A Beach Park man was arrested after people spotted the man walking around near a Waukegan store with a scoped rifle on Monday, prosecutors said.
Jason L. Linkous, 43, of Beach Park, was charged with one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Kelse Banks said officers received a call for a man with a rifle outside of a Dollar Tree store in Waukegan.
The 911 caller told dispatchers that he was following the suspect.
Officers arrived on the scene and saw Linkous in front of Jewel-Osco.
The witness identified Linkous as the man who he saw with the rifle, Banks said.
Officers spoke to witnesses, who reported that Linkous had come up to them asking to borrow their phones while holding a rifle at his side.
The witnesses described the gun as a long wooden rifle with a mounted scope, Banks said.
They told officers that Linkous had gone behind the Jewel-Osco with the rifle before officers arrived.
Officers found an unloaded wooden 22 long rifle with a mounted scope behind the grocery store.
Banks said Linkous does not have a Firearm Owners Identification card.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Linkous held on a $100,000 bond.
Linkous remains held in the Lake County Jail and would need to post $10,000 cash in order to be released.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 1.