A Chicago man has been sentenced to three years in prison for bringing a loaded gun and ammunition in a backpack into Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry.
The McHenry Police Department responded around 6:37 p.m. on August 23, 2023, to Northwestern Medicine Hospital, 4201 Medical Center Drive in McHenry.
McHenry Police Officer Michael Spohn said officers met with security staff after they found a handgun.
The gun was in a backpack belonging to Christian Reyes, 28, of Chicago.
The gun, a Davis Industries Model P-32, had a loaded magazine inserted, according to court records.
A box of ammunition was also found in the backpack, Spohn said. 39 rounds of .32 caliber ammunition were found, court records show.
A grand jury indictment said Reyes has a revoked Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card and no concealed carry license.
Spohn said Reyes was a patient being treated at the hospital at the time of the incident.
Officers arrested Reyes later the same day and he was initially only charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with a FOID and illegal possession of ammunition, both Class A misdemeanors.
A grand jury in October 2023 upgraded the charges to felonies due to Reyes’ revoked FOID card.
Reyes was charged with possession of a firearm with a revoked FOID, three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and one count of illegal possession of ammunition.
Reyes was released on bond following his initial arrest but was taken into custody again following the new charges.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Reyes pending trial, calling him a real and present threat to the safety of the community, and a judge granted the petition to detain Reyes in the McHenry County Jail.
McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis later released Reyes from jail in December 2023, only for prosecutors to file a petition to revoke his release after they learned he was arrested in January 2024 for a domestic battery incident in Cook County.
Davis denied the request to revoke Reyes’ pre-trial release after saying there was insufficient evidence to justify the request.
Prosecutors filed another petition to revoke his release earlier this month after Reyes was arrested on an aggravated battery to a peace officer charge.
Davis again denied the request after saying there was insufficient evidence to justify the request.
Court records show Reyes appeared in court on Tuesday where he was expected to enter into a plea deal.
He showed up in court while smelling strongly of alcohol and admitted to consuming alcohol. His blood alcohol content was 0.319 and Davis found him in contempt of court and sentenced him to six days in jail.
Reyes appeared in court again on Thursday where he entered into the negotiated plea agreement with the state’s attorney’s office.
Reyes pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm with a revoked FOID, a Class 3 felony, in exchange for his less serious charges in the case being dismissed.
Prosecutors also dismissed his charges in three other McHenry County cases as part of the agreement.
Davis sentenced Reyes to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections pursuant to the plea.