A Wauconda police canine is being recognized for assisting in the Lake Barrington murder suspect manhunt and for assisting in the apprehension of an auto theft suspect in Island Lake.
The Wauconda Police Department said Friday that its new recruit, Canine Skye, had assisted in the manhunt for the murder suspect in Lake Barrington.
The suspect fled from a pickup truck that was located abandoned at Swiss Automation, 1020 West Northwest Highway in Barrington, on August 21.
A major police presence was seen in the Lake Barrington area for much of the day.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office deployed dozens of deputies, including specialized units, to conduct a coordinated search aided by numerous local police officers.
An area extending from Kelsey Road to the west, Route 22 to the north, Route 14 to the south, and North Harbor Road to the east, was systematically searched by over 10 drones, 20 canine teams, an Illinois State Police aircraft, sheriff’s deputies and area police departments.
The wanted suspect was seen by one of the units searching the area around 6:20 p.m.
He ran into an occupied industrial building in the 21900 block of Pepper Road in Lake Barrington and a standoff ensued. He surrendered around two hours later.
The Wauconda Police Department said Canine Skye also was instrumental in the apprehension of an auto thief in Island Lake on Tuesday.
“We are excited about “Skye’s” enthusiasm to keep our community safe,” the police department said.
Island Lake Police Chief Jennifer Paulus said the incident began around 5:35 p.m. Tuesday when an officer spotted a vehicle, which had been stolen from Island Lake days prior, driving on Eastway Drive near Fairfield Drive.
The officer turned around to follow and the stolen vehicle took off from the officer, Paulus said.
The suspect, a 16-year-old Island Lake boy, dumped the vehicle in a neighborhood on Juniper Road and fled on foot.
Paulus said officers coordinated a search and called in police canines from McHenry County and Wauconda.
A perimeter was established and an officer spotted the juvenile suspect hiding under a wheelbarrow under a house deck, Paulus said.
The suspect tried running away but was subdued and taken into custody near Eastway Drive and Rose Avenue.