Offender Punched K-9
Lake County Sheriff’s Canine Dax apprehended an Island Lake resident who fled from a hospital after he had been arrested by a local police department for aggravated domestic battery.
Sunday, December 31, 2023, at approximately 5:20 a.m., Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies, including K9 Dax and Deputy Forlenza were dispatched to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in the 400 block of Route 22 in unincorporated Barrington for a report of a male adult, under arrest for aggravated domestic battery, that fled from the hospital during treatment.
Earlier in the morning, Jaime C. Romero, 51, of the 800 block of North Constitution Avene, Island Lake, was arrested by a local police department, after strangling and battering his girlfriend. He also had an active arrest warrant from Kane County. Romero was transported to the hospital for treatment after being arrested. While being moved inside the hospital for treatment, he fled on foot. Upon Romero fleeing, hospital staff made notification to authorities, which prompted a response by the sheriff’s office and K9 Dax.
K9 Dax and Deputy Forlenza arrived and immediately started tracking Romero. While tracking Romero westbound in the parking lot, Lake County Sheriff’s Telecommunicators received a call for a burglar alarm at an orthopedic doctor’s office in the 27400 block of Route 22. Sheriff’s telecommunicators were able to immediately radio this information to sheriff’s deputies at the scene.
K9 Dax and Deputy Forlenza tracked to the orthopedic doctor’s office and found an open door. K9 Dax began barking to alert Romero that he was there. Deputy Forlenza made several announcements to Romero to surrender, or K9 Dax would be released. Romero refused to surrender, and K9 Dax located him in the doctor’s office, and bit his leg. Romero punched K9 Dax, but as is common with K9 Dax, he was not fazed by Romero’s strikes.
Romero was taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies, evaluated for the dog bite to his leg, and transported to the Lake County Jail.
After reviewing the facts and circumstances of the incident, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the following charges:
Two Counts of Aggravated Domestic Battery (Class 2 Felonies)
Striking a Police Animal (Class A Misdemeanor)
Resisting Arrest (Class A Misdemeanor)
Criminal Trespass to a Building (Class A Misdemeanor)
Per policy that involves a K9 being struck, K9 Dax was evaluated by his veterinarian, and cleared to return to service.
“K9 Dax has done it again! Our ten canine teams are in the community serving the public each and every day. Through quick communication from our sheriff’s dispatchers, providing crucial information to our deputies at the scene along with the work of those at the scene, we were able to take this violent, fleeing offender into custody. I am proud of all of my staff involved in this incident.”
— Sheriff John D. Idleburg
Romero appeared in 1st Appearance Court Sunday morning, December 31, 2023, where he was ordered held pending a detention hearing. The detention hearing will take place on January 2, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
— Lake County Sheriff’s Office
^^ MOBILE? USE VOICE MIC ^^
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