CHICAGO, IL - Two men have been detained, but not on charges for attempting to lure children into a van where police allegedly found condoms, lubricant, and a mattress. Instead, according to CWBChicago, one was detained for violating parole and the other for violating probation.
If those holds are released, then both men will be released back to the streets on electronic monitoring.
On Sunday, March 31st, both men were present at an initial appearance at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse where Assistant State's Attorney Sarah Dale-Schmidt presented the state's allegations against 60-year-old Kenchi Edwards and 55-year-old Kraig McCauley. The prosecutor told Judge Susana Ortiz that McCauley stopped a van near three children playing in an alley on 18th Street in Cicero in the evening on Friday, March 29th.
An official court transcript says that McCauley motioned for the children, both 14, to come over to the van and asked them if they wanted to get in, saying a "famous athlete" was in the back of the van and he had games." Dale-Schmidt stated that surveillance video allegedly recorded the interaction. According to the prosecutor, the children, who were with a 13-year-old, did not get into the van. McCauley reportedly drove away after that.
One of the children told a parent about what happened and that parent contacted the police. Cicero police found the van nearby to where the incident with the children transpired, and pulled it over. The prosecutor said that the officers found McCauley sitting on a mattress placed on the base of the driver's seat. She said that Edwards was in the back of the van, allegedly trying to hide things inside of a bag.
According to the prosecution, once the men were removed from the van, police searched the vehicle and found a "crack pipe, numerous condoms, lubricant and binoculars" as well as open cans of Twisted Tea alcohol, an open bottle of Ice House, and an open bottle of Buchanan's Deluxe Whiskey.
The prosecutor said that both men admitted to speaking with the young children about sports and joking that Edwards resembled a famous athlete, which was the same famous athlete McCauley allegedly told the children was in the back of the van. Both men have been charged with two counts of luring by a person older than 21 and two counts of attempted child abduction.
After hearing the allegations mentioned above, Judge Ortiz asked the prosecution, "as to each defendant, these are detention eligible offenses, correct?" Dale-Schmidt responded, "No, you honor." The judge replied, "We're going to pass this case."
Ortiz said, "I want to note for the record that as to each of these defendants, child luring and attempted child abducting are not enumerated offenses on which the People can seek detention. I want to note that attempted animal cruelty is one where detention can be sought but not attempted child abduction, for whatever that's worth. I want that to be reflected on the record."
Both men were ordered to be on electronic monitoring and barred them from receiving "essential movement," which is the 48 hours per week that electronic monitoring participants are usually allowed to leave their homes. She order them to have no contact with the victims, the witnesses or anyone under the age of 18.
In an effort to understand why the judge and prosecution passed on detaining these men for their alleged crimes, CWBChicago contacted several sponsors of the SAFE-T Act and the Cook County state's attorney's office. Rep. Kam Buckner (26th) said in a statement, "Child abduction and attempted child abduction are 100 percent detention eligible. It's both named in the statute and even if it wasn't, there's a catch all that makes detention eligible for any felony that includes the threat or infliction of great bodily harm or disability or disfigurement."
Sen. Elgie Sims (17th) added, "The allegations are more than disturbing — these allegations are exactly the type of circumstances that would allow a person to be detained under the Pretrial Fairness Act. The statute is clear, attempted child abduction should lead to the detention of the accused."
Instead, Ortiz detained Edwards, a three-time felon paroled in November on a narcotics charge because the state lodged a hold on him while it reviews his parole status in light of the new allegations. She detained McCauley for violating the probation sentence he received upon pleading guilty to aggravated robbery on February 20th.
If those holds are released, then both men will be released back to the streets on electronic monitoring.
On Sunday, March 31st, both men were present at an initial appearance at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse where Assistant State's Attorney Sarah Dale-Schmidt presented the state's allegations against 60-year-old Kenchi Edwards and 55-year-old Kraig McCauley. The prosecutor told Judge Susana Ortiz that McCauley stopped a van near three children playing in an alley on 18th Street in Cicero in the evening on Friday, March 29th.
An official court transcript says that McCauley motioned for the children, both 14, to come over to the van and asked them if they wanted to get in, saying a "famous athlete" was in the back of the van and he had games." Dale-Schmidt stated that surveillance video allegedly recorded the interaction. According to the prosecutor, the children, who were with a 13-year-old, did not get into the van. McCauley reportedly drove away after that.
One of the children told a parent about what happened and that parent contacted the police. Cicero police found the van nearby to where the incident with the children transpired, and pulled it over. The prosecutor said that the officers found McCauley sitting on a mattress placed on the base of the driver's seat. She said that Edwards was in the back of the van, allegedly trying to hide things inside of a bag.
According to the prosecution, once the men were removed from the van, police searched the vehicle and found a "crack pipe, numerous condoms, lubricant and binoculars" as well as open cans of Twisted Tea alcohol, an open bottle of Ice House, and an open bottle of Buchanan's Deluxe Whiskey.
The prosecutor said that both men admitted to speaking with the young children about sports and joking that Edwards resembled a famous athlete, which was the same famous athlete McCauley allegedly told the children was in the back of the van. Both men have been charged with two counts of luring by a person older than 21 and two counts of attempted child abduction.
After hearing the allegations mentioned above, Judge Ortiz asked the prosecution, "as to each defendant, these are detention eligible offenses, correct?" Dale-Schmidt responded, "No, you honor." The judge replied, "We're going to pass this case."
Ortiz said, "I want to note for the record that as to each of these defendants, child luring and attempted child abducting are not enumerated offenses on which the People can seek detention. I want to note that attempted animal cruelty is one where detention can be sought but not attempted child abduction, for whatever that's worth. I want that to be reflected on the record."
Both men were ordered to be on electronic monitoring and barred them from receiving "essential movement," which is the 48 hours per week that electronic monitoring participants are usually allowed to leave their homes. She order them to have no contact with the victims, the witnesses or anyone under the age of 18.
In an effort to understand why the judge and prosecution passed on detaining these men for their alleged crimes, CWBChicago contacted several sponsors of the SAFE-T Act and the Cook County state's attorney's office. Rep. Kam Buckner (26th) said in a statement, "Child abduction and attempted child abduction are 100 percent detention eligible. It's both named in the statute and even if it wasn't, there's a catch all that makes detention eligible for any felony that includes the threat or infliction of great bodily harm or disability or disfigurement."
Sen. Elgie Sims (17th) added, "The allegations are more than disturbing — these allegations are exactly the type of circumstances that would allow a person to be detained under the Pretrial Fairness Act. The statute is clear, attempted child abduction should lead to the detention of the accused."
Instead, Ortiz detained Edwards, a three-time felon paroled in November on a narcotics charge because the state lodged a hold on him while it reviews his parole status in light of the new allegations. She detained McCauley for violating the probation sentence he received upon pleading guilty to aggravated robbery on February 20th.
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Comments
2024-04-10T18:50-0400 | Comment by: Clifford
Well, it's Chicago so cannot expect much, until they've hurt/killed someone. Even then, they get reduced sentences & a pat on the back, hoping they don't re-offend.
2024-04-11T05:53-0400 | Comment by: Tim
The judge, like so many on the bench these days, didn't have the courage to detain these POS and simply implied that it's the legislature's fault and his hands were tied. Rep. Buckner was correct. This was BS!