A Schaumburg woman captured on video vandalizing the lobby of the Island Lake police station in April has written a letter of apology to the department as part of a plea deal that allowed her to avoid a potential felony conviction.
Courtesy of Island Lake Police Department
A Schaumburg woman who trashed the Island Lake Police Department’s lobby this spring won’t be branded a felon, and for that she can at least partially thank her willingness to say “I’m sorry.”
Mary Larson, 35, recently pleaded guilty in Lake County court to a reduced charge of attempted criminal damage to government-supported property. She was sentenced to 12 months of court supervision, 50 hours of community service, a $100 fine and 30 days in jail — time she won’t have to serve if she complies with the other conditions of her sentence.
One of those other conditions was writing a letter of apology to the Island Lake PD.
Chief Jennifer Paulus confirmed this week that she’d already received the letter.
“It was very well written, and we appreciate that she took the time to do it,” Paulus told us.
Larson made news on April 30 when Island Lake police released surveillance video showing a woman vandalizing the police station. The 72-second clip shows her entering the lobby at 3:41 a.m., sitting on a bench and flipping a middle finger at the camera.
She then opens and slams shut the door of a collection bin, flings pamphlets across the lobby and tears down a bulletin board before leaving.
The video soon went viral across social media — receiving more than 50,000 views just on Island Lake’s Facebook page — and was aired on local and national media sites, as well as TV news.
Tips poured in, and investigators soon identified Larson as the vandal. Less than a week later, she was charged with criminal damage to government-supported property, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 1 to 3 years in prison.
Paulus told us this week the vandalism appeared to be the result of a mental health crisis, and because of that, the department supported the reduced charge.
“We were 100% on board with the plea agreement,” she said. “The most important thing was to make sure she gets the mental health help she needed.”
Honoring a good boy
The Kane County sheriff’s office next week will dedicate a monument to Hudson, the office’s police dog killed in the line of duty last year.
Kane County sheriff’s office dog Hudson, shown here with handler Deputy Luke Weston, was fatally shot May 24, 2023. A monument will be dedicated in his honor Sept. 13.
Courtesy of the Kane County sheriff’s office
The dedication ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at the sheriff’s headquarters, 37W755 Route 38, St. Charles. An open house of the HQ’s new administrative wing will take place afterward.
Hudson, a 4-year-old Dutch shepherd, died May 24, 2023, while apprehending an armed carjacking suspect who’d led police on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle. The chase ended at Fabyan Parkway and Randall Road in Batavia, where the suspect engaged in a shootout with police.
Hudson had gripped the arm of the suspect, later identified as 38-year-old James Moriarty of Aurora, when he was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire. Moriarty also was killed.
History class
The Elk Grove Village Police Department is making history. For the first time, all of the department’s new recruits off to the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy are women.
“It’s truly inspiring to see so many strong, dedicated women stepping up and breaking barriers to serve and protect our community,” the department said on its Facebook page.
Heading to the 16-week academy at the College of DuPage are Erin Mack, Nicole Wajda, Cindy Duenas, and Jessica Zia.
Erin Mack, Nicole Wajda, Cindy Duenas, and Jessica Zia make up the all-woman class of Elk Grove Village police heading to the academy this fall.
Courtesy of Elk Grove Village Police Department
Run with (not from) cops
We usually write about people running from the police, but here’s a chance to run with them.
The Mount Prospect Police Department on Saturday will host its “Five-O 5K Run/Walk,” a fundraiser for the Mount Prospect Food Pantry.
The run begins at 8 a.m. at the police department headquarters, 911 E. Kensington Road in Mount Prospect, which also is the finishing line. You can register in person beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday or online at raceroster.com/events/2024/89531/five-o-5k-runwalk. The fee is $30 for runners 11 years old and up and $15 for those 10 and under.
For more info, visit https://tinyurl.com/ycdx3et3.
Need a break?
Got an overdue fine on a traffic citation or a parking ticket from McHenry County you’ve ignored? Here’s your chance to make good and avoid the consequences of your tardiness.
From Nov. 8-15, the McHenry County Circuit Clerk’s Office will hold “Amnesty Week,” allowing people to pay past-due fines and court fees without collection fees and interest attached.
“Amnesty Week has been a true success story since we introduced it in 2022 — the number of participants almost tripled last year, and we hope even more people take advantage of the service as word continues to spread,” Circuit Clerk Kathy Keefe said in an announcement Thursday.
McHenry County Circuit Clerk Kathy Keefe
Since its creation, Amnesty Week has saved 127 people about $34,000 in late fees and interest, and about $43,000 owed to the court was paid, officials say.
Amnesty Week will conclude with Prairie State Legal Services and the McHenry County Bar Association teaming for a free expungement clinic to help people prepare and file requests to clear their criminal records.
The clinic will happen from 9:30 a.m. to noon Friday, Nov. 15, at the Michael J. Sullivan Judicial Center, 2200 N. Seminary Ave. in Woodstock. Attendees must preregister so the volunteer attorneys can have records ready. Visit https://bit.ly/3B0aKtf to register online. Slots fill up quickly, organizers say.
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