Lake County Gazette

A Beach Park man was taken into custody following reports of gunfire outside his residence on December 5. The Lake County Sheriff's Office confirmed that small children were present in the house during the incident.

According to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a home in the 12200 block of West 29th Street, Beach Park, at approximately 10:30 p.m. on December 5. Upon arrival, they learned that Jesus Machuca-Barragan, 20, who resides at the location, had been involved in an argument with another resident. Machuca-Barragan left before deputies arrived and allegedly fired multiple shots from his vehicle as he departed. Authorities could not determine the target or reason for the shooting as no bullet holes were found.

The Sheriff's Office said that Lake County Sheriff's Telecommunicators issued an area-wide radio alert to inform other local police agencies about the situation, providing descriptions of both Machuca-Barragan and his vehicle. Officers from the Waukegan Police Department located him at a gas station near Route 120 and Jackson Street in Waukegan. He was apprehended by Waukegan officers who discovered he possessed another pistol. Additionally, sheriff's deputies found a second pistol in his vehicle along with five spent shell casings.

Machuca-Barragan was subsequently arrested and transported to the Lake County Jail. The Lake County State's Attorney's Office reviewed the case details and approved charges against him, including three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm. The State's Attorney's Office intends to file a petition for his detention pending trial.

As there were small children present during the incident, authorities notified the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. It is important to note that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.