Sheriff’s deputies arrested a convicted felon who officials say fired more than a dozen shots outside a bar in Beach Park Saturday morning, calling it a “dangerous situation.”
A Lake County sheriff’s deputy was in the area of a drinking establishment in the 37800 block of North Sheridan Road in Beach Park during the bar’s closing time around 1:50 a.m. Saturday.
Lake County Sheriff‘s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said the sheriff’s deputy heard multiple gunshots from the parking lot area of the bar.
He then informed other deputies of the situation over the radio.
Another sheriff’s deputy in the area observed a white work van quickly fleeing from the bar’s parking lot, Covelli said.
She initiated a traffic stop and spoke to the driver, identified as Danis J. Nunez-Bonilla, 22, of North Chicago.
Sheriff’s deputies found he was in possession of a 9mm pistol with an extended magazine.
They also located several discharged shell casings both in the vehicle and an additional 11 discharged shell casings near the bar.
Nunez-Bonilla was transported to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and investigators believe he fired the gun in an act of celebration, Covelli said.
The facts and circumstances of the incident were reviewed by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved charges against Nunez-Bonilla including four counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and reckless discharge of a firearm.
“I am extremely proud of our alert deputies involved in this dangerous situation. Working together, they quickly identified the man who was recklessly firing shots into the air and safely took him into custody without anyone being injured,” Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
”This incident serves a powerful reminder that 24/7, our sheriff’s deputies are out there protecting our community,” Idleburg added.
Nunez-Bonilla remains held in the Lake County Jail pending a First Appearance Court hearing on Saturday morning.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office intends to file a petition to detain Nunez-Bonilla, a convicted felon, in jail while awaiting trial.