A Zion man with a history of health issues died Tuesday while in custody at the Lake County jail, according to the sheriff’s office.
Arthur Bankston II, 53, had been remanded to the jail Monday on a drug charge and was found dead in his cell at around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday by a guard, the sheriff’s office said.
He had been issued medications about an hour before he was discovered. Bankston had no signs of trauma or any suspicious marks, authorities said. He had previously told jail officials that he had a terminal underlying health condition, officials said.
Per department protocol, the investigation into his death is being conducted by the Lake County Major Crime Task Force. The Lake County Coroner’s Office said autopsy results are pending the results of toxicology and further testing.
Satisfactory marks
It was not all bad news surrounding the Lake County jail. The facility received satisfactory marks during its annual audit, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Illinois Department of Corrections conducted the annual audit and inspection of the jail in September. The inspection covers more than 300 categories, according to the sheriff.
“The dedicated men and women of our correctional staff work tirelessly to ensure our jail is safe, secure, and rehabilitative,” Sheriff John Idleburg said. “We are proud to once again meet IDOC’s rigorous standards. Our team’s commitment to providing necessary resources and maintaining a professional environment highlights our responsibility to the community and those in our custody.”
The auditors noted several advances, including the initiation of physical therapy inside the jail, making it unnecessary to transport inmates off-site. Auditors also noted the social and educational efforts to rehabilitate prisoners and ready them to re-enter society.
Attempted robbery
A Gurnee woman was arrested after she allegedly tried to rob a convenience store on New Year’s Day, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Christina A. Lintner, 40, of the 5500 block of Grand Avenue, was charged with aggravated armed robbery.
Police allege that Linter entered a gas station/minimart on Illinois Route 83 near Lake Villa at around 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 1 and implied that she had a gun. After a clerk refused to give her money, the woman attempted to break into the cash register before fleeing in a black SUV displaying out-of-state license plates, police said.
Police issued an alert and Gurnee police pulled over a vehicle matching the description near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Hunt Club Road. Lintner was identified as the attempted robber and was taken into custody.
“Through diligent work and collaboration, our deputies tracked down and apprehended an offender who posed a threat to others,” Sheriff John Idleburg said. “I’m proud of everyone involved — our telecommunicators who issued the alert, our deputies who investigated, and our law enforcement partners who helped locate this offender.”
