Police say a naked man stole a crane truck, crashed it through a security gate, rolled it over and then tried breaking into homes in Gurnee before officers arrested him.
The Gurnee Police Department responded around 4:30 p.m. on April 23 to a report of a vehicle crash at Route 41 and Grand Avenue.
A Chevrolet Blazer had fled the scene northbound on Route 41, according to Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor.
Several witnesses observed the vehicle near 1600 North Delany Road after the Chevrolet crashed through a gate at a nearby apartment complex.
Gaylor told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that a white male was seen running from the car.
Officer Tom Yencich and his canine partner Leo arrived to assist with locating the suspect.
Leo tracked the suspect to a nearby business where officers discovered a crane truck had been stolen and used to break the security gate at the entrance to the business parking lot.
The suspect was no longer at the location. Officers responded a short time later to the 2500 block of Bayswater Circle for reports of a naked white male attempting to break into houses.
The description of the male matched the description of the suspect who fled the previous crash scenes, Gaylor said.
Witnesses in the area told officers the male had attempted to break into their homes and was last seen walking south through the neighborhood.
Yencich and Leo began a track in the area and located the naked man in a wooded area, Gaylor said.
The suspect, Robert C. Daniels, 24, of Great Lakes, willingly surrendered to police and was taken into custody.
Officers later learned Daniels had rolled the stolen crane near Hanssen Road and Route 41 before running into the neighborhood.
Daniels was transported to the hospital for an evaluation. No injuries were reported.
A warrant was issued for Daniels for felony charges of theft, burglary, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and criminal damage to property.
Daniels was issued citations for leaving the scene of an accident, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, improper turn, disobeying a traffic control device, failure to report an accident to the police, failure to give information at a crash scene, reckless driving and uninsured motor vehicle.
He was taken into custody of the Lake County Jail on May 9 on the warrant.
Daniels remains held on a $250,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 7 for a preliminary hearing.