A message about the incident was sent to parents on Monday from Colleen Carroll, principal of St. Jude Catholic School in New Lenox. The school is part of the Diocese of Joliet.

Church personnel “found a gun in a pew,” according to Carroll’s message.

“Parish personnel immediately contacted the New Lenox Police Department, who are investigating at this time. Currently, these are all the details we have,” according to Carroll’s message.

No students were in any danger, she said.

Police are still “actively investigating to identify the owner,” said New Lenox Deputy Police Chief Tim Perry.

This incident was not associated with St. Jude Catholic School, and at no time was there a threat to the school, Perry said.

“All preliminary evidence indicated the handgun was concealed on a parishioner of the church and was mistakenly left in the pew during a recent service,” Perry said.

Carroll called a school resource officer “out of an abundance of caution,” and together they “completed a walk-through of both inside and outside of the building,” Carroll said.

“I have also arranged for [New Lenox Police Department] to do extra patrols throughout our campus. All pastoral and school personnel will diligently monitor the campus using best practices to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and campus,” Carroll said.

On Saturday, Francisco Arreola, 39, was taken into custody on charges of aggravated animal cruelty, cruelty to animals, animals in entertainment violation, and obstructing justice.

Officers responded to Gonzalez Fresh Produce, 652 Collins St., for a report of a man beating a rooster outside the store, according to a statement from Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English.

Upon arrival, officers found a man matching the provided description near the south entrance of the business, English said.

Officers were able to identify Arreola’s identity even though he initially provided “fictitious identifying information,” English said. He appeared to be intoxicated, he said.

“He was holding a tan, black, and white rooster that was attached to a rope leash tied to its leg. The rooster appeared to be injured, with visible cuts and bleeding to the top of its head, as well as blood on its feathers,” English said.

During the investigation, Arreola made statements indicating the rooster was his pet and that he was training it to fight, English said.

“He later recanted, indicating that he was attempting to train the animal to defend itself,” English said.

A witness reported seeing Arreola strike the rooster multiple times after “attempting to place it into a shopping cart outside the store,” English said.

The rooster was taken into protective custody by Joliet Township Animal Control.

The Joliet Police Department’s animal crimes team also assisted with the investigation and coordinated veterinary care for the rooster, English said.

On Monday, Will County Judge Derek Ewanic found Jackie Traynere, a Democrat, guilty of two counts of misdemeanor computer tampering but not guilty of a third count of the same offense.

Ewanic rendered a guilty verdict based on Traynere’s testimony that she accessed the county email account of Judy Ogalla, a Republican on the County Board, without Ogalla’s knowledge or permission.

But Ewanic determined Traynere was not guilty of computer tampering by forwarding emails from Ogalla’s account to herself and her political ally, Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, the Democratic Will County Executive.

Ewanic based his decision on Traynere’s testimony that her forwarding email to Bertino-Tarrant said, “Look what I found at the top of my inbox.”

Ewanic said that showed Traynere did not realize she was still in Ogalla’s email account.

Traynere is scheduled for a potential sentencing on April 7.

In a statement on Monday, Bertino-Tarrant said while Traynere “raised legitimate and founded concerns” about the county board’s security protocols, she is sure “we all wish that those concerns were addressed differently.”

After Monday’s verdict, Traynere said she is “disappointed.”

She claimed Ewanic, a Republican, had “circled the wagons” with the rest of the Republican Party to sustain their charge.

“It goes to bias. He’s a Republican. The Republicans pressed these charges,” Traynere said.

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, a Democrat, handed the Traynere case to Special Prosecutor Bill Elward. He authorized the charges against Traynere following an Illinois State Police investigation.

The case landed in Ewanic’s courtroom following recusal by two other judges, Colette Safford, a Democrat, and Donald DeWilkins, a Republican. Traynere’s attorneys had not motioned for Ewanic to recuse himself and they allowed him to decide her fate rather than a jury.

Traynere told reporters on Monday that she is not a rival of Ogalla and the two are just “people that don’t see things the same way.”

However, Traynere said she is going to ask Bertino-Tarrant for a “forensic audit” of the county’s information technology system since Ogalla knew county board members shared the same password.

Traynere suggested Ogalla “probably” knew about how to go into people’s email accounts without “leaving any fingerprints.”

Ogalla testified she had raised the password issue with the county IT department, but the board has no control over the department.

Shaw Local has reached out to Ogalla for comment.

During Traynere’s testimony, she admitted to accessing Ogalla’s email account without her permission and without advance notice on the morning of March 6, 2024.

Traynere said she had learned all County Board members shared the same password for their accounts, and she wanted to “test this idea.” Traynere said she was “flabbergasted” when she realized she could access Ogalla’s email account.

Traynere’s attorneys contended she “sounded the alarm” about a glaring security flaw with the county’s IT system.

But Ewanic concurred with Elward that Traynere “tripped the alarm.”

Ewanic said that out of all the county board members, Traynere chose to access an account belonging to Ogalla, who is a “party rival” to Traynere.

Ewanic said that although Traynere had contacted IT about the password issue after accessing Ogalla’s email account the first time, she did not raise concerns about that issue affecting all other County Board members.

Ewanic said Traynere only asked IT to have her own password changed at that point.

Ewanic said Ogalla did not realize what was going on until Bertino-Tarrant emailed her. In that email, Bertino-Tarrant thanked Ogalla for forwarding an email that Ogalla did not intentionally send her, according to trial testimony.

“It’s at that point Ms. Ogalla sounded the alarm,” Ewanic said.

Ewanic said Traynere testified that she believed Steve Balich, a Republican on the County Board, had emailed her mistakenly when she unwittingly remained in Ogalla’s account.

But Ewanic said Traynere did not let Balich know that he emailed her mistakenly. He said Traynere instead sent that email to herself and Bertino-Tarrant.

Balich held a news conference in 2024 where he accused Traynere of hacking into his email. On Monday, Balich said he was “really glad” Traynere was found guilty in the case.

“That hopefully will stop any future endeavors by anybody to do the same thing,” Balich said.

The Will County case against Briana Amberae Trumbo, 34, of Thornton, Colorado, was filed on Feb. 19 but it was kept under seal from public view until this week.

Trumbo was taken to the Will County jail on Monday.

A grand jury indicted Trumbo on charges of the Sept. 16, 2023 drug-induced homicide of Trent Veleker, 24, and the delivery of fentanyl.

The case is the result of a Shorewood Police Department investigation.

Officers discovered Snapchat messages between Trumbo and Veleker that began on Aug. 30, 2023, about two weeks before Veleker’s death, prosecutors said.

In those messages, Trumbo told Veleker that she’s from Colorado but lived in Shorewood and picked up her drugs in the far east side of Joliet, prosecutors said.

Trumbo is accused of accepting payment from Veleker to deliver him drugs and Veleker died at his residence as a result of ingesting fentanyl, according to a court petition from the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office.

“[Trumbo] knew of the dangers of the drugs she delivered to the victim as she told him not to die,” prosecutors said.

Electronic messages obtained by police allegedly showed how Trumbo did “not want to get caught” if Veleker died and asked him “not to use her real name,” prosecutors said.

On March 11, prosecutors plan to argue why Trumbo should remain in jail under the SAFE-T Act. Prosecutors contend Trumbo is a “clear and present danger to the community.”

The law increased the civil penalties for anyone who permits a minor to work in violation of the law from a maximum of $5,000 per violation to up to $10,000 per day, during which any violation continues, according to the lawsuit from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Office.

The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in Cook County against Nicholas Kory and his company, Lockor, which operates the McDonald’s at 1039 E. 9th St. in Lockport.

In 2024, Gov. JB Pritzker had signed into law a Senate bill that updates child labor regulations by “repealing the existing statute and replacing it with a modern framework,” according to the governor’s office.

“While neighboring states weaken their child labor laws, in Illinois we’re modernizing our regulatory framework to further protect minors from unscrupulous employers,” Pritzker said in a 2024 statement.

The states that have “rolled back child labor protections” include Indiana, Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, and West Virginia, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

The lawsuit from Raoul’s office alleged as of Thursday, Lockor has not paid $2.1 million in civil penalties following a 2023 investigation by the Illinois Department of Labor.

As of Friday, McDonald’s media relations department did not provide a comment on the state lawsuit. An attempt to reach Kory by phone was unsuccessful. Steven Baerson, whom state records list as the registered agent for Lockor, did not respond to a message.

The lawsuit from Raoul’s office claims Kory and Locker had at least 26 minors working in violation of the child labor law nearly every day the restaurant was open.

“On many occasions, defendants permitted minors under the age of 16 to work very late at night, including numerous instances where minors as young as 14 years old worked past 11 p.m. on school nights. Another minor frequently worked past midnight and even as late as 1:30 a.m.,” according to the attorney general’s lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleged an investigation by the state labor department found at least 568 instances where Kory and Lockor violated state law during the investigation period of Jan. 1, 2023 to July 8, 2023.

The state lawsuit is at least the second known instance in Will County of a business accused of child labor violations in recent years.

In 2023, the company that owned the former Syl’s restaurant in Rockdale was fined more than $18,000 for violating child labor laws and denying overtime pay, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Premier Events & Banquets, the owner of Syl’s, was accused of unlawfully employing 25 minor-aged workers after 7 p.m. on school nights and 9 p.m. on weekends, according to federal officials.

Between 2019 and 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor saw a 31% increase in the number of children employed in violation of federal child labor laws.

The enforcement data reflects the department’s wage and hour division’s work in “uncovering and investigating more child labor cases and is a result of our focus on this critical issue,” federal officials said.

Reports from the Illinois Department of Labor show it has collected a rising amount of penalties for child labor violations in recent years.

In Fiscal Year 2025, the department collected $4.5 million in penalties.

An investigation of allegations of children working in unsafe conditions at Hearthside Food Solutions, which has several locations throughout the suburbs and northwest Indiana, led to a $4.5 settlement agreement, according to the department of labor.

The money collected from penalties are deposited into the fund to support future enforcement activities against child labor violations, according to the department of labor.

The lawsuit was announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Office.

In a statement, Raoul said it is “absolutely unacceptable” that a local business owner would “take advantage of young employees who are just starting their time in the workforce.”

The lawsuit was filed against Nicholas J. Kory and his business, Lockor. The defendants “own and operate a McDonald’s franchise restaurant” at 1039 E. 9th St., Lockport, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit aims to stop Kory and his company from violating child labor laws and obtain civil penalties to be distributed equally among the affected minors, according to Raoul’s office.

The investigation that led to the lawsuit began in July 2023, when the Illinois Department of Labor received a complaint that the defendants were allowing or requiring employees under 16 to work late-night shifts, according to Raoul’s office.

The investigation found that 26 of the about 36 employees the restaurant employed were 14- or 15-year-olds, and only six of the minors had employment certificates, according to Raoul’s office.

State labor investigators also determined that in about 55 instances, the defendants “permitted the minors to work more than five hours without a required meal or rest break,” according to Raoul’s office.

Raoul’s office alleged the investigation found 48 instances of minors “working shifts lasting longer than eight hours.”

At least one of the minors worked multiple shifts exceeding 12 hours, including some shifts that lasted up to 17 hours, according to Raoul’s office.

In a statement, Jane Flanagan, director of the state labor department, said the case against the operators of the Lockport McDonald’s sends a clear message that “exploiting children in the workplace will not be tolerated in Illinois.”

“Our investigation uncovered minors working excessive hours, late into the night, and without the basic protections the law requires,” Flanagan said. “These are not technical violations – they are serious breaches that put young people’s health, safety and education at risk.”

Jackie Traynere, a Democrat, took the witness stand on Thursday to testify about why, on March 6, 2024, she logged into the county email account of Judy Ogalla, a Republican on the county board.

Traynere is facing misdemeanor charges of computer tampering. Will County Judge Derek Ewanic plans to decide on Monday whether she’s guilty of the charges.

Traynere’s attorney, Jeff Tomczak, said he wanted Ewanic to issue a ruling on the case soon because she’s “got an election coming up.” Traynere is running in the March 17 Democratic primary for the Will County Board District 11 race.

Traynere testified she’s been on the county board for 18 years and attended cybersecurity training.

She said in January 2024, county board members received new computers that were already set up with an email and password. She said they were not allowed to choose their own password.

On March 5, 2024, Traynere said she heard “in passing” from someone she does not remember that board members all shared the same password.

She said that prompted her on March 6, 2024, to “test this idea” while she was at her DuPage Township office. She said the “only way I can check that out” was to log out of her county email account.

Under cross-examination, Traynere acknowledged she did not contact the county’s IT department about the issue before the morning of March 6, 2024.

Traynere said she then logged into Ogalla’s email account, but then input the same password she had for her own account. She said when she saw Ogalla’s email account open, it “scared me.”

“As much as I’m scared sitting up here on this stand right now,” Traynere said.

Traynere said she was “flabbergasted” that she could log into Ogalla’s account, and after about 10 seconds, she thought she had clicked out of the account.

When asked by her attorney why she chose Ogalla’s account, she smiled and said Ogalla is the “opposite party.” She said she’s “kicked myself every day for that.”

Traynere said if she could see Ogalla’s email account, then Ogalla could see hers.

Traynere was asked by her attorney why she didn’t think to ask whether they shared the same password.

“I just didn’t think of it,” she said.

Traynere said she would “redo” some of the things she did that day.

Traynere said she went into Ogalla’s account to “test to see” if they all had the same password, and she did not think she would’ve been able to log in.

During that morning, Traynere contacted the county’s IT department and left a voicemail with Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant about the issue.

Around lunch time the same day, Traynere said she accessed what she initially thought was her own county email account.

She said she received an “interesting” email from Steve Balich, a Republican on the county board.

Traynere said she forwarded the email to Bertino-Tarrant and then to herself. She said she forwarded the email to herself to have a copy of it in case it was “recalled” by the author.

Traynere said when she realized she was actually in Ogalla’s account, she logged out, had a lunch date with a colleague and phoned Ogalla about accessing her account.

Traynere acknowledged Ogalla did not give her permission to access her account, read her emails, forward them or delete them.

Ogalla testified she did not see the email from Balich that had been forwarded to Bertino-Tarrant. Elward contends Traynere deleted that email.

Traynere said she had not read the email from Balich that she had forwarded to herself until a month ago.

Special Prosecutor Bill Elward told Ewanic he thought that was “preposterous” and “defies credibility.”

In closing arguments, Traynere’s attorney, Colin “CJ” Haney, told Ewanic his client is a whistleblower who is being punished for blowing the whistle on a security flaw with the county’s email system.

Haney said Traynere did not engage in a cover-up because she had told Ogalla, Bertino-Tarrant and the county’s IT department about the password issue.

Haney said Traynere’s actions are not those of a criminal but of someone trying to “protect her colleagues” as well as the county.

“How can the state claim unauthorized access when the county handed out the same key to everyone?” Haney said.

In response, Elward said Traynere was not “sounding the alarm.”

“She tripped the alarm,” Elward said.

Elward said Traynere gave several different explanations to Bertino-Tarrant, Ogalla and another county board member about the purpose of accessing Ogalla’s account.

Elward said Traynere was trying to “cover her tracks.” Instead of protecting the county, Elward said, Traynere was trying to “protect herself.”

Jackie Traynere waived her right to a jury trial and Will County Judge Derek Ewanic will decide whether she’s guilty of the misdemeanor charge of computer tampering.

Traynere, a Democrat, is accused of the March 6, 2024 unlawful access of emails from Will County Board member Judy Ogalla, a Republican. Traynere is further accused of forwarding Ogalla’s emails to herself and others.

Four witnesses were called on Tuesday. Those witnesses included Ogalla and Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, the latter of whom endorsed Traynere in the March 17 Democratic primary for the Will County Board District 11 race.

Traynere’s case is expected to continue on Thursday morning.

The trial was tense with Special Prosecutor Bill Elward and Traynere’s attorney, Jeff Tomczak, quarreling over what questions witnesses should answer and what evidence Ewanic should consider.

At one point, Tomczak slapped his notepad on the podium in frustration after repeated objections from Elward. At another point, Elward sarcastically asked for “getting animal control” into the courtroom in response to Tomczak’s comments.

Ewanic told the attorneys to “keep it civil.”

During opening statements, Elward said his evidence would show Traynere accessed the county email account of Ogalla, who is her political opponent.

Elward said Traynere forwarded emails to herself and to Bertino-Tarrant. One email forwarded to Bertino-Tarrant was a message from Steve Balich, a Republican on the county board, according to Elward.

Elward said Traynere knew she had a “political advantage” in sending information to Bertino-Tarrant.

Another of Traynere’s attorneys, Colin “CJ” Haney, said Traynere was not criminal but someone who “sounded the alarm” about a “glaring” security flaw in the county board’s email system.

That flaw was every county board member using the same password for their account, according to trial testimony.

Haney said when Traynere realized she could access Ogalla’s account, she immediately contacted the county’s information technology department. The emails accessed by Traynere were also not “politically sensitive,” he said.

Traynere’s actions were not of computer tampering but an “act of vigilance,” Haney said.

Ogalla testified she was surprised in 2024 when she saw Bertino-Tarrant reply with a “thank you” to an email that was purportedly sent from her account.

Ogalla said she spoke on the phone with Traynere, who told her she “randomly” went into her email. But Ogalla said she did not think it was random. She said she would not have shared with Bertino-Tarrant an email that was sent by Balich.

Ogalla said she did not see the email sent from her account to Bertino-Tarrant in the “sent” folder of her account. Elward has contended Traynere deleted the email.

Ogalla said she did not give Traynere permission to access her email account.

“I was upset,” Ogalla said.

Ogalla acknowledged under cross examination that she knew prior to the 2024 incident that county board members had the same password for their email accounts. She said she raised the issue in the past with the county’s IT department but the county board has no control over that department.

Jason Donisch, the county’s IT director, also acknowledged on the witness stand that county board members were using the same password for their accounts since at least 2012.

Donisch said he did “sound the alarm” about the issue to a county official. He said there was a county office that was “very specific” on not giving up that practice.

Bertino-Tarrant testified she received a call from Traynere on March 6, 2024 about needing to contact the IT department because she discovered the password issue with county board email system.

Bertino-Tarrant was asked by Tomczak whether she felt Traynere was “sounding the alarm” about a security issue during the call.

“Yes,” Bertino-Tarrant said.

On Saturday, Arturo Anguiano, 45, of Chicago was charged with aggravated battery, failure to report an accident involving injury and DUI in connection with the incident.

At 10:17 a.m. Feb. 26, officers learned Anguiano was driving a Freightliner semitrailer that rear-ended a Buick vehicle on Illinois Route 53 in Romeoville, according to a court filing from the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The pregnant driver of the Buick was stopped at a red light and took a picture of the Freightliner before it left, prosecutors said. She later was hospitalized for injuries.

At 10:34 a.m. Feb. 26, Anguiano struck a truck at another location, prosecutors said, adding that he did not stop to give any information to anyone nor did he render assistance to anyone.

“He again went through a red light and collided with the truck. He did not stop and left that scene again without leaving any information,” prosecutors said.

Anguiano did not get far before one of his front tires “fell off, rendering the Freightliner inoperable,” prosecutors said.

The driver of the truck that Anguiano hit saw him “take empty beer cans from the truck and throw them away at a nearby gas station where he was buying more beer,” prosecutors said.

Anguiano was uncooperative with officers, tried to walk away and pushed an officer, prosecutors said.

Anguiano had “glassy bloodshot eyes, an odor of alcohol on his breath and had difficulty maintaining balance,” prosecutors said.

Prosecutors argued Anguiano is a flight risk and he should be “detained to protect our community.”

Will County Judge Jennifer Lynch granted Anguiano’s pretrial release on Saturday.

Attorneys for Sheriff Mike Kelley had objected to his deposition until there was a ruling on a motion that could decide the 2023 case filed by Sheriff’s Deputy Jim Reilly.

In 2022, Reilly was the Republican challenger to Kelley, a Democrat who has been sheriff since 2014. Reilly is running for sheriff again this year while Kelley is not seeking another term.

Reilly’s lawsuit claims Kelley retaliated against him by denying his promotion to sergeant because of protected political speech he made during his campaign.

On Feb. 20, U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura McNally granted a motion from Reilly’s attorneys to compel the deposition of Kelley.

“For reasons stated on the record, the motion is granted,” according to the federal court docket.

Both parties in the case plan to issue a joint status report by March 26.

Kelley’s attorneys did not want him deposed before there was a ruling on a Jan. 27 motion for judgement in Kelley’s favor and against Reilly.

In that motion, Kelley’s attorneys argued existing legal precedent permits sheriffs to make “employment decisions for political reasons” without violating the First Amendment right to free speech.

Kelley’s attorneys said Reilly’s position as a sheriff’s deputy falls under what’s known as the Elrod-Branti exception to the “general prohibition against politically-based employment decisions.”

The Elrod-Branti exception is a legal doctrine based on two U.S. Supreme Court cases from 1976 and 1980.

The exception applies where a government employer can demonstrate “party affiliation is an appropriate requirement for the effective performance of the office involved,” Kelley’s attorneys said.

“As a result, even assuming the truth of [Reilly’s] allegations that he was passed over for promotion in retaliation for his political activity, there was no violation of the First Amendment,” Kelley’s attorneys said.

Kelley’s attorneys also argue he is immune from Reilly’s claims under a legal doctrine called qualified immunity. The doctrine protects government officials from lawsuits unless they violated a “clearly established” statutory or constitutional right.

In response, Reilly’s attorneys said Kelley keeping him employed with the sheriff’s office is “plainly inconsistent” with Kelley’s assertion that Reilly’s “political loyalty is a proper qualification” for sheriff’s deputy.

Reilly’s attorneys said their client was “first on the promotion list and had earned the promotion on merit.”

“[Kelley’s] political refusal to promote Reilly could only make the department worse, not better,” Reilly’s attorneys said.

Reilly’s attorneys also argued their case can overcome the shield of qualified immunity because it is supported by “clearly established law.”

On Monday, Brandon Mercado-Morales, 25, of Romeoville was identified as the victim of the crash by the Will County Coroner’s Office. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased at 1:31 a.m. on Sunday, the coroner’s office said.

The Illinois State Police is investigating the accident that happened about 12:39 a.m. near Weber Road, police said.

It led to a second crash involving three vehicles but did not lead to any injuries.

Southbound lanes, however, were closed until 5:05 a.m. Sunday.

The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead there.

The trial of Peter Zabala, 49, has now been delayed three times in the past three months.

For the past seven years, Zabala has been facing charges of the first-degree murder of Ashley Tucker, 25, and the concealment of her homicidal death.

Zabala is listed in the Illinois sex offender registry.

Tucker was reported missing on Oct. 14, 2018, and her charred remains were found Oct. 26, 2018, inside a barrel in the backyard of a residence on South State Street in Lockport Township.

Last October, Zabala’s case was scheduled for jury trial on Jan. 12.

Then prosecutors made an offer to Zabala in January, which he rejected.

Zabala’s case was rescheduled to Monday.

However, an agreement for a new trial date of Oct. 13 was reached on Monday between Zabala’s attorney, Chuck Bretz, and prosecutors with Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s Office.

Attorneys on both sides plan to meet on June 26 to confirm that “all outstanding issues have been resolved,” according to Will County Judge Jessica Colón-Sayre.

In a 2023 court hearing, Bretz contended that the case against his client is “extremely sketchy,” as a forensic pathologist could not determine the cause of Tucker’s death, and no one saw his client dispose of her body in a barrel.

In the same hearing, Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Fitzgerald said Tucker’s blood was found in two vehicles to which Zabala had access, and one of them was a Ford Thunderbird.

“That [Thunderbird] was processed via search warrant, and there was blood found in the trunk, which was also tested by the crime lab and also came back to be Ashley Tucker’s blood,” Fitzgerald said.

At 7:50 a.m. Monday, Angel Lopez, 19, was taken to the Will County jail on charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.

Lopez was arrested by the United States Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, according to Lockport Deputy Police Chief Ron Huff.

The charges against Lopez were filed Feb. 17 following an investigation of the Dec. 16 shooting in Lockport.

At 7:32 p.m. Dec. 16, officers responded to the incident in the 16500 block of West Teton Drive, Huff said.

A 16-year-old boy told officers he was confronted by Lopez, Huff said.

“Lopez was upset because he felt that the victim owed him money. After a verbal confrontation, the victim returned to his house and heard four to five gunshots,” Huff said.

Officers found three locations on the victim’s house that were struck with bullets, Huff said. Shell casings and bullets from a .45-caliber handgun were recovered at the scene, he said.

“After an exhaustive investigation, detectives were able to identify Lopez as a suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest,” Huff said.

Attorney Frank Andreano filed a motion on Feb. 20 that said Jeff Regnier and Greta Keranen believe they were targeted because of the “potential income” that State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s Office would receive if the forfeiture case had succeeded.

According to Andreano’s motion, the couple believe Glasgow’s office investigated them “prior to the discovery of any evidence of supposed crimes” committed by them.

On Wednesday, Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Byrne said Glasgow’s office has no comment “at this time as this matter is currently pending an appeal.”

Andreano’s Feb. 20 motion is meant to supplement another motion he filed requesting a special prosecutor investigate federal agents and the forfeiture unit of Glasgow’s Office.

A judge has not yet ruled on the motion for a special prosecutor as of Wednesday.

Andreano’s motion contends that a 2023 forfeiture case for two vehicles belonging to Regnier and Keranen was filed by Glasgow’s office to inflict “significant financial punishment” on them.

Prosecutors filed a complaint for forfeiture of the vehicles under the allegation they were obtained through “felony loan fraud,” court records show.

On Jan. 21, Will County Judge Brian Barrett dismissed the case after finding no evidence to support the allegation. Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Dant Foulk filed an appeal of Barrett’s ruling.

In Andreano’s Feb. 20 motion, he cited a PowerPoint presentation prepared by members of Glasgow’s office “for presentation to other prosecutors.”

“The PowerPoint describes how prosecutors may obtain documents otherwise protected by privacy laws and/or restrictions when seeking to discover ways to charge ‘high value targets,’ ” according to Andreano’s motion.

The presentation recommended prosecutors should consider focusing on the prosecution of a target if they are a “high-value target” rather than the prosecution of the “specific subset of criminal offenses,” according to Andreano’s motion.

According to Andreano’s motion the couple believes Glasgow’s office “circumvented Illinois privacy laws” and confidentiality policies by the Illinois Department of Employment Security by obtaining documents through an inspector general office for the U.S. Department of Labor.

The announcement was made on Thursday by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The project is part of ongoing efforts to rebuild Interstate 80 in Minooka, Joliet and New Lenox.

The work will be carried out in several stages but initially will require lane closures in both directions of Chicago Street between McDonough Street and Doris Avenue, according to IDOT.

At least one lane in both directions will remain open for about one month while temporary pavement and other site needs are completed to accommodate traffic during the interchange’s reconstruction, according to IDOT.

Once the temporary pavement is complete, Chicago Street will return to two lanes in both directions while the interchange is rebuilt, with various lane shifts and occasional closures until the project is finished.

In a statement, Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi said the new Chicago Street interchange “promises to be a vast improvement locally as well as for one of the state’s critical freight corridors.”

“As always, when you approach any work zone, please slow down and give workers plenty of room to do their jobs,” Biagi said.

A gateway into downtown Joliet, the interchange is the last of six to be rebuilt along the project corridor, according to IDOT.

A media briefing was held Thursday to discuss the results of the I-80 project so far and where it is headed.

The overall project involves redesigning and rebuilding 16 miles from Ridge Road in Minooka to Route 30 in Joliet and New Lenox, according to IDOT.

More than 30 bridges will be rehabilitated or replaced, including those over the Des Plaines River, according to a statement from IDOT on Thursday.

“The project is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2028, with landscaping, bridge demolition and miscellaneous work extending into 2029,” IDOT officials said.

I-80 is one of the “most important east-west corridors in the country,” said Isssam Rayyan, IDOT project implementation engineer.

In Will, Grundy and Kendall counties, I-80 carries more than 80,000 vehicles a day, and a quarter of that is freight traffic, he said.

The transformation of I-80 is “already visible,” Rayyan said.

“Today, about 60% of the interstate reconstruction is substantially complete, and we anticipate nearly 80% will be completed by the end of this year,” Rayyan said.

Rayyan said IDOT is “steadily turning” a 50-year-old interstate into a “modern, safer, more reliable corridor.” This year represents the “final stretch here in Joliet” for the project, he said.

On Monday, the construction of the new Chicago Street interchange in Joliet is scheduled to begin, and it is the last of the six interchanges to be rebuilt along the project corridor, according to IDOT.

The work will require lane closures in both directions of Chicago Street, between McDonough Street and Doris Avenue.

Construction is expected to begin later this spring on the Des Plaines River bridge, resulting in a reduction of I-80 to two lanes in both directions between Richards and Center streets, according to IDOT.

The new bridges will be built just north of the existing structures. Traffic will shift to the new bridges in the westbound lanes in early 2028 and the eastbound lanes by the end of 2028.

The upcoming work on I-80 in Joliet will have “significant impacts” on traffic, said Eric Ray, IDOT construction area supervisor.

“This is the most complex portion of the entire 16-mile project, and with overlapping contracts, this section through Joliet will function as one coordinated construction zone over the next few years. With that being said, this is also the home stretch,” Ray said.

Ray said motorists should expect “lane shifts, ramp closures, detours and periods of heavy congestion.”

IDOT officials listed some of the work that will be completed this year:

• Newly rebuilt interchanges at I-55, Larkin Avenue and Briggs Street in Joliet

• New flyover ramp carrying southbound I-55 traffic to eastbound lanes in I-80

• A third lane in each direction of I-80 opening from Ridge Road to Larkin Avenue and from Richards Street to Route 30

IDOT officials provide more information at I80will.org.

Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak on Friday granted a request from prosecutors to keep Joseph Johnson, 29, in jail after he was charged with the Jan. 25 first-degree murder of Joselynn Diaz-Garcia, 36, and her son, Gianni Reyes, in Joliet.

Bertani-Tomczak based her decision on the nature of the charges and the risk of Johnson’s threat to the community.

During Friday’s court hearing, Johnson’s attorney, Sean Brown, suggested there is a second person who is responsible based on the information from the prosecutors.

“There is no evidence of that,” said Wiktoria Oginski, Will County assistant state’s attorney.

Johnson was a roommate of Diaz-Garcia at a residence in the 700 block of Garnsey Avenue. No motive has been uncovered in the incident, according to Joliet police officials.

Oginski said the “brutality” and circumstances of the fatal shooting demonstrate Johnson’s ongoing threat to the community.

“This was not accidental or reckless discharge. It was targeted, repeated gunfire at a defenseless toddler and his mother,” Oginski said.

She said Johnson made statements that demonstrate “consciousness of guilt and malice.”

Johnson was accused of yelling, “[expletive], you dead!” toward the direction of the victims as officers were attempting to gather his name and information on the incident, according to prosecutors.

Oginski said Johnson making that statement while the victims were on the ground “dying reflects a severe lack of remorse.”

Oginski said Johnson also poses a flight risk because he faces a mandatory life sentence in prison.

She said Johnson demonstrated “impulsive flight behavior” when he was found by officers, shirtless and shoeless, in subzero weather after the shooting.

Oginski said Johnson has an “extreme disregard for life,” he poses a “grave, ongoing threat” to the public and he has an “overwhelming incentive” to flee.

Brown said Johnson is a high school graduate with three children ages 10, 8 and 4, who are living with a family member. He recommended Johnson’s jail release so he could provide for those children.

When Bertani-Tomczak asked Brown whether Johnson was employed, Brown said he receives Social Security benefits and supports the children through that program.

Brown said he believes this case is Johnson’s first one involving violent felony charges.

He said based on the information from prosecutors, there appears to be no DNA linking his client to the incident and no one identifying him as the shooter.

Brown said witnesses indicated they saw a shooter near train tracks in the area, yet Johnson was found at a residence face down with a gunshot wound to his leg.

“To me, that would indicate circumstances of a second shooter,” Brown said.

Joliet police officials have said they believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.

Oginski said numerous witnesses reported seeing a “shirtless and shoeless” person holding and firing a firearm.

On Thursday, Will County Judge Art Smigielski said he found no facts to support State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s motion to have Gilbert Bernal move farther away from him as he faces a charge of the 1988 first-degree murder of his wife, Joan Bernal, 34.

“I just don’t see a specific, articulable fact of a threat,” Smigielski said.

Smigielski said if he were to grant the motion, he wondered why he wouldn’t have to do so for other prosecutors on the Bernal case as well.

Smigielski said Glasgow has other prosecutors working for him who prosecute cases involving gang members and drug dealers.

After Thursday’s hearing, John Fotopoulos, one of Bernal’s attorneys, said it was a “ridiculous motion brought by a coward,” in reference to Glasgow.

Glasgow was not in court on Thursday to make his case as to why Bernal should move farther away from him while on pretrial release.

Instead, it was Peter Wilkes, Glasgow’s criminal division chief, who delivered the arguments.

For almost a decade, Glasgow has rarely been seen at the Will County Courthouse. He was not seen by Shaw Local during the 2025 murder trial of the late Joseph Czuba, 73, the most high-profile case in recent county history.

Bernal was charged with his wife’s murder in 1993, only for Glasgow to drop the case a year later because witnesses claimed to have seen her alive.

The case was indicted for a second time last December, just a few months after the airing of an episode about the case on a TV show called “Cold Justice.”

Smigielski had granted Bernal’s pretrial release on Feb. 10 over the objections of prosecutors. One of the issues raised by prosecutors was the difficulty in keeping tabs on Bernal if he were allowed to reside in Michigan.

But during Thursday’s hearing, Wilkes said it was recommended that Bernal return to Michigan because he is residing in a location where he could reach Glasgow’s residence in about five minutes.

Wilkes said the “concern for safety” is a “real fact” that has to be dealt with.

Wilkes said there was a family member of Bernal in Michigan who did not want him to be in the state. Wilkes argued there was a flaw in the SAFE-T Act, as it puts the wishes of Glasgow and that family member at odds.

One of Bernal’s attorneys, Dave Carlson, said he agreed with allowing his client to reside in Michigan, but he said Glasgow’s office did not provide a single fact proving Bernal posed a “perceived intimidation” or threat to Glasgow.

Carlson said he also “took offense” to Glasgow’s motion. He alluded to the dangers he’s faced when he was a judge sentencing dangerous criminals to lengthy prison sentences.

“I do take umbrage with this,” Carlson said.

On Feb. 9, the 3rd District Appellate Court in Ottawa upheld a ruling from Will County Judge Amy Christiansen to keep Eric Strasser, 63, in jail on the charge of the first-degree murder of Rosy Strasser, 51.

Another pretrial hearing in the murder case is set for March 4.

Rosy Strasser was found dead from a gunshot wound on May 1, 2024, inside a bathroom at a residence. Eric Strasser had called 911, reported an “accidental shooting” and hung up on a dispatcher without further explanation, prosecutors said.

A Lockport Police Department investigation led to charges against Eric Strasser on April 21, 2025.

The appellate order supporting Christiansen’s denial of pretrial release was delivered by Appellate Justice Matthew Bertani.

Appellate Justices William Holdridge and Linda Davenport concurred with the order.

“We find that the state met its burden of proving that the defendant posed a threat to the community and there were no conditions to mitigate that threat. Defendant allegedly went out consuming alcoholic beverages, came home and shot his wife, and then tried to cover it up,” according to Bertani’s court order.

The court order acknowledged that Strasser has no violent criminal history, and everyone charged with an offense is eligible for pretrial release, which can be denied in certain situations.

But Bertani’s order cited a 2024 appellate case from the 4th District Appellate Court in Springfield called People v. Richard Romine.

In that case, Appellate Justice Eugene Doherty found the evidence of a defendant’s charged conduct, even if it took place on a “single occasion,” may reflect such a departure from the “basic expectations of civil society” that it becomes “difficult to predict” the defendant’s compliance with court orders.

Will County Judge Carmen Goodman rendered her decision on Tuesday after two days of testimony in the case against a 15-year-old boy who is charged with the June 2, 2025 first-degree murder of Manuel Mejia Perez, 13, of Joliet.

Goodman has barred Shaw Local from naming the teen, who has not yet gone to trial on the charges.

If the teen’s case had been transferred to adult court, he would face a minimum of 45 years in prison. As of now, the teen would have to stay in a juvenile facility for five years or until he turns 21 if he’s found guilty of the charges.

Prosecutors wanted the case transferred to adult court for more serious consequences because they said it involves a premeditated and “cold-blooded” murder.

The shooting of Perez was captured on video and later found by police on the teen’s cellphone, according to the testimony of Joliet Police Detective Benjamin Koepke.

Perez was shot twice in broad daylight and his body was found by police in an alley across the street from Water’s Edge townhomes, according to Joliet police officials.

A video of a cellphone, which played the video of Perez’s shooting, was shown in court on Monday. Koepke testified some witnesses in the case claimed the teen defendant had shown them the video.

“You saw the video. It doesn’t get any more cold-blooded than that,” a prosecutor told Goodman.

During the teen’s time at River Valley Juvenile Detention Center, he wrote a letter to his stepfather detailing an escape plan and requested his assistance, according to court testimony.

The teen’s attorney argued her client is capable of rehabilitation within the juvenile system based on a report from a psychologist and testimony from the teen’s counselor.

The attorney argued her client has a lack of maturity that makes him vulnerable to negative influences. She said her client has also witnessed domestic violence.

The teen’s attorney said her client suffered from “adverse factors he couldn’t control” and he “slipped through the cracks” in his home life and through the school system.

Goodman said the teen is charged with the “most serious of crimes” and testimony showed his “whole household was negative.”

Goodman said since the teen’s arrest, he has attended numerous mental health sessions and demonstrated full cooperation and consistent engagement during those sessions. She said the teen’s life has become more stable while incarcerated.

She said she must consider the seriousness of the charges but she must also “balance” that with the interests of the teen as well.

“You can’t predict the future but you can weigh the factors,” Goodman said.

Goodman referred to several factors outlined in state law that a judge must consider for a discretionary transfer of a juvenile case to adult court.

Some of those factors include a minor’s willingness to participate meaningfully in available services and reasonable likelihood of rehabilitation.

On Tuesday, Terrion Townsel, 34, was arrested on charges of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a stolen firearm, obstructing justice and other charges.

The incident occurred on Feb. 21 but Townsel was not taken to the Will County jail until after he was released from the hospital for a medical issue.

Officers responded on Feb. 21 to the Joliet Gateway Center, 90 E. Jefferson St., in response to a report of a disturbance involving two men arguing, according to Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English.

The Gateway Center is adjacent to the Joliet Slammers stadium.

“A Gateway Center security guard intervened in an attempt to stop the argument. During the incident, one of the men was observed carrying a backpack and began grabbing it in a manner that suggested he may have been armed,” English said.

Officers located Townsel at the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Washington Street and Townsel was “standing near a partially open backpack at his feet,” English said.

“Townsel told officers that he did not have a firearm. When officers attempted to conduct a pat down for weapons, Townsel resisted, attempted to push away from officers, and tried to flee while ignoring commands to stop,” English said.

During a struggle with officers, Townsel fell to the ground and attempted to grab his backpack, English said.

An officer deployed a Taser on Townsel, who was taken into custody “without further incident,” English said.

Officers found a loaded 9 mm handgun from inside Townsel’s open backpack and it was reported stolen out of Chicago, English said.

Townsel had been taken to a hospital after complaining of a medical issue, English said.

Officer Nicholas Crowley was recommended for termination on Monday, according to Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English, the police department’s spokesman.

“As this is a personnel issue, I am unable to share any further details,” English said.

Since Feb. 4, Crowley had been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by an outside law firm contracted by the city. The name of the firm has not been disclosed.

In 2017, Shaw Local reported Crowley was suspended for five days after internal affairs found that he violated department policy by posing in uniform and brandishing his on-duty firearm in a Snapchat photo.

Crowley has been named as a defendant in three lawsuits filed since 2018. He also had been arrested in 2017 but was acquitted of reckless discharge of a firearm charge in a bench trial the following year.

In one lawsuit, Crowley was accused of using excessive force and it led to an almost $120,000 settlement with the city.

The two other lawsuits against Crowley that concerned allegations of false arrest and excessive force led to a total of $80,200 in settlements.

In 2023, Crowley had been recommended for suspension for communicating with a citizen in an unprofessional manner, city records show.

Crowley was accused of engaging in “unprofessional and inappropriate text message communication” with a victim of a crime, according to a report filed with the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.