Detectives arrested a man who they say fired shots at a group of people, damaging a house in Green Oaks, after he claimed to have been robbed by the group.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded on June 29 to the 31000 block of Prairie Ridge Road in Green Oaks for a report of damage to a home.
Sheriff’s deputies determined the home had been struck by gunfire, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
Deputies spoke to several area neighbors and collected video surveillance from the neighborhood.
Detectives analyzed the video and determined Andrew W. Szech, 42, who lives on the same block, shot several times at a group of nearby people, Covelli said.
Several members of the community told detectives they suspected Szech of being involved in “suspicious activity.”
The residents said they witnessed vehicles coming to Szech’s home, interacting with Szech for a short period of time and then leaving the area.
Detectives spoke to Szech, who claimed he was robbed during the June 29 incident.
Szech never reported the robbery and there was a lack of evidence to support the claim, Covelli said.
Szech also did not mention firing a gun during the incident.
Detectives did not arrest Szech at the time he was interviewed because their investigation was still ongoing.
Covelli said detectives believe Szech fired at the group of three people he was interacting with following a disagreement.
Law enforcement observed Szech driving on Friday and conducted a traffic stop because they knew his driver’s license is revoked.
Szech was arrested and transported to the Lake County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated driving with a revoked driver’s license.
Sheriff’s detectives have submitted a “Clear and Present Danger” form to the Illinois State Police regarding Szech.
Szech remains held in the Lake County Jail on a $300,000 bond.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday.