An Algonquin man is facing several charges after he allegedly fired a handgun during a domestic dispute and was arrested hours later after a SWAT team and canine unit were called.
Lestek Zujko, 51, of the 1000 block of Applewood Lane in Algonquin, was charged with assault, domestic battery, two counts of reckless discharge of a weapon and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.
The Algonquin Police Department was called at 11:15 p.m. Friday to Zujko’s home in the 1000 block of Applewood Lane for a report of shots fired.
Police said that Zujko fired a handgun inside of his home during a domestic disturbance while multiple family members were present. No one was injured and the family was able to escape the home.
Initially, it was believed that Zujko was still inside the home. The McHenry County Sheriff SWAT Team was called to help police officers conduct a high-risk search of the home for Zujko.
It was later determined that he had fled the home before police arrived, police said. Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy John Forlenza and Canine Dax were called at 5 a.m. to help track the suspect.
After 15 minutes of tracking, Canine Dax and officers spotted Zujko running 200 feet ahead of them.
“Deputy Forlenza warned the man to stop or K9 Dax would be released, as K9 Dax aggressively barked,” Lake County Sheriff Sgt. Christopher Covelli said.
Zujko surrendered and was taken into custody. Police found him in possession of a firearm and additional ammunition, Covelli said. He remains held in the McHenry County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
“This is yet another extraordinary track and apprehension by Deputy Forlenza and his partner, K9 Dax,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.
“Our Canine Teams train very hard to keep our community safe and are often called in situations where violent offenders have fled, after inflicting harm on others. We are very lucky to have four extremely dedicated and proven Canine Teams at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office,” he added.