A Round Lake Beach mother refused to attend court and was ordered held after she was arrested following the death of her child, who was found unresponsive in a home with drugs present near Richmond.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Richmond Township Fire Protection District and Mercyhealth MD-1 responded around 10:50 a.m. Wednesday to the 9600 block of Hillandale Road in unincorporated Richmond.
Sheriff’s officials said the call was for a medical emergency involving an unresponsive juvenile male.
911 dispatchers indicated over the radio that someone was performing CPR on the juvenile, a 14-year-old.
Fire officials said paramedics initiated lifesaving treatment and were assisted by Mercyhealth MD-1.
Paramedics rushed the juvenile to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry where he was pronounced dead.
“The Richmond Township Fire Protection District expresses our sorrow and condolences to the family,” the fire district said.
The sheriff’s office announced Thursday afternoon that charges had been brought against Cara Ullrich, 45, Round Lake Beach, as part of the investigation.
Ullrich was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and two counts of child endangerment.
She was also wanted on failure to appear warrants for 2020 charges of domestic battery and violation of an order of protection and a 2021 charge for aggravated battery.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said Ullrich possessed under 200 grams of a substance containing fentanyl and under 15 grams of a substance containing cocaine.
The complaint said Ullrich endangered the lives of two children — a 14-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy.
Ullrich allegedly brought drugs, containing fentanyl, into the residence in the 9600 block of Hillandale Road in unincorporated Richmond accessible to the children, who were present in the home.
Court records list Ullrich as being a resident of the home where the incident occurred; however, the sheriff’s office said she is a Round Lake Beach resident.
Sheriff’s officials did not provide further information on whether they believe the child died from an overdose or something unrelated.
“The investigation remains ongoing, and more information will be released as it becomes available,” the sheriff’s office said.
The McHenry County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy on the boy on Thursday.
McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein said on Friday that the autopsy resulted in no preliminary findings.
Toxicology and tissue samples have been collected and sent for testing.
“At this time this is an on going investigation,” Rein said, adding that his office will be awaiting the test results.
Ullrich was held in the McHenry County Jail pending a court hearing that was held Friday morning.
The newest charges against Ullrich are non-detainable under the Illinois SAFE-T Act; however, prosecutors filed a petition to revoke her probation in both of her previously charged cases.
Ullrich refused to attend the morning court hearing and McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis ordered her held in custody after granting the petitions to revoke probation.
A second court hearing was held Friday afternoon and Ullrich attended that hearing.
McHenry County Judge Michael Chmiel ordered Ullrich to not have any contact with an adult male and the 13-year-old boy, who was listed as one of the child endangerment victims.
The 14-year-old child endangerment victim listed in the charges was not listed on the no-contact order, indicating that child was the one who died.
Prosecutors said the child who died was the son of Ullrich and that when paramedics arrived the woman hid in a bathtub because she knew she had warrants, the Northwest Herald reported.
Prosecutors said the boy told his father, who he resides with at the residence, that he did not feel good and laid on the couch before falling asleep, the Herald reported. His father later found he was not breathing.
Deputies had to tackle Ullrich after she tried running from them at the scene, prosecutors said.
Ullrich is scheduled to appear in court next on February 22 for sentencing on her probation revocations and a status of preliminary hearing in her newest case.