A Wonder Lake man has been charged in connection with a human trafficking case that involved the sexual exploitation of a teenage girl, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said this week.
Jose Puga, 51, was charged with trafficking, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, and sexual abuse stemming from a 2019 case, the sheriff said.
In the 2019 case, a Round Lake woman was charged for trying to arrange sexual encounters with a 15-year-old girl for whom the woman was acting as a legal guardian.
Puga was arrested after the extensive investigation continued and new evidence came to light, the sheriff’s office said, which linked Puga to crimes allegedly committed against the girl. The case was investigated by the sheriff’s Special Investigations Group and the Chicago office of the FBI.
“This case is yet another example of the outstanding results that can be achieved through the partnership between the Lake County Special Investigations Group and the FBI,” Sheriff John Idleburg said. “While the investigation was lengthy, the relentless dedication of the investigators ensured that those responsible for victimizing this child were brought to justice.”
The woman charged in the 2019 case, Sheila E. Johnston, later pleaded guilty to involuntary sexual servitude of a minor and was sentenced to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
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Waukegan Police, along with Lake County State’s Attorney Office and local churches, will be hosting a second gun buyback event on April 5.
The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Most Blessed Trinity Parish, 450 Keller Ave., Waukegan.
Local residents are encouraged to bring in excess firearms, which will be purchased for $100, no questions asked, organizers said. Non-functioning guns, as well as BB/pellet guns and replicas can also be redeemed for $25.
The event is cosponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and Waukegan’s Trinity AME Church. The groups held the same event in 2023 and purchased 100 guns.
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The Lake County Coroner’s office identified the pedestrian who was killed Sunday, March 24, when she was hit by a car in Libertyville.
Xiufang Wu, 70, of Libertyville died from injuries she received when she was hit by an SUV.
The accident happened at about 8:24 p.m. Sunday on Illinois Route 176 near the Fourth Street intersection, authorities said. Wu was on foot when she was hit by a westbound motorist. The injured woman was brought to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
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A Waukegan man is facing charges after he allegedly fled from police in Wisconsin and Illinois at speeds that reached 138 miles per hour, authorities said.
Declan Moore, 23, of the 500 block of First Street, was charged with felony counts of aggravated fleeing and misdemeanor charges after the incident Wednesday.
According to police, a Wisconsin police agency issued an alert after Moore allegedly fled from
A short time later, a Lake County sheriff’s deputy spotted the black BMW on U.S. Route 41 near Stearns School. But the car, which was clocked at 96 miles per hour, eluded the officer.
The deputy later spotted the car near the Green Bay Road and Grand Avenue intersection, and the car again fled at high speeds. The deputy terminated the pursuit in the interest of safety.
Police went to Moore’s residence, where a family member contacted Moore and urged him to surrender. He returned to his residence and was taken into custody.
