The famous Christkindlmarket is now open in Aurora, and Fox Valley Magazine’s Kevin Ketchum and the crew of the Justa Coupla Guys podcast were there for it. Some sights and sounds from a festive day (and evening). For more on the Christkindlmarket, click here. (Photo and video credit Kevin Ketchum) And here’s the Justa Coupla Guys podcast!
Authorities found the deceased body of a 35-year-old man in the Fox River in Aurora Tuesday afternoon. According to a press release from the Aurora Police Department, at approximately 1:54pm Tuesday, the Aurora Police and Fire Departments responded to a report of a deceased male in the Fox River near Hurd’s Island. Emergency personnel recovered the remains, which were later identified as a 35-year-old male. The man was preliminarily identified through distinctive tattoos, and his last known location was a nearby shelter the previous evening. Initial findings showed no immediate signs of trauma or foul play. The Kane County Coroner’s…
A 48-year-old Batavia man was killed early Saturday morning when the vehicle he was driving went off the road near Sugar Grove and hit a utility pole. According to a press release from the Kane County Sheriff’s office, at approximately 2:53am Saturday morning, officers were dispatched to the 2S800 block of Bliss Road in Sugar Grove Township where they found a 2007 silver Chevrolet Impala facing south in the east ditch on Bliss Road. The vehicle had significant visible damage to the drivers portion of the vehicle, and the single occupant of the vehicle, identified as Ariel Martinez, was critically…
In a scene straight out of a horror movie, a shirtless man wielding a chainsaw was fatally shot by a St. Charles police officer while threatening residents of a local assisted living facility Sunday morning. At approximately 8:45pm, St. Charles Police Officers were dispatched for a “welfare check” call in the 900 block of North 5th Avenue. Witnesses reported that a shirtless male was holding a chainsaw and attempting to cut down a tree on the property of the River Glen of St. Charles, an assisted living center. Just before police arrived, witnesses indicated that the subject had gained entry…
A Chicago man has been denied pre-trial release after being charged with firearm violations following a traffic incident in Aurora Friday morning. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Aurora Chief of Police Keith Cross announced today that Judge Maureen Riordan has granted the State’s motion to deny pre-trial release for 33-year-old convicted felon who has been charged with one count of Armed Habitual Criminal (a Class X Felony); one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon (a Class 2 Felony); one count of Defacing a Firearm (a Class 3 Felony); and Misdemeanor DUI and other traffic…
A 26-year-old Elgin man has been charged with Attempted First Degree Murder and other charges in connection with a shooting earlier this month that sent one man to the hospital. The Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office charged the suspect with Attempted First Degree Murder (a Class M Felony); Aggravated Battery with a Firearm (a Class X Felony); Possession of a Firearm by a street gang member (a Class 2 Felony); Possession of a Firearm while on parole (a Class 2 Felony); Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Class 2 Felony); and Aggravated Battery causing great bodily harm (a Class 3…
A 20-year-old Aurora woman has been charged with Reckless Homicide in connection with the July 24th car crash that claimed the life of 45-year-old Aurora resident Gerardo Cuatzo. According to the Aurora Police Department, at around 8:40pm on July 24, police and fire personnel were were dispatched to the intersection of East New York Street and North Eola Road, where they found a crash involving four vehicles, one of which was rolled over. Traffic Crash Investigators determined that the accused, driving a Dodge Challenger westbound on East New York Street, was racing against a motorcycle at speeds exceeding 100 MPH.…
A 75-year-old Hampshire man is dead after his vehicle left the roadway on Route 20 and crashed into a tree Sunday afternoon. At approximately 12:35 p.m., the Kane County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the area of U.S. Route 20, east of Illinois Route 47 in Rutland Township, for the report of a single-vehicle crash. The deputies arrived to find a 2017 black Dodge Journey facing eastbound in the ditch on U.S. Route 20. The vehicle had significant visible damage after leaving the roadway and striking a tree. The single occupant of the vehicle was unconscious. Preliminary investigation shows that…
A 31-year-old Lisle man is in custody after being arrested for allegedly breaking into a home in Oswego and sexually assaulting a resident. According to Oswego police, on March 16, 2024, an investigation was launched after a victim reported that an unknown male had entered the victim’s residence without consent and committed a sexual assault. The suspect left the residence prior to police arrival but surveillance video captured him inside the residence. Subsequently, police released still images to the public in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to identify the suspect, but forensic evidence recovered at the scene subsequently led his identification.…
A 66-year-old Elgin was killed Monday afteroon in a single-vehicle crash on Kirk Road in St. Charles. At approximately 3:43pm, St. Charles police and fire personnel were dispatched to the 100 block of South Kirk where they found a GMC SUV on the west side of South Kirk Road. The vehicle was next to a tree, facing southeast, and it had heavy front-end damage. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, later identified as 66-year-old Manuel Barraza of Elgin, was unresponsive. Fire Department personnel extracted Barraza from the vehicle and attempted life-saving measures. He was subsequently transported to Northwestern…
