Police have announced first-degree murder charges against a 26-year-old man who is accused of shooting a Round Lake Park man multiple times, leaving him dead, in Round Lake Beach Sunday evening.
The Round Lake Beach Police Department and Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District responded around 9:30 p.m. Sunday to the 1200 block of Sunnyside Court in Round Lake Beach for a report of shots fired.
Officers arrived and found an adult male in the roadway suffering from a gunshot wound, Round Lake Beach Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez said.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the victim on Monday as Kevin Rodriguez-Ruiz, 31, of Round Lake Park.
Rodriguez-Ruiz did not have a pulse, according to fire department radio traffic.
Paramedics transported Rodriguez-Ruiz to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he was later pronounced dead.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the hospital and performed an autopsy on Rodriguez-Ruiz on Monday.
The autopsy showed Rodriguez-Ruiz died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds, Banek said.
“During the investigation, Round Lake Beach Police Department detectives identified a suspect believed to be responsible for the shooting,” Rodriguez said.
Police officials announced Monday evening that the suspect was Juan U. Lopez-Aguayo, 26, of Round Lake Beach.
He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.
An alert was broadcast to area police departments through the Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network (ISPERN).
“With assistance from the Illinois State Police, the suspect was located and taken into custody,” Rodriguez said.
Lopez-Aguayo reportedly fled the scene in his 2009 Infiniti and was observed traveling southbound on Interstate 57 near the Champaign area, according to ISPERN radio traffic.
Troopers from Troop 10, which is the southernmost district for Illinois State Police, later stopped Lopez-Aguayo and arrested him on I-57 near Marion shortly after 3 a.m. Monday, according to radio traffic.
Rodriguez said a preliminary investigation indicated that Rodriguez-Ruiz and Lopez-Aguayo knew one another and that this was an isolated incident.
“Based on the information currently available, authorities believe there is no ongoing threat to the community,” Rodriguez added.
Crime scene tape surrounded a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that was stopped in the middle of the street with its doors open in the 1200 block of Sunnyside Court.
A neighbor told Lake & McHenry County Scanner that she heard around five gunshots.
Round Lake Beach police officers and detectives were seen interviewing neighbors, scouring Sunnyside Court for any evidence and taking photos in and around the Chevrolet Silverado.
A pair of jeans and shoes were seen on the ground next to the Chevrolet.
A light tower was later brought in to provide extra lighting for investigators.
Rodriguez said detectives and crime scene investigators conducted a thorough investigation that led to the charges.
“This investigation involved multiple interviews with witnesses, and the recovery of numerous items of digital, physical, and firearm related evidence,” Rodriguez said.
“The Round Lake Beach Police Department would like to thank Illinois State Police Troop 10 for their assistance with this investigation,” he added.
Lopez-Aguayo is scheduled to appear in First Appearance Court on Tuesday morning.