Crime & Courts

South Elgin man charged with felony stalking of Geneva woman

Daniel J. McSweeney being held on $125K bond on multiple charges

GENEVA – A South Elgin man was charged with felony stalking of a woman he sat next to in high school more than 10 years ago, according to Geneva police reports.

Daniel J. McSweeney, 31, of the 600 block of Lor Ann Drive, South Elgin, was charged Oct. 12 with stalking that causes fear for safety and stalking that causes fear and distress.

The stalking charges stem from an incident on Sept. 18 when police were called to a Geneva residence at 9:30 p.m. where McSweeney came to the house, rang the doorbell and requested to speak with the resident, according to police reports.

The resident told police she and McSweeney sat next to each other during a high school class in the 2007-08 school year, but had never been more than acquaintances, the report stated.

Since May 2021, the resident told police McSweeney would consistently message her via text and social media, but that she never replied, the report stated.

This was the first time McSweeney came to her residence. The resident told police she was able to identify him because he had previously dated and harassed one of her friends, the report stated.

On Sept. 20, Geneva police learned from St. Charles police that McSweeney had been at a house in that city for over five hours, waiting for the resident to answer the door or come outside, the report stated.

“McSweeney advised St. Charles officers that she had invited him to her residence five years ago and he was randomly checking to see if her invitation was still valid after not speaking in years,” the report stated.

A St. Charles officer “explained to McSweeney that a five-year-old invitation is likely expired and suggested he should not arrive at anyone’s home … unannounced,” the report stated.

The St. Charles woman told police she had never invited McSweeney to her residence.

The St. Charles woman also told the Geneva woman about the incident with McSweeney – as she continued to receive messages from him, the report stated.

The Geneva woman told police “she has been ‘jumpy’ and stated her heart drops every time she received a Nest doorbell notification, worrying McSweeney may be at her doorstep again,” the report stated.

She “also stated she has ‘broken down crying’ four times since the Sept. 18 incident, due to McSweeney’s actions,” the report stated.

The Geneva officer also spoke with South Elgin police about any recent contacts with McSweeney. An officer said McSweeney offered him $2,000 to provide a woman’s address to him, the report stated. The officer denied his request.

On Sept. 26, McSweeney left $110 in a mailbox of a house on Prairie Crossing Drive, St. Charles, where an ex-girlfriend lived, and asked if he could see her, the report stated. The resident told him the woman he was looking for didn’t live there and asked him to leave, which he did, the report stated.

McSweeney is currently being held in the Kane County jail on $125,000 bond in connection with the felony stalking and other charges, records show.

The other charges are two counts of felony aggravated battery of a police officer, two counts of felony resisting an officer and one misdemeanor charge of criminal damage to property, filed on March 21, 2020, court records show.

He is also being held on disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property charges which were filed on June 4, 2020.

McSweeney has a court hearing scheduled for Nov. 12 on all pending charges, while he is to be reconsidered for Treatment Alternative Court, records show.

McSweeney’s attorney of record did not return a message seeking comment.

Brenda Schory

Brenda Schory

Brenda Schory covers Geneva, crime and courts, and features for the Kane County Chronicle