WLIP Voice of Lake County 5/16/19

Gliniewicz Case Delayed Again, Appeal Filed

Vander Tuuk 5-16-19

(Waukegan, IL) The case against Melodie Gliniewicz has been delayed again. Gliniewicz is accused of helping her husband, Joe, embezzle money from a Fox Lake youth program before the then police officer staged his suicide in 2015. Prosecutors have filed another appeal to get a Lake County Judge’s ruling overturned. The judge has now ruled twice that text messages between husband and wife cannot be used as evidence, because of marital privilege laws. Prosecutors maintain those texts prove their case. Trial was supposed to start this summer, but the latest appeal means the case is back on an indefinite hold.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Settled

Vander Tuuk 5-16-19

(Waukegan, IL) A settlement has been reached in a wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of a North Chicago man. Trinidad Bueno-Sanchez was killed in 2017 after agreeing to sell a phone to a Fox Lake woman. But the woman and two of her friends tried to scam the man, and attempted to drive away while he was holding onto their car…he struck his head on the pavement and died. The main culprit, Courtney Sherman, is currently serving a three year prison sentence, while her two juvenile co-defendants took undisclosed plea deals. The wrongful death settlement, announced this week, grants the Bueno-Sanchez’ family just under 800-thousand-dollars, which will be paid through insurance companies.

Fire Officials Talk “Hot Spot” At Explosion Site

Vander Tuuk 5-16-19

(Waukegan, IL) Waukegan Fire officials say there is a “hot spot” at the site of a factory explosion that took place earlier this month. On Tuesday, officials were called to the wreckage of AB Specialty Silicones, because a passing motorist saw a small fire that was quickly extinguished. Officials on Wednesday said they are aware that the spot is still smoldering, but that it doesn’t present any danger. They say chemicals are still reacting there, and they can’t do much with it right now, because it’s a key focus of the investigation into what caused the May 3rd blast that killed four people.

Pritzker pledges immediate action on DCFS woes

Associated Press 5-16-19

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he will quickly adopt every recommendation made in a report on suggested improvements to the Department of Children and Family Services. Pritzker and DCFS Director Marc Smith faced reporters Wednesday after releasing a review of the child-welfare agency by the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall research center. The report found that DCFS often endangers children with its focus on keeping troubled families intact. Pritzker says the work has begun with a DCFS review of 1,100 cases to ensure that proper steps were taken. The agency’s actions have been questioned in the cases of three children under its care who have died since January.