A Harvard man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trying to pull out a loaded AR-15-style rifle during a standoff where he injured two officers in Harvard.
The incident occurred around 10:08 a.m. on March 4, 2023, in the 1700 block of Wildflower Lane in Harvard when officers responded to a report of a domestic disturbance.
Harvard Chief of Police Tyson A. Bauman said at the time that officers learned a 55-year-old woman was injured after she had been punched in the back by a family member.
It was discovered the male offender had fled the scene on foot.
Officers searched the area and located the suspect, identified as Juan J. Castro, 29, of Harvard.
Castro was confronted by officers as he was walking near the intersection of Forest Downs and Autumn Glen Drive.
A brief physical struggle ensued and officers backed off until additional officers arrived, Bauman said.
Deputies from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and Walworth County, Wisconsin Sherriff’s Office responded to assist.
The standoff continued until 11:10 a.m. when Castro attempted to reach inside a briefcase he had been holding while making threats, a grand jury indictment said.
Officers tackled him to the ground and he was eventually taken into custody following another physical fight.
Officers found a loaded AR-15-style rifle, which Bauman said was a ghost gun, inside the briefcase, according to the indictment.
Two officers suffered minor injuries during the incident and were treated at local hospitals. They were later released.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office initially approved charges of two counts of aggravated battery to a peace officer, aggravated resisting a peace officer, four counts of resisting a peace officer, domestic battery, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, six counts of aggravated assault and one count of possession of a ghost gun.
A grand jury later returned a 24-count indictment against Castro.
The charges included nine counts of armed violence, two counts of aggravated battery to a peace officer, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, resisting a peace officer causing injury, two counts of resisting a peace officer, six counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer, possession of an unserialized gun and domestic battery.
At the time of his arrest, Castro also had an Illinois Department of Corrections warrant for a parole violation, a Boone County failure to appear warrant for a previous driving under the influence charge and two McHenry County failure to appear warrants for a previous contempt of court and crimes against persons charge.
Castro entered into a negotiated plea deal with the state’s attorney’s office on Thursday.
He pleaded guilty to one count of armed violence, a Class X felony, in exchange for a 15-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
The plea agreement was accepted by McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt.