video, shown to jurors, yelling at the clerk repeatedly to open the safe and using racial slurs. He repeatedly tells them he can’t open the safe.

The men left the store with about $42 from the register, the clerk later testified.

Romito said Pemble “was cheerful and friendly” while working a second job overnight to try to “make extra money” to support his family. He greeted the two masked men who then robbed the store and “intentionally and cruelly pistol-whipped and shot him.”

The prosecutor said Moran yelled at the clerk to open the safe, counted to three and shot him on three. He then put the gun to the clerk’s head as the clerk said he could not open the safe, Romito said. Jurors later watched the scene play out, captured on a surveillance video.

Romito said investigators took more than six months to put the case together through videos and images but that the “first break came within hours.”

Investigators learned of a robbery that had occurred eight hours prior to the Marengo robbery in Kane County that was “strikingly similar.” The robbers wore the same clothing and committed the robbery in the same manor, Romito said. Cellphone pings also showed the two men traveling together from Chicago to Kane County, then to Harvard then back to Chicago during that time, prosecutors said.

After Marengo, the assailants fled to the West Side of Chicago and the clerk was flown to a hospital in Rockford, authorities said.

Investigators identified the men through cellphone tower pings, their clothing and footwear, the similarities of the two robberies and photos on cellphones and social media, prosecutors said.

Additionally, when Pedrote, nicknamed “Trigger” was in jail prior to Moran’s arrest, Pedrote was heard on a recorded call talking to Moran, referring to him by his nickname “Silencio,” Romito said. She added that Pedrote told Moran, “They won’t shake my tree,” suggesting he wouldn’t give investigators information identifying him. He also said he loved him and asked for some money, the prosecutor said.

But Moran’s attorney, Gran McKerlie, countered during opening statements that Moran is not the shooter. He pointed to another man, Gregory Lee Garner Jr., as the one who shot Pemble, although authorities have said Garner was the getaway driver during the Marengo robbery.

In 2023, Garner, 31, pleaded guilty to armed robbery without a firearm in the case and was sentenced to 13 years in prison, court records and Shaw Local news coverage show. He was transferred Monday from Graham Correctional Center in Hillsboro to McHenry County jail and is set to testify against Moran.

McKerlie said social media posts and cell tower pings also show Garner was with Pedrote during the Marengo robbery and Garner is the shooter. He said Moran is charged based on Garner’s “false accusations.” Garner pointed the finger at Moran because he knew he had been under investigation and linked to multiple armed robberies during that time, the defense attorney asserted.

“He was willing to say anything,” McKerlie said. “He knew he was facing decades in prison.”

McKerlie further said Garner was in possession of the gun used in the shooting before, during and after the Marengo robbery. And Garner knew the police had his phone and saw pictures of the gun.

Moran “is an innocent man, who is wrongfully accused and is not guilty,” McKerlie told jurors.

In 2025, Pedrote, 30, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in the case to armed robbery with a firearm, a Class X felony, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, court records and news coverage show.

The clerk, who has since had a sixth child and whose children range in age from 4 to 18, took the stand later Tuesday. He now walks with a cane and said he suffers pain daily and hasn’t worked since the robbery.

He recalled hearing the chimes from the door as the two men entered, being yelled at, feeling the gun pressed into his back before being whipped in the head with it four times.

He said it was “chaotic” and the men seemed “agitated” as they screamed orders at him to open the safe, and then he “felt the shot in my left leg.”

“I barely heard it,” he said. “I felt at first it wasn’t real until I touched my leg and my hand was red. It was traumatic. I sat there until they left, hit the panic button, scooched to the register, got my phone and called 911.”

A GoFundMe for the victim and his family, set up after the shooting, is still active. As of Tuesday it’s raised $19,410 of the $60,000 goal.

The trial is set to continue Wednesday.

However, the recents rains and rising river attempted to threaten that plan.

But when word spread that the U.S. Air Force veteran needed help to save his home – which has endured three major flooding events in 1986, 2013 and 2017 – calls were made, and more than 30 people showed up.

Breit, who was a farmer before owning car dealerships, said the kindness he was shown Saturday was “unbelievable.”

“It was great,” he said. “There were some people I didn’t even know. I can’t appreciate it enough. It’s beautiful.”

Breit’s daughter Laura Hass said: “Oh my god, it was so nice.”

The help came as a relief, since many friends and family members who had helped in the past have moved or passed away.

Hass, who grew up in that home and today is a bus driver for Johnsburg School District 12, said that after word spread that the family needed help, “people just kept showing up, showing up and showing up.”

A close family friend, Lindsey Johnson, said she heard about Breit’s situation from her father, formerly of Johnsburg, now living in Florida. He said Breit “needs all the help he can get. How many people can you get there to sandbag?”

Hass recalled talking to Johnson, who said: “OK, what do we need and when do we need to be there?”

Johnson called multiple area residents, including James “JD” Sylvanus, who among other local positions, is a Johnsburg High School wrestling and football coach, as well as a village trustee. Sylvanus then enlisted his athletes and their families as well as his own family.

Johnson said the help came quickly “and we knocked everything out in about two hours. It just felt really good coming together and helping someone who could use the help.”

What had taken the Breit family an entire day to do during past floods was accomplished on Saturday in a couple of hours with more than 30 helpers bagging more than 200 bags of sand. With leftover sand, the volunteers continued filling about 80 more sandbags and piled them up for others who need them.

“That is why I live in Johnsburg,” Hass said. ”It’s a great community. They help out. When you need them they are there."

As of Monday Breit’s boathouse and yard were flooding, his family said.

Hass, whose own home on Pistakee Lake is at risk for flooding, said her father is “stubborn” and “very strong-willed,” and he wants to stay in his home no matter what. He is not a man who asks for help. But this time, he needed it.

“He doesn’t like that helpless feeling, but he was very grateful. ... He does not want to leave his house,” Hass said, adding the assistance “did mean a lot. Our goal is to keep him in the house for the duration.”

Hass said that during past floods, her dad “never left. He stays and watches everything. He does the pumps and maintains what he can.”

She recalls the 1986 flood when 9 inches of water flooded the home, which was built in 1938, same year he was born.

“I remember sitting there and water rolling in under the walls,” she said, recalling that the 2013 and 2017 floods also were “really bad.”

To the community who stepped up for her father, Hass says, “Thank you.”

Breit’s granddaughter Kailee Schultz, also of Johnsburg, said: “I think it’s amazing.”

“All you see is a lot of negativity happening in the world right now,” Schultz said. “Just to see people show up ... it’s really cool.”

The family of Jack Thomas Smerecky, who was 62 when he died on Dec. 4, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tivoli Enterprises Inc., which operates Classic Cinemas.

The lawsuit claims that employees failed to check if the theater in which Smerecky had seen a movie was empty before turning off the lights. Smerecky “proceeded to leave the dark empty theater and was unable to see where he was going” and then “fell, sustaining serious injuries,” the family said in the lawsuit.

Attorneys for Tivoli Enterprises denied the lawsuit’s assertions in an answer to the family’s complaint filed in the McHenry County court.

The family said the theater owner and its employees “had a duty to exercise reasonable care and caution for the safety of others when it was foreseeable that a customer could and would remain in the theater after the movie ended and be exposed to harm.”

The suit claims the theater failed to have adequate lighting showing the route to the exit, failed to check the screening room or give any warning before turning off the lights and failed to check on Smerecky “knowing that he entered the theater room to watch a movie.”

In response to a Shaw Local inquiry this month on the cause and manner of Smerecky’s death, the coroner’s office in Winnebago County, where he died, said the case was still open.

Classic Cinemas is a family-owned business based in Downers Grove since 1978. It operates 16 locations and 144 screens.

In response to a request for comment, Tori Johnson, facilities and leasing manager for Tivoli Enterprises Inc. wrote: “At this time, Classic Cinemas wishes to express its sincere condolences to the family. However, we cannot provide any further comment or information given the pending litigation.”

An attempt to reach Smerecky’s family was unsuccessful.

In an online obituary Smerecky’s family said he was known “for being extremely handy and remarkably smart.”

“Jack will be remembered for his warmth, generosity, and devotion to those he loved. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched and the memories cherished by all who knew him,” according to his obituary.

Victor Diaz, 24, of Crystal Lake, made an initial court appearance Tuesday on the new charges of burglary and possessing a stolen vehicle, Class 2 felonies, as well as criminal damage to property of between $10,000 and $100,000, according to the criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court.

Diaz was paroled Oct. 7 from Pinckneyville Correctional Center in Perry County, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. He was still on mandatory supervised release when, prosecutors say, at 7 a.m. Feb. 20, he smashed a vehicle through the front of the Smoke Depot in Crystal Lake. He damaged a large display window, its frame, shelving and merchandise while forcing entry, according to Crystal Lake police and the complaint.

An Elgin woman also was charged in connection with this incident. Geneva Orive, 25, was charged with burglary, a Class 2 felony, court records show.

Authorities allege the pair entered “with the intent to commit ... a theft,” according to the complaints. At the same time, Diaz was “knowingly” in the possession of a stolen 2014 Jeep, the complaint states.

Crystal Lake police said that when they arrived, they saw the damaged exterior of the business, which was closed at the time. However, the offenders were not on the scene, police said.

During Diaz’s initial court appearance on Tuesday, Assistant State’s Attorney Garrett Miller argued for Diaz’s pretrial detention in the county jail. Miller said Diaz is a flight risk.

There were “a series of points of contact” between a detective and Diaz, and multiple attempts were made to take Diaz into custody on a warrant, which Diaz was aware of, Miller said.

Rather than turn himself in, Diaz repeatedly “thwarted the judicial process,” Miller said. Diaz’s behavior, including a comment he allegedly made to a family member while packing a bag that he was “ ‘Not going back to jail’ ... speaks to a guilty mind and culpability,” Miller said.

He also noted that Diaz still is on mandatory supervised release on his previous convictions, and he “rarely” stays at the address he was paroled to. With so little time out of prison, Diaz “is playing fast and loose with the terms of his parole,” Miller said.

However, Assistant Public Defender Kim Messer said Diaz was not avoiding the warrant. He wanted to get money for his family and see his child before turning himself in, she said.

Diaz still is in good standing with his parole and has not missed a check-in with his parole officer or the prison, Messer said. He also has cooperated in undergoing a mental health evaluation. The evaluation did not recommend any treatments but did diagnose him as having anxiety, Messer said.

Officers went to the home where Diaz was paroled to on April 6 and spoke to a relative, but did not make contact with Diaz, according to officials. The warrant was approved April 9, and police returned to the home; however, the relative did not let them in to search, Messer said. Police told the relative she was harboring a fugitive and told her she was in trouble and that Diaz “is a [expletive] punk,” Messer said. A detective called Diaz and said, “What’s up, Dog? Where you at? Let me come get you and take you to prison. You messed with the wrong one today,” Messer said.

Diaz said he would turn himself in on Friday or Saturday, but, according to the public defender, he started having chest pains. So he surrendered “on his own Monday night, within four days of the issuance of the warrant,” Messer said in arguing Diaz is not a flight risk and should be released from the county jail pretrial.

But Miller responded that in past cases, the court had issued bond forfeitures because he did not show up to court.

“When allowed to, he takes advantage of the situation, takes steps to thwart the judicial process,” Miller said. “Even when bond money is involved, he still forces the state to seek bond forfeiture. When he ... is detained, that is when cases can proceed and justice is served.”

Messer said that in those cases, Diaz and his attorney did show up to court “quickly,” and the bond forfeitures were vacated.

“You can’t presume anything from those bond forfeitures,” Messer said. Also, one of those cases was pending during the height of COVID-19 restrictions, she said.

Lamb said the evidence presented shows Diaz likely committed the charged offenses, which are detainable, and he “does have a likelihood of willful flight to avoid prosecution.”

But she also found there are conditions to ensure he returns to court, and she released him from the county jail.

Diaz was placed on house arrest, given a curfew from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. seven days a week and is not allowed to leave the state or have any contact with the Smoke Shop. He also must submit to screens for all substances.

Orive made her initial court appearance on Thursday, and she was released with conditions, including that she not have any contact with the smoke shop, records show.

In 2024, Diaz pleaded guilty in connection with a crime spree that included theft, residential burglary and mob action, records in the McHenry County court show.

In exchange for his guilty plea to charges in three criminal cases filed among nine others during 2023, multiple charges were dismissed, records show. He was sentenced to five years in prison, but with truth-in-sentencing laws and credits for time served, he was released early.

Diaz is due back in court on May 12. Orive is set to appear on May 15, court records show.

Richard Jones, 53, is charged with two counts of domestic battery, Class 2 felonies, according to a criminal complaint in the McHenry county court.

Jones made his initial court appearance Wednesday, where Judge Cynthia Lamb found he was a danger and denied his pretrial release from the county jail.

On Thursday, Judge Tiffany Davis granted the state’s motion to revoke his pretrial release on the case in August in which he was charged with driving while his license was suspended. That suspension was the result of previous convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the indictment in that case shows.

On Tuesday, during a verbal argument with a woman, Jones grabbed and scratched her and pushed her onto a couch, then pressed a wooden dowel against her neck, according to Lamb and the criminal complaint.

He then left, “only to return later banging on the sliding glass door,” Lamb said in the detention order.

Jones “has a long criminal history including domestic batteries and violations of orders of protection” involving the same alleged victim in his current case, according to Lamb, who also said Jones has had 29 convictions, “three of which were felonies.”

Court records show multiple cases involving alleged drunk driving, domestic battery and driving on a revoked driver’s license.

Markea L. Brown, 33, of Milwaukee, made her first court appearance on the two separate cases Tuesday. She is charged in each case with retail theft of more than $300, according to criminal complaints filed in McHenry County court by Crystal Lake and McHenry police.

About 6:45 p.m. Feb. 9, Brown allegedly stole “various fragrances” valuing $1,452 from the McHenry store; about an hour later she allegedly stole “several female perfumes and male colognes” from Ulta in Crystal Lake, according to the complaints.

Assistant State’s Attorney Garrett Miller argued Brown should be detained pretrial in McHenry County jail because otherwise she would continue to commit retail thefts and is a flight risk. Other than stealing from retailers, she has no reason to return to McHenry County, Miller said.

The allegations are “part of a string of thefts ... part of an ongoing criminal business in the Wisconsin and Illinois area,” Miller said, adding Brown wore a mask during the alleged thefts and then fled.

“It’s not something that is going to stop in the near future. [There is] no reason to believe she will return ... for court,” Miller said.

He also said Brown has been to prison previously for retail thefts and currently has two pending cases in Wisconsin and Illinois. The alleged crimes “constitute an ongoing criminal enterprise,” he said.

Wisconsin court records show Brown was convicted of retail theft in 2021, 2020, 2018 and 2015 in Milwaukee County and in 2017 in Kenosha County. According to Cook County, records she has been convicted in Northbrook for retail theft.

However, Assistant Public Defender Kim Messer said Brown does not live too far away to come to court and should be released pretrial. She has no history of not appearing in other cases and turned herself in when she learned of the charges in McHenry County, Messer said.

Judge Cynthia Lamb released Brown pretrial. She is allowed to return to her home in Milwaukee and only travel between Illinois and Wisconsin for court. Lamb also ordered Brown have no contact with Ulta stores.

Juan Miramontes, 41, is charged with four Class X felony counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child younger than 12 years, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm, McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb said Tuesday at his initial court appearance, where she denied his pretrial release.

Should Miramontes be convicted on the Class X felonies, he could be sentenced six to 30 years in prison on each count, Lamb said.

Assistant State’s Attorney Garrett Miller said the girl provided authorities with an “incredibly realistic and consistent” story of the alleged assaults and described it in language a 9-year-old would use.

The girl also said Miramontes showed her a video of a woman performing oral sex on him and told her it was to teach her how to do it, Miller said. The girl identified places the alleged assaults took place, which investigators identified in Miramontes’ home, the prosecutor said.

The alleged victim “is a 9-year-old with no reason to lie,” Miller said.

Authorities said police also found a firearm under the side of the bed where Miramontes slept – a weapon that, because he is a felon, is illegal for him to have. Prosecutors said he has a 2010 Cook County conviction for home invasion causing violent injuries against a person with a firearm, armed robbery with a firearm, and unlawful restraint. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Miramontes’ attorney, Lindsay Tobias, said he denies the sexual assault allegations and that there are reasons for the child to lie. She also said there are “several” contradictions in the story.

Tobias also said Miramontes has no criminal history for the last 10 years, works as a plumber and is a “productive citizen” who had family in the courtroom supporting him.

She also said 9-year-old children can be quite “tech savvy” and that the girl could have found the sexually explicit video on her own.

But Miller said the child searching for and finding the video on her own is “incredibly unlikely” and that showing it to her was Miramontes’ way of grooming her.

Lamb agreed with the prosecution that Miramontes is a danger to the child, as well as the community, and ordered him detained in county jail pretrial.

The judge noted graphic details in the police report, including Miramontes allegedly telling the girl the assaults were his way of “preparing her for when she got older.” He abused her several times over multiple years in his bedroom, bathroom and basement and used “several measures to obtain compliance, including physical force and showing her explicit” videos and sending her sexual emojis, Lamb said.

Miramontes’ next court date is April 28.

McHenry County authorities said that on the afternoon of Feb. 16, 2025, Abuzar Zaidi, 33, of Elgin, was drunk when he caused the crash, in which he was killed.

Investigators said Zaidi had a blood-alcohol concentration of .357, more than four times the legal limit, when he drove a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA Class east along US Route 14 with a 6-year-old passenger.

Authorities said he tried to pass a truck pulling a trailer in a no-passing zone, then collided head-on with a Toyota 4Runner in the westbound lane carrying the Murphy family.

According to an online fundraiser, the child traveling with Zaidi was his son, who suffered serious injuries but survived.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Murphy family of Cross Plains, Wisconsin, asserts Zaidi had been drinking alcohol at the Kalahari water park before the crash.

“As he pulled out into the westbound lane ... Zaidi violently collided head on with Plaintiffs’ vehicle at highway speeds,” the lawsuit claims.

About 3:15 p.m. on that day, Quin Murphy, 43, was driving home after his 11-year-old child Georgia’s volleyball game in Chicago. His wife, Jennifer Murphy, 43, was in the passenger seat, and Georgia and the couple’s other child Charlie, 13, were in the backseat, according to the lawsuit and Shaw Local coverage.

The family suffered painful injuries whose impact on their lives is permanent, according to the suit.

“As a result of the ... vehicle crash and the negligence and/or willful and wanton conduct of Defendant Zaidi, Plaintiffs each suffered personal injuries which required and will continue to require medical care and associated expense and have caused and will continue to cause pain, suffering, limitations on activity, and loss of enjoyment of life, that are permanent in nature, all to their damage in an amount to be determined by a jury,” according to the lawsuit.

The complaint names Kalahari Resorts LLC and Zaidi and accuses them of negligence, negligence per se, and willful and wanton conduct.

Kalahari “is directly and strictly liable to each Plaintiff in an amount to be proven at trial,” according to the lawsuit.

Attorneys also filed a motion asking the judge to appoint a “special representative” for the deceased Zaidi for the purpose of accepting service and defending the action.

“Mr. Zaidi’s intoxication was a proximate cause of the subject accident which resulted in injuries” to the Murphy family and damages to their property, according to the lawsuit filed by Griffin Purnell LLC.

“Kalahari Resorts LLC is directly and strictly liable to each Plaintiff in an amount to be proven at trial. ... Plaintiffs demand judgment against [Kalahari] for an amount necessary to fully and fairly compensate them under Illinois law” in excess of $50,000, attorneys said.

The lawsuit also names Kim Dominik of Rockton as a defendant. According to police, Dominik was traveling behind the Murphys’ Toyota during the collision and she hit the left rear of the Toyota while trying to avoid the initial crash. The lawsuit asserts Dominik was not operating “her vehicle in a safe and responsible manner.”

An organizer of a GoFundMe set up last February for the Murphy family wrote that the family had “sustained severe injuries” and each had been hospitalized in different facilities. In August, a post was written saying that after 170 days in the hospital, Georgia “is finally home – and the Murphy family is back under one roof.”

In the wake of the crash, Charlie Murphy and Georgia Murphy were listed in critical conditions. They both were medically sedated and underwent multiple surgeries, according to the GoFundMe.

Quin Murphy, a contractor by trade, was in an intensive care unit, having suffered multiple broken bones and internal injuries. Jennifer “Jojo” Murphy, who also spent time in intensive care and her injuries included five broken bones in her back and a fractured sternum. As of Monday, the fund has raised $310,925 of a $500,000 goal.

A GoFundMe set up for Zaidi’s family – including his son, who was critically injured – described Zaidi as “a remarkable soul who touched countless lives with his infectious energy and boundless warmth.” As of Monday his fund had raised $88,755 of a $250,000 goal.

Attempts to reach Kalahari’s and Dominik’s attorneys were not successful. However, attorneys for Dominik have filed a motion seeking to dismiss her from the lawsuit. A court date is set for May 11 for that motion.

Neither the Murphy family nor their attorneys could be reached. No representative was listed in court files on Zaidi’s behalf.

Department officials announced Thursday, which was World Autism Awareness Day, they will join the voluntary nationwide initiative.

“We’re looking to implement the program later this spring but wanted to inform our community now of our plan to make it a reality in Lake in the Hills,” said Chief of Police Matthew Mannino. “It’s a meaningful step to improve relationships with individuals on the spectrum who live, work or frequently spend time in our community.”

The program helps officers quickly recognize that a person has specific communication needs or requires support during a law enforcement encounter, helping to reduce anxiety, confusion and misunderstandings, police said.

However, the program does not exempt participants from law enforcement actions or citations.

Drivers who choose to participate in the program will keep a Lake in the Hills Police Department-branded blue envelope in their vehicle, which would contain their driver’s license, vehicle registration, proof of insurance and emergency contact.

The envelope also will outline communication preferences, such as verbal or non-verbal; processing time; and sensory sensitivities.

“We know that any driver may feel anxious when stopped by law enforcement, so this is an opportunity to improve those exchanges and better support the autism community in particular,” Mannino said. “We’re excited about developing new ways to keep people safe and enhance our service to the community.”

Lake in the Hills police said they will be among the first departments to participate in the program. Community members can follow the department on social media for information about the date of implementation and how to obtain a free blue envelope when available.

Woodstock Police Chief John Lieb said his department is not currently involved with the initiative as it is “fairly new.” But it is something that could be considered in the future.

Police departments who are using the envelopes include Elgin, Gurnee, Wilmette, Naperville, Lombard and Springfield, authorities said.

Jeremy R. Crutcher, 48, is charged with possessing stolen and defaced firearms and possessing weapons as a felon, as well as driving on a suspended or revoked license and illegally possessing firecrackers, according to a criminal complaint in McHenry County court.

Crutcher made an initial court appearance Wednesday, where Judge Cynthia Lamb denied his pretrial release from county jail, records show.

Lake in the Hills police said in a news release that they received an anonymous tip regarding firearms violations. About noon Wednesday, a Lake in the Hills police officer stopped Crutcher, who was driving a white Ford pickup near Algonquin and Crystal Lake roads, police said.

Police learned that Crutcher was a “felon driving on a revoked license and unlawfully possessing ammunition and fireworks after consenting to a vehicle search,” according to the release. The tipster told authorities Crutcher had firearms with defaced serial numbers that were kept in his toolbox, authorities said.

Police said Crutcher told them his toolbox was at his workplace, leading to the execution of a search warrant. Two stolen firearms and a third firearm with a defaced serial number were confiscated, and Crutcher was arrested, police said.

During Crutcher’s court appearance, Lamb said Crutcher knowingly drove a vehicle without a valid driver’s license while in “possession of open alcohol, ammunition and 50 packs of firecrackers, none of which he was legally able to possess.”

The judge further said Crutcher “concealed” in a toolbox at his job that he possessed a Sig Sauer firearm with a defaced serial number, as well as a Glock and a CZ Shadow, “both reportedly stolen of Wisconsin,” Lamb wrote in an order detaining Crutcher in jail pretrial.

She also said he was in the possession of five rounds of .45-caliber ammunition and 38 rounds of 9 mm ammunition in his work area and allegedly had an additional 10 rounds of 9 mm ammunition in his vehicle.

The judge also said in her order that Crutcher does not have a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card, “yet has weapons and ammo in his possession. [He] was aware that he was not allowed to possess weapons or ammunition as he is [a] convicted felon with no valid FOID card. The Court finds there are no conditions or combination of conditions that will mitigate the risk posed by the Defendant. This Defendant will not or cannot abide by laws of state of Illinois.”

In Wisconsin, Crutcher has pending cases, including charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Walworth County, filed March 24, 2026, and driving while intoxicated on March 25, 2025, Wisconsin records show.