Prosecutors say a man caught tampering with a machine at Gurnee Mills mall disarmed a responding police officer while resisting arrest and physically attacking them.
Angel F. Huerta, 18, of Waukegan, was charged with disarming a peace officer and two counts of aggravated battery to a peace officer.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said officers were on patrol at Gurnee Mills mall on September 15.
They were approached by a man who requested assistance with Huerta, who is his brother.
The man reported Huerta was intoxicated and near a high-voltage box, McConnell said.
Officers located Huerta in a narrow space between an industrial trash compactor and the Macy’s store.
McConnell said Huerta was pulling on a high-voltage wire to the machine and officers asked Huerta to exit the area because he was tampering with the machine.
Huerta was holding a small object in one hand and a belt in the other hand, McConnell said.
Huerta began exiting the space and held his hand behind his back, suggesting he may have a weapon, McConnell said.
Officers ordered Huerta to drop the belt he was holding and threatened to taser him.
McConnell said Huerta continued walking toward officers, who discharged a taser striking the man.
Officers attempted to take Huerta into custody but the man punched an officer in the face after he was tased, McConnell said.
The officers continued to try to get Huerta into custody but he continued resisting arrest.
McConnell said Huerta grabbed an officer’s taser and the officer forced the taser from the man’s grip, throwing it away from them.
Huerta dug his fingers into one of the officer’s legs, causing significant pain, McConnell said. Additional officers arrived and were finally able to manage to get him into custody.
Huerta, who yelled for officers to shoot him, was initially transported to a hospital for a mental health evaluation but was released after staff confirmed he was not experiencing a mental health crisis, McConnell said.
Charges were filed against Huerta 10 days after the incident and he was taken into custody earlier this month.
McConnell argued for Huerta to be detained pending trial, saying that he was playing in a high-voltage box, baited officers into believing he had a weapon, disregarded officers’ orders and then disarmed a police officer while fighting them.
Attorney Saul Ferris, who is representing Huerta, attributed the incident to his client drinking with his brother at Buffalo Wild Wings.
“His behavior was irrational. There’s no question about that… because he was drunk,” Ferris said, adding that Huerta suffers from depression and was taking medication at the time that mixed with the alcohol.
Ferris argued that Huerta never disarmed the officer because the officer had already discarded his taser while trying to take the man into custody when Huerta gained control of it.
Huerta testified during a detention hearing and said he did not remember the incident because he was intoxicated.
Lake County Judge Ari Fisz granted the petition to detain Huerta and a petition to revoke his pre-trial release in a driving under the influence case following the detention hearing.
The judge said Huerta, who is only 18 and has a history of juvenile criminal offenses, has proven that he disregards court orders on a regular basis and his actions show he is a danger to society.
Huerta is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.