The father of a child who died near Richmond has now been charged and court documents say he suspected the boy’s death was the result of an overdose of illegal drugs in the family’s home.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Richmond Township Fire Protection District and Mercyhealth MD-1 responded around 10:50 a.m. on January 3 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 the day following the incident 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, the complaint said.
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.
The children’s father, Eric Ullrich, 51, of Richmond, was charged on Wednesday with possession of a controlled substance and child endangerment.
A criminal complaint alleged Eric Ullrich possessed less than 15 grams of a substance containing cocaine on the day the boy died.
He allegedly left the 14-year-old boy in circumstances that endangered his life, the complaint said.
The complaint said Ullrich suspected the boy to be under the influence of heroin/fentanyl at the family’s residence and did not promptly seek medical care for the boy.
The McHenry County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy on the boy and McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein said 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 last week, adding that his office will be awaiting the test results.
Cara Ullrich was held in the McHenry County Jail pending a court hearing that was held on the morning of January 5.
The charges against her 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.
Cara 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 later in the afternoon and Ullrich attended that hearing.
McHenry County Judge Michael Chmiel ordered the woman to not have any contact with Eric Ullrich 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 Cara Ullrich and Eric 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 Cara Ullrich after she tried running from them at the scene, prosecutors said.
Eric Ullrich was released from custody on Thursday as his charges are also non-detainable under the SAFE-T Act.
Chmiel ordered him to have no contact with Cara Ullrich, not possess firearms, not leave the state, appear at future court hearings and not violate any criminal statutes.
The judge also ordered him to not consume or possess alcohol or drugs, obtain a substance abuse evaluation and submit to random drug screenings.
Eric Ullrich is scheduled to appear in court again on February 13 for a status of preliminary hearing.
Cara 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.