A masked man possibly attempted to kidnap two girls walking near Cary and then fatally shot himself when responding officers located him at a nearby conservation area Tuesday afternoon.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call around 3:25 p.m. Tuesday for a report of two teen girls who were approached by a suspicious man.
The teens were walking home from the area of Fox River Road and North Harvest Glen Road in unincorporated Cary, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
A sedan, driven by a 32-year-old Cary man, pulled in front of the girls, parked in the direction they were walking and exited wearing a mask.
“The teens felt this was extremely concerning and they ran toward their home,” Covelli said.
They immediately notified the father and older brother of one of the two teens and then made it back home safely.
The father and brother drove through the subdivision to see if they could locate the vehicle and potentially obtain a license plate.
Covelli said the two located the vehicle driving in the neighborhood.
The driver of the offending sedan blocked the path of the father and brother and brandished a firearm.
The father and brother called 911 and reached the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, which dispatched deputies to the scene for the report of an attempted kidnapping.
A McHenry County sheriff’s deputy and a McHenry County Conservation police officer were in the area and located the offending vehicle, Covelli said.
Officers conducted a traffic stop and the driver pulled into the west parking lot of Fel-Pro RRR Conservation Area on Crystal Lake Road in unincorporated Cary.
The driver of the car retrieved the firearm and shot himself, Covelli said.
Lifesaving efforts were attempted and he was transported to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington by the Cary Fire Protection District where he was pronounced dead.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office said the man was pronounced in the emergency room and an autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday morning. His identity has not been released yet.
“This is undoubtedly a tragic situation for everyone involved. The teens in this case did the right thing by not engaging with the man and running away, while summoning trusted adults to help them,” Covelli said.
“We are very thankful they are safe. We appreciate the collaboration between all of the law enforcement agencies and fire protection district,” Covelli added.
The McHenry County Conservation District Police Department is investigating the death and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident that occurred prior.