Neighbors came to the aid of a woman after a stranger approached her home, shoved her to the ground and tried to rape her in Waukegan Tuesday evening.
The Waukegan Police Department responded around 10 p.m. Tuesday to the 1000 block of North Sheridan Road in Waukegan for an unknown problem call.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Cannon said multiple 911 calls were received for a woman screaming outside of a residence.
Multiple neighbors went to the scene and found the woman getting up off of the ground. She abrasions to her elbow.
Officers learned the woman had been inside her residence when she had her patio door open and the screen door closed, Cannon said.
She heard noises outside and became scared so she closed the screen door and locked the patio door.
Cannon said the woman went upstairs and came back down to find the screen door open.
She opened the patio door to close the screen door when a man grabbed her and pulled her to the ground.
The man, identified as Henry M. Yates, 22, got on top of the woman and put his hands over her mouth, Cannon said.
Yates began trying to pull off the woman’s pants while telling her to be quiet, Cannon said.
Cannon said the victim asked what Yates wanted and he said he wanted sex.
The woman began screaming, at which point the neighbors came out to her aid. Yates fled the scene before officers arrived.
The victim positively identified Yates as the suspect, Cannon said. He was out on release in another case where he was caught entering the same woman’s garage.
Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Scott Chastain said the victim is a 66-year-old woman.
Yates was charged with attempted criminal sexual assault, unlawful restraint and aggravated battery, Chastain said. He was additionally charged with resisting a peace officer.
Lake County Judge Raymond Collins ordered Yates held in custody until a detention hearing, which was set for Tuesday.
A public defender for Yates raised a bonafide doubt as to Yates’ fitness to stand trial during the man’s initial court hearing Friday.