A 56-year-old Chicago man was ordered held Saturday on charges of breaking into Downers Grove North High School, accosting a janitor and forcing her to search the school for money, prosecutors said.

Deon McLaughlin was charged with burglary in a school, attempted robbery, and aggravated battery to a school employee — all felony charges. During an initial court appearance Saturday morning, DuPage County Judge Kenton Skarin granted the state’s attorney’s motion to detain McLaughlin pretrial.

Prosecutors say McLaughlin entered the school at 11:57 p.m. Tuesday through a window that was forced open. The janitor said she was cleaning near the front entrance of the school at 1:35 a.m. Wednesday when she heard a loud commotion from the alumni room and McLaughlin approached her and demanded money.

He placed his hands on the back of her neck and forcefully walked her through the hallways demanding that she take him to where money was, prosecutors said.

While walking through the school, the janitor was able to call 911 and also make contact with a coworker who confronted McLaughlin and caused him to exit the school at 1:41 a.m., prosecutors said.

Chicago police arrested McLaughlin Friday on the 3800 block of West Jackson Boulevard.

In a statement Saturday, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin continued to call for changes to the Illinois SAFE-T Act. McLaughlin was on pretrial release for less than a month on other felony charges, including aggravated battery to a victim more than 60 years old, unlawful restraint and criminal trespass to a residence.

“The allegations that Mr. McLaughlin allegedly committed additional serious felony offenses while on pretrial release further illustrates what I have been saying for quite some time that the state’s SAFE-T Act needs to be amended to give judges more discretion for certain offenses at a defendant’s first appearance court hearing and that judges, not the legislature, are in the best position to decide whether a defendant should be detained pretrial.”

McLaughlin is due in court again Jan. 5.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20251213/news/chicago-man-charged-with-breaking-into-downers-grove-north-high-school-battering-janitor/