A man has been charged with using a rifle to fatally shoot a 77-year-old man in the head at an apartment in Fox Lake and a woman has been charged with obstructing justice in the incident.
Azmi Ibrahim Jr., 37, of the 300 block of Lunar Drive in Round Lake, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of obstructing justice.
Kathryn A. Deason, 31, also of the 300 block of Lunar Drive in Round Lake, was charged with one count of obstructing justice.
Lake County Major Crime Task Force Spokesman Christopher Covelli said an investigation showed Roy Hoffman, 77, arranged to have a “romantic relationship” in exchange for money with Deason.
Deason was reportedly driven to Hoffman’s home, located in the 0-100 block of Mineola Road in Fox Lake, by Ibrahim Monday evening.
Deason met with Hoffman for a period of time while Ibrahim stayed in his vehicle, Covelli said.
Ibrahim eventually went inside the apartment building looking for Deason.
Ibrahim determined which unit the two were inside and then went back to his vehicle and retrieved a rifle, Covelli said.
He went inside Hoffman’s apartment and a disagreement occurred, at which time Ibrahim fatally shot Hoffman, Covelli said.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Jeffrey Facklam said that Hoffman was shot in the head. It appeared that he was shot once.
Officers responded around 9:35 p.m. Monday to the location for a call of shots fired.
They found Hoffman in a pool of blood and determined he was deceased, prosecutors said.
The person who called 911 informed dispatchers that a man and woman entered a minivan and fled from the scene following the shooting.
A regional police broadcast was issued to local law enforcement to advise of the incident and the description of Ibrahim and Deason and the vehicle that fled from the scene.
Facklam said Ibrahim sent a text message photo of a rifle resembling an AK-47, which is what was believed to be the murder weapon, to one a current or former partner.
The person who received the image then reported it to the Round Lake Police Department and officers responded to the 300 block of Lunar Drive in Round Lake.
The officers saw a minivan and recognized the description from the regional alert issued by the Fox Lake Police Department.
Officers were familiar with Ibrahim, who normally drives the minivan, and knew he lived at a residence on the block, Covelli said.
Police officers established a perimeter around his residence.
Police requested the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) to assist in apprehending the man.
Just prior to NIPAS deploying, the man exited the residence and surrendered to officers.
Facklam said that Ibrahim told investigators he accompanied Deason to the victim’s apartment.
Ibrahim said he received a phone call from the woman, at which point he went to the apartment with the rifle and knocked on the door.
Ibrahim admitted that he raised the rifle and the “gun went off,” Facklam said.
Deason and Ibrahim allegedly fled the scene and factory reset their cell phones.
Deason washed their clothes and Ibrahim hid the weapon in his residence, Facklam said.
Lake County Assistant Public Defender Anton Trizna said during a Tuesday bond hearing that Ibrahim was “not in the right frame of mind to have a bond hearing” and asked for the hearing to be continued to Wednesday.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Ibrahim held on a $5 million bond after prosecutors presented probable cause.
Potkonjak ordered Deason held on a $1 million bond.
Additional charges are possible in the case. The homicide remains under investigation by the Lake County Major Crime Task Force and Fox Lake Police Department.