Prosecutors say a man was arrested after his probation officer found a video of him committing a shooting in Waukegan and also found him with a ghost gun.
Luis J. Hernandez, 26, of Waukegan, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm without a FOID card, reckless discharge of a firearm, three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of possession of an unserialized firearm.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Vukovich said Hernandez received a one-year supervised supervision sentence in March for a battery case in Lake County.
The Waukegan Police Department responded around 7 p.m. on December 7 to Hernandez’s residence after receiving a call from a Lake County probation officer.
Officers learned the probation officer saw a video of Hernandez shooting a firearm, Vukovich said. The video was dated in June.
Hernandez was seen on the video shooting a firearm into the air outside in Waukegan, Vukovich said. Ammunition was also found in one of Hernandez’s bags.
The search continued when officers arrived and a ghost gun was located in one of Hernandez’s jackets.
Hernandez does not have a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card or a concealed carry license. Vukovich said Hernandez is also not a U.S. citizen so he is not eligible for a FOID.
Hernandez identified himself in the video and admitted he was shooting the ghost gun that had been recovered, Vukovich said.
The man said he bought the gun for protection for $600 and he knew he was not legally allowed to possess it, Vukovich said. He also admitted to shooting the gun in the woods in Wisconsin.
A public defender for Hernandez said the man had been doing well on probation and the shooting seemed like it was a “one time thing.”
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Hernandez pending trial, calling him a real and present danger to the community.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak granted the petition to detain and remanded Hernandez to the Lake County Jail.
“The problem is bullets go out the gun and bullets have to end up someplace,” the judge said before making his ruling.
Potkonjak also said Hernandez has several burglary convictions from when he was a juvenile.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 3.