A Lake Villa man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after prosecutors say he went on a “reign of terror” where he fired shots at police cars, a paper deliverer and houses in McHenry, prompting the response of over 100 officers.
Nicholas C. Lopardo, 27, of Lake Villa, was charged in early 2023 with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a stolen firearm, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, armed violence, reckless discharge of a firearm, theft, attempted residential burglary, burglary, attempted burglary, criminal damage to government-supported property, aggravated fleeing to elude, aggravated driving under the influence and criminal damage to property.
Then-McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Hunter Jones said Lopardo attended a party at a residence in the 3000 block of West Charlotte Avenue in McHenry in the early morning hours of March 31, 2023.
Witnesses at the party reported that Lopardo was drinking heavily and saw him possessing a .357 caliber handgun.
Lopardo made a sexual advance upon a woman but she rejected him, Jones said.
Lopardo, who became enraged, walked outside to the front yard of the residence and fired multiple shots at the home before leaving the scene in a black Jaguar sedan.
Police were called to the party and an officer was traveling in the 3400 block of West John Street when they spotted the Jaguar stopped in the westbound lane.
The officer attempted to turn around and Lopardo drove off. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle but Lopardo did not stop and fled at a high rate of speed, Jones said.
The officer was ordered to terminate the pursuit and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded a short time later to a call of a black Jaguar abandoned in the 2500 block of Colby Drive in unincorporated McHenry.
A McHenry County sheriff’s deputy who was traveling on Barreville Road with their emergency lights activated passed Lopardo, who fired a .357 revolver at the deputy.
The shot narrowly missed the deputy and instead struck the rear driver’s side door, prosecutors said.
Lopardo was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe at that time, which had been stolen from a barn in the area that he broke into after the Jaguar was abandoned.
He drove the Chevrolet to a McHenry County Conservation property where he used the vehicle to ram a gate and enter the property, Jones said.
Jones said Lopardo fired at least 10 gunshots, four of which were recovered.
He also drove onto a nearby farm and crashed into property, causing extensive damage.
The stolen Chevrolet was later located abandoned in a ditch near State Park Road.
While on foot, Lopardo fired multiple shots at a woman who was driving while delivering newspapers near Route 31 and Veterans Parkway, prosecutors said.
Lopardo walked to the intersection of Barreville Road and State Park Road. He encountered a McHenry Police Department detective, who was traveling southbound on Barreville Road passing State Park Road.
Prosecutors said Lopardo fired his .357 at the detective, narrowly missing her by inches and striking the rear driver’s side door.
Lopardo entered a nearby neighborhood following the shootings and continued the crime spree by firing his gun into a house, prosecutors said.
Multiple 911 calls came in from homeowners reporting that someone was throwing rocks through windows and attempting to break into residences in the neighborhood southwest of Veterans Parkway and Barreville Road.
Prosecutors said Lopardo ran up and down the streets of the neighborhood while attempting to enter multiple homes.
He broke windows to five houses and damaged an additional four homes or fences.
Police issued a shelter-in-place alert to residents in the neighborhood as a heavy police response, involving the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and Northern Illinois Police Alarm System, was dispatched to the area to conduct a search.
Jones said surveillance videos captured Lopardo walking around the neighborhood trying to break into the homes. One video captured Lopardo firing his gun.
One of the 911 callers in the 1700 block of Cashel Lane reported an unknown person was in her basement.
Officers spotted Lopardo running from the home and a foot chase ensued but he was able to get away.
Lopardo abandoned his gun in a yard next to a child’s toys that were outside, prosecutors said. More than 100 officers were dispatched to the area.
An officer in an unmarked squad car in the area was approached by Lopardo a short time later, Jones said.
Lopardo tapped on the officer’s window and Lopardo fled on foot but officers chased him and arrested him.
Jones said Lopardo was out on bond for manufacturing or delivering cannabis in Lake County at the time of the crime spree.
Lopardo has numerous prior felony convictions, including for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
A 10-day bench trial was held in June in front of McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis.
Prosecutors called 46 witnesses during the trial. McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese referred during closing arguments to Lopardo’s actions as a “four-hour reign of terror” in McHenry.
The judge announced her verdict in the case on July 2, finding Lopardo guilty of all charges except three counts of attempted murder and two counts of criminal damage to property.
Attorney Robert Ritacca, who represented Lopardo, said he was relieved that his client was not convicted of the attempted murder charges.
Freese said following the verdict that she is grateful for the “tremendous efforts” of the McHenry Police Department, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and members of the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) in apprehending Lopardo without serious injury to anyone involved.
On Friday, a sentencing hearing was held and Davis sentenced Lopardo to 20 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) on one of the aggravated discharge of a firearm charges.
Davis additionally sentenced Lopardo to IDOC on 11 other charges he was convicted of but those sentences will be served concurrently with the initial 20-year sentence.
He was additionally ordered to pay over $6,600 in restitution to the victims whose homes were damaged.
Davis denied a motion for a new trial filed by Lopardo, who remains held in the McHenry County Jail awaiting transfer to IDOC.