A longtime Zion police officer and her wife, who is a former Lake County sheriff corrections officer, have been arrested on charges following a serious child abuse incident. Shazay M. Molleda, 40, of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, and Brittany L. Molleda, 28, of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, were both arrested by the Pleasant Prairie Police Department on […]
Tag: child abuse
Posted inLocal News
City of Waukegan employee arrested after allegedly beating child with belt, leaving visible injuries
A City of Waukegan employee is facing charges after prosecutors say he beat one of his children with a belt, leaving visible injuries across her body, after he became mad at her for using a computer. Ariel Cruz, 40, of Waukegan, was charged with two counts of domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor. Lake County […]
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Man allegedly strangled child, punched boy in face and squeezed his genitals in McHenry
A McHenry man was arrested on charges that he strangled a child, punched the boy in the face and squeezed the child’s genitals, causing serious injuries, in McHenry. Demitrius L. Raymond, 21, of McHenry, was charged with aggravated domestic battery, aggravated battery of a child causing great bodily harm and two counts of enhanced domestic […]
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Appeals court rules against Harvard mother in prison after child found severely malnourished, within days of death
An appeals court ruled against a mother who claimed her three-year prison sentence was “excessive” after her young child was found “severely malnourished” in Harvard and days from death. The Harvard Police Department and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) responded on November 17, 2020, to the 100 block of Shawnee Lane for […]
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Mother accused of beating child younger than 13, leaving victim covered in welts in Zion
A mother was arrested after prosecutors say she beat her child, who is younger than 13, with a belt and left the child covered in welts throughout her body in Zion. The Zion Police Department responded around 8:30 p.m. on March 20 to the 2000 block of Gideon Avenue in Zion for a report of […]
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Jury convicts father who forced child to live in locked Waukegan basement, believed she was possessed by demon
A jury has convicted a father on charges that he forced his young child to live in a locked basement in deplorable conditions while believing she was possessed by a demon. Randy Swopes, 55, and Katherine Swopes, 56, both of Waukegan, were charged in July 2018 with child endangerment and unlawful restraint. Then-Waukegan Police Chief […]
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Father sentenced to 4 years in prison for aggressively rocking newborn baby, causing serious injuries in Cary
A Cary father has been sentenced to four years in prison for aggressively rocking his 4-week-old baby side to side, causing serious injuries that left the child in the intensive care unit. The Cary Police Department was contacted by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) on June 23, 2023. DCFS told police about […]
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Waukegan couple charged after 2 young children hospitalized, found severely malnourished
A Waukegan couple is facing serious charges after prosecutors say two young children, who were sometimes locked in their room, suffered a “year-long slow torture” that led to them being severely malnourished. Marcos A. Campos, 25, of Waukegan, and Lilian Arellano, 32, of Waukegan, were charged with aggravated battery of a child causing permanent disability, […]
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School in Kildeer permanently shuts down following multiple DCFS, police investigations into abuse
A private school in Kildeer has been permanently closed after multiple allegations of child abuse at the school prompted police and DCFS investigations. The Kildeer Police Department said they received a report of an incident involving physical contact with a child on October 17. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) had become aware […]