A man who opened fire on a car with a family in it near Marengo and later beat a man with a baseball bat while out on bond has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Carson Maxwell, 25, of Belvidere, was charged in March 2023 with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and criminal damage to property.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said Maxwell struck a victim with a metal baseball bat around 1:55 a.m. on March 29, 2023.
The incident occurred at Cox Road and River Road in unincorporated Marengo following an altercation.
The victim was struck in the wrist and arm and suffered major swelling and redness, the complaint said.
The victim’s Dodge 1500 truck was also damaged by Maxwell, the complaint said.
In June 2022, Maxwell was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony, and one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a Class 4 felony.
Maxwell fired a gun intentionally towards an occupied vehicle in the area of River Road and Thorne Road in unincorporated Marengo on June 26, 2022, a criminal complaint said.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Byrnes told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that deputies responded to the incident and learned a road rage incident occurred.
Maxwell fired several rounds toward a vehicle, which was occupied by the victim and their family, Byrnes said.
Prosecutors said two children were in the vehicle that was shot at.
A witness came forward and said they were with Maxwell when he committed the shooting, prosecutors said.
The gun Maxwell used was recovered and placed into evidence, Byrnes said.
Prosecutors said Maxwell was on probation at the time for brandishing a firearm and threatening another person in Winnebago County.
Maxwell was released from the McHenry County Jail in that incident after posting 10% of a $100,000 bond.
His bond was revoked following his second arrest for the baseball bat attack and he has since been held in the McHenry County Jail awaiting trial.
Court records show he entered into a blind plea in March on the two cases.
Maxwell pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony, and one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a Class 3 felony.
McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt sentenced Maxwell on Thursday to 10 years in prison for the first case and two years in prison for the second case. The sentences will be served consecutively.
McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally said after the sentencing hearing that he recognizes the “hard work done by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department in investigating this matter and the courage of the victims in reporting these offenses.”