Crystal Lake man to be sentenced in 2019 stabbing

A 25-year-old Crystal Lake man pleaded guilty Wednesday to stabbing another man in the chest with a knife in 2019.

David E. Lepey, of the 300 block of Elmwood Avenue, entered blind guilty pleas Wednesday to aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and attempting to disarm a police officer. A sentencing hearing has been set for Dec. 15, when prosecutors and Lepey’s attorney will argue for the sentence they think is appropriate.

The charges stemmed from a November 2019 report of a man “acting abnormal and armed with a knife.” When Crystal Lake police officers officers arrived in the 500 block of Devonshire Lane, they found a 30-year-old man with a single stab wound to his chest, police said at the time.

The man’s injuries were described by hospital staff as “superficial” and not life-threatening.

Lepey was arrested at the scene and additionally charged with attempting to disarm an officer of their stun gun. He was released from jail last year when a judge reduced his bond from $75,000 to $50,000 and required Lepey to wear an ankle monitoring device that allowed him to travel only at pre-approved times.

Lepey was again arrested in March, however, after allegedly tampering with the GPS ankle monitor.

In April, Lepey was determined unfit to stand trial. The finding essentially means that he lacked the mental capacity to participate in his defense at the time. By late August, however, Lepey was transported back to the McHenry County Jail from the Chester Mental Health Center following an order declaring that he now was fit, court records show.

Determining whether a person is fit or unfit to stand trial is not the same as finding someone guilty by reason of insanity.

Because Lepey entered blind pleas, his sentence has not yet been determined. A judge will make that decision after the Dec. 15 hearing. Until then, Lepey will remain at the McHenry County Jail without bond.