Deputies responding to a call from a concerned citizen arrested a convicted felon who was allegedly found with a loaded rifle during a funeral gathering in Beach Park.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to the area of Everett Road and Charleston Road in Beach Park.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Vukovich said a woman called 911 and reported she was hosting a funeral gathering at her home and was nervous about the presence of guns involving cars nearby.
The woman did not provide further information and sheriff’s deputies arrived to find a Hyundai Tucson parked in an unusual spot while running with its lights on.
Deputies approached and noticed a passenger in the vehicle duck down to avoid being seen, Vukovich said.
The Hyundai drove away and deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, which did not have taillights on.
Vukovich said that Christopher S. Carstens, 24, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, was the driver of the Hyundai. The passenger immediately ran from the car.
Deputies saw a loaded American Tactical rifle on the floorboard within reach of Carstens, Vukovich said.
Carstens was charged with felon in possession of a firearm, three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and headlight or taillight violation.
Vukovich said Carstens poses a real and present threat to the community and is a convicted felon.
He is on probation after being convicted in May 2022 of reckless discharge of a firearm that occurred in Waukegan on January 6, 2020.
Carstens also has a prior conviction in Wisconsin for possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18.
Attorney John Radosevich argued in court that Carstens had no knowledge of the gun being there and suggested that it belonged to the passenger who fled from deputies.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak granted a petition to detain Carstens pending trial during a detention hearing last week.
Carstens is scheduled to appear in court again on October 31 for a preliminary hearing.