Police say a Grayslake man was fatally stabbed in Waukegan after he and a second suspect reportedly lured two victims before attempting to rob them Sunday evening.
The Waukegan Police Department and Gurnee Fire Department responded around 9:55 p.m. Sunday to the 12700 block of West Harrison Avenue in Waukegan for a report of a stabbing.
Fire officials said an adult male subject was found in the street and had been stabbed.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the subject on Tuesday as Adam Hoth, 42, of Grayslake.
Hoth was critically injured. He was unresponsive when officers arrived.
Officers began performing first aid and started CPR on Hoth until paramedics took over care, fire officials said.
Banek said an autopsy conducted on Hoth showed he had suffered multiple sharp force injuries.
The fire department transported Hoth to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
He was pronounced dead in the emergency room around 11:20 p.m. Sunday.
The Waukegan Police Department Major Crime Scene Unit (MCSU) was called to process the scene.
Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) were called to investigate the incident.
Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Scott Chastain said subjects of interest were brought to the Waukegan Police Department and interviewed, including the subject who stabbed Hoth.
Numerous witnesses were interviewed and evidence was analyzed, which led detectives to determine the incident was a robbery attempt that “went terribly wrong,” Chastain said.
The subject who stabbed Hoth and his friend — both adult males — were in the area to purchase a motorcycle that was listed for sale on social media.
Chastain said the two were lured to an address on Harrison Avenue and told to contact the residents at the home.
The residents at the home knew nothing about the motorcycle purchase meetup and had nothing to do with the transaction.
The two prospective buyers began to walk back to their vehicle to leave when they were approached by Hoth and a second suspect who attempted to rob them of their money, Chastain said.
One of the suspects threatened the victims with a brick and announced a robbery.
Chastain said the victims refused to comply and one of the suspects broke the window of the victims’ vehicle with the brick to gain entry and steal money.
The suspect told the victims he knew they had the money that they brought to purchase the motorcycle.
A fight ensued between Hoth and one of the prospective buyers and Hoth was stabbed by the victim in self-defense, Chastain said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and confirmed no charges would be filed against the victim who stabbed Hoth because he was acting in self-defense.
Charges are pending against the accomplice in the robbery and the investigation is ongoing.
The accomplice is not in custody yet but detectives believe they have identified him, Chastain said.