Charges have been filed against a suspect who authorities say struck a victim with a tree branch and tried punching a second victim, both strangers to him, at a park in Vernon Hills Tuesday.
The Vernon Hills Police Department responded around 5:34 p.m. Tuesday to Hartmann Park, 292 Oakwood Drive in Vernon Hills, for a report of a battery.
Vernon Hills Deputy Police Chief Shannon Holubetz said officers arrived in the Grosse Pointe subdivision after a 911 call for a person who had just battered a victim with a large stick.
The 911 caller indicated he was following the suspect as he attempted to flee the scene on foot.
Officers quickly located a man, identified as Adrian Parrales, 20, of Vernon Hills, matching the description of the suspect. He was positively identified as the suspect by the victim.
Holubetz said the victim reported he was struck on the arm with a large stick as he walked on a path used to access Hartmann Park.
The victim believed Parrales intended to hit him in the head or neck but he successfully deflected the strike with his arm, Holubetz said.
The victim indicated the attack was unprovoked and he did not appear to be suffering from any injury.
The stick was described as being approximately two inches in diameter and four feet long. It was not recovered, Holubetz said.
Parrales was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated battery in a public place, a Class 3 felony.
He was held overnight at the Vernon Hills Police Department and transported to the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan on Wednesday morning for a First Appearance Court hearing.
Prosecutors said Parrales was walking out of the park as the 63-year-old victim was entering the park.
Parrales picked up the tree branch and swung it at the man’s face, which was blocked by the victim raising his left arm and shoulder, prosecutors said.
The tree branch still struck the victim, causing pain. While Holubetz said reports indicate only one victim was the victim of a battery or attempted battery, prosecutors said in court that Parrales tried to attack a second person by throwing a punch at them.
Parrales does not know either victim, prosecutors said.
The charge against him is not detainable under the Illinois SAFE-T Act but the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed petitions to revoke his pre-trial release in other cases he has pending and Lake County Judge Paul Novak granted the requests.
One of those cases involves aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Vernon Hills. He was additionally wanted at the time for another aggravated assault with a deadly weapon case out of Vernon Hills.
Parrales remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on April 7 for a status of fitness hearing.